I visited a local BNI chapter meeting this past week. I enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone to network, but I have to admit, I wasn’t prepared for how many people asked me about LinkedIn.
Do I have a LinkedIn account? Yes. I’ve had one pretty much from the beginning. We discussed LinkedIn in one of my capstone advertising classes in 2009/2010 and we all naturally hopped on the site to see what it was about.
Do I use it? Sometimes. LinkedIn isn’t Facebook and it isn’t Twitter either, neither of which are slights against the site. For being a social media marketer, I really don’t use social media sites too much for personal use. I occasionally tweet random thoughts and even more occasionally will I update my personal Facebook page. I spend so much time using social media for work that I just don’t get around to it just for me.
How do I use it? I use LinkedIn for professional networking, checking out job openings and finding information about local and national businesses. I keep my profile up-to-date and I network with coworkers and colleagues. I’m somewhat selective about networking as I like to network with people I’m familiar with in the professional arena, as opposed to adding all of my Facebook friends.
I’ve had my profile reviewed by prospective employers, so I know it is an important tool. However, I don’t use all of the features available as well as I should - I don’t ask for testimonials and I’m not aggressive about finding contacts or endorsing skills for others.
The specific question posed to me regarding LinkedIn whether I thought it was worthwhile. My answer was of course, yes. I don’t use it as much as I could, but it has a purpose and its features are distinctive enough to distinguish it from other social sites. If you’re looking to network with other professionals online as well as in-person, it’s unbeatable and for businesses and corporate types I think it is a great tool. And hey, even if you aren’t completely on board with giving endorsements and recommendations, it’s another way to get your name or your business’ name out there. There’s no harm in that!
I’m grateful that the question of LinkedIn was thrown my way because now I realize that people are still uncertain about what its benefits are. I’m going to spend a little extra time this week sprucing up my LinkedIn profile and put together some of these points to share at this week’s BNI meeting.
