I have a crush on LinkedIn. I’m not sure if the feeling is mutual, but it’s getting pretty serious on my end.
I signed on a few years ago and, like a lot of people, didn’t use it that much at first. It actually struck me as a bit dry (versus the delicious options available through Facebook and Twitter). But now, I see the light. And I’m not the only one.
As you may know, LinkedIn is a social network for professionals. You “connect” with people you have worked with, would like to work with, or have similarities with, professionally speaking or otherwise.
LinkedIn is an incredible source of information for my work. For example, I can browse by keywords to find people or companies I may want to hire or work with. I can see who of my connections are already connected with these new folks and can get a review I can trust. The “Recommendations” feature also helps me understand what sets someone apart from the pack with real endorsements.
LinkedIn Groups also offers me the opportunity to join groups relevant to my line of work, further extending my network. The groups I join also display on my profile so others in my network can join too.
LinkedIn tracks and reveals (to some extent) who has looked at my profile and what other profiles on LinkedIn are looked at after or before mine. This helps me understand how people perceive me and/or the work I do.
Blog posts, book recommendations and Twitter feeds can now be integrated into LinkedIn profiles. But my favourite current feature is how I can build credibility by simply talking about what I know.
The Answers section of LinkedIn allows me to ask a question or answer one. When I answer one, it is recorded on my profile as part of my recent activity. So, once again, my network, or others checking out my profile, can join that conversation or just read the thread. But it gets better. Answers are also rated by other users – encouraging people to give the best answer they can, benefiting everyone. If an answer is picked as the best one, this also reflects on a profile – further helping build credibility. Last but not least, by engaging on LinkedIn, it helps SEO. One of my answers was picked up by Google within 24 hours.
What’s not to love? You can see why I’m smitten.
According to Wikipedia, as of April 2010 LinkedIn has more than 65-million users worldwide. Are you one of them?
