Why LinkedIn? You tell us...
Last week David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist and blogger, asked his readers a simple question: "LinkedIn...Why?" and had almost 100 answers from users on how they're using LinkedIn today.
Before I reveal some of the answers, let me take a moment to describe my usage of LinkedIn, which started almost 2 years before I became the "official" evangelist for the service.
There are four ways, LinkedIn has added value to my professional life: (a) take control of my online identity - prior to my own blog, my LinkedIn profile was the first result on searches, (b) find a dream job, (c) maintain & foster relationships with colleagues (past, present & future), fellow bloggers, peers I meet at events & speaking engagements, etc… (d) provide value to my professional network by recommending peers, answering their questions (LinkedIn Answers), etc…
Well, I could go on, but what else do users use LinkedIn for? Here are eight simple answers culled from the comments section of David's post:
Linda VandeVrede, Director of Public Relations at iMemories, says it helps her maintain relationships with peers and colleagues as she traverses the professional curve?
The top 2 benefits I’ve found from LinkedIn:
(1) staying in touch easily - I’m notified instantly whenever a friend in my network changes jobs, and I can search the LinkedIn directory to located co-workers I have lost touch with.
(2) making connections that would otherwise be impossible. I have been able to approach large name brand companies about business development because of mutual connections - calling or emailing “cold” from the outside would have been impossible. Being in a network in a sense
validates me.
Jeff Watkins, Web User Interface Engineer (Apple), believes LinkedIn fulfills the promise of bridging relationships:
I think the value of LinkedIn starts when you want to contact someone you don’t know well enough to just e-mail directly. Let’s say I want to contact you about an exciting opportunity to purchase a bridge. You don’t know me from Adam and you would be understandably skeptical of my offer. However, let’s say a buddy of yours emails you and says, “Hey, I know this guy who’d like to sell you a bridge. He’s a good guy, my friend has known him for years
and worked with him at two separate real estate investment companies. I know you’re into collectible bridges, I think you really should talk to this guy.”
Bruno Figueiredo, Head of User Experience and Owner at Ideias & Imagens, seems to agree with Jeff:
The real point of LinkedIn is bridging relationships. I want to get in touch with A but I don’t know him, so I contact B who knows A personally and he puts me through to him. That’s
the real value of LinkedIn.
Paul Franceus, Principal Consultant at RABA Technologies, LLC, just expanded his career opportunities. Brendon is right!
I get regular inquiries about jobs through LinkedIn. I don’t think it’s for you to contact the people you know directly. It’s for finding those people that are once or twice removed from you, or for them to find you. I got contacted by a recruiter from Google based on my LinkedIn profile and I start there in 3 weeks.
I also was a bit skeptical of LinkedIn at first. When I found out the ways to really use it, however, I discovered that it’s a great way to not only find and get introduced to people through your network for business opportunities, etc., but also a way for the people you DO know
to recommend your services which can be viewed by the public.Everytime I meet with a new client or come back from a networking function, I tell them about LinkedIn via email with a brief layman’s overview of what it can do, then follow with an invite to connect. I have received more recommendations this way and also been introduced to several new people who I wouldn’t have gotten the privilege of knowing, had I not been using this service.
I’ve already gotten several new leads for possible clients by using this service. The other thing that happens when you get recommendations, is that service you are recommended for is then listed (with your name/etc.), in the LinkedIn Service Provider Directory, which is where people also look, for contractors, professionals, services, etc.
Troy Darling, Marketing Manager, probably uses it for all the above reasons:
I’ve used Linked-In mainly as a passive way to record a network of business contacts that would only add clutter to my own contact list. In business, I tend to have strong relationships in the office that don’t often extend to my personal life. When those people leave or I move on, Linked-In is an effective tool to keep a connection.
I’ve used it to find people to fill positions in my company, to reconnect with former colleagues, to introduce members of different nodes to each other, and to give people a less-intrusive way to re-contact me after a long silence.
Scott Allen, About.com Entrepreneur guide & blogger, comments on the three key benefits he derives from using LinkedIn, which includes people search, simplifying data maintenance and keeping in touch with people he's established a professional relationship with.
And finally, Rusty Weston, another blogger outlines three benefits of using social networking in general:
If you need (or simply want) to meet new contacts/experts, make new friends, establish a sense of community or want to establish a venue for others (not just your friends) to contact you, it’s hard to beat social-networking sites.
So, now that you saw a plethora of responses regarding how different users have been using LinkedIn, answer this: Why do YOU use LinkedIn? Leave a comment.