Is There a Benefit to Using LinkedIn?
We have Facebook and Twitter, perhaps hundreds of thousands of forums and websites pertaining to our business niche, email, text messaging, phones – why should we use LinkedIn? Is it not just another website that will take our or our marketing team’s time up?
The value of LinkedIn, for many, is not the quality of the site or the tools, but the user-base. LinkedIn is only of interest to people who are looking to meet other business contacts, make sales, and keep up with technology and news in their specific niche. Due to the perceived higher level of professionalism on LinkedIn when compared to larger or less specialized websites, it has allowed more higher level business contacts to join. Many business types are happy with the idea of a professional online business card exchange, but would not post on a site like Twitter which contains all and sundry.
People are much more likely to work with someone or their company if they know and trust them. This can be possible by making more connections through LinkedIn. If you become a more prominent member of the LinkedIn elite, then your company will appear more trustworthy, and will gain a lot more visibility.
The LinkedIn website is currently given quite a high ranking by Google, and it is entirely possible that shortly after creating your LinkedIn profile for your company that it will appear high up in the rankings if someone searches for your business name. You also have a lot of control over this page, so you can use it as a quick way to cheekily appear high up in the rankings and get your message across. You can then link the customer to your website. This is most powerful for people who work as individuals under their own name but their name is relatively common and is not reflected in their website domain name.
LinkedIn is a goldmine of information for the job seeker. You can perform searches on the company you are interviewing for, as well as look up information on those who are interviewing you. You could drill down to see which companies they used to work for, who their colleagues were, etc. Be aware that as your profile becomes more full and you have a larger number of connections that this process could also be performed on you.
LinkedIn’s future is still unknown; so many other high profile social networking sites have gone under as people move to Facebook or Twitter. Both of these sites could be seen as imposing on LinkedIn’s niche, but due to their most intrinsic features they both cannot quite offer the same options for professionals as LinkedIn itself. The professional social networking site may just be here to stay.
Claire Jarrett runs Marketing By Web, who specialise in web marketing for SMEs, and are a PPC advertising company
Hi there,
I think that each website has its own purpose. Like you’ve said and I totally agree with you LinkedIn is important and useful for amore professional type of networking. I personally use it a lot!
Thanks!
I think linkedin is a great tool that only begins to develop and I think that in the future everybody will use it. It’s a matter of time before everyone will discover its value
LinkedIn is much better than facebook/twitter as it is a professional network,but none can predict the future as most people are using either facebook/twitter
Thanks for posting this. LinkedIn isn’t as popular world wide as Facebook and Twitter, but as you said, it’s that it’s more centered around businesses makes it successful. This is a great overview on how LinkedIn works and the benefits of signing up. It’s easy for a page to get lost on Facebook or Twitter. This site is better suited for those who are serious about publicising their business.
Claire,
I hear a lot of great things about LinkedIn and you’ve provided some really useful information here. I am considering joining it and have received several requests. After this post though I am thinking I will. Thank you for sharing
LinkedIN is great but i think your fear are correct, if Facebook decides to go after the corporate market LinkedIn’s future doesn’t seem too bright to me, b/c so many ppl are on Facebook they’ll use it for their corporate needs as well
great content. i think that these days social networking sites are inseparable from most people’s daily life. they are super popular just because they allow to connect to other people all over the world. and this is the magic of it!
I have always loved LinkedIn ever since. It is such a helpful tool for any business. And like you said, it is a good idea of a professional online business card exchange and better engagement with other business contacts. I love the professionalism I get with this tool as compared to the other social networking sites.
I think LinkedIn is still underrated. Unlike time wasting social networks like Facebook (time wasting for users not for advertisers), LinkedIn really has a great functionality. I think it’s just a matter of time until all businesses will use LinkedIn on daily basis.
You’re right! LinkedIn is for professional people, and I enjoyed meeting people there.
Being a member of LinkedIn will help you to build a professional network to find possible clients, partners, service providers and experts in your field.