I read an article a while back where the writer discussed why he decided against using LinkedIn for his business as part of his social media. Among his reasons was that he was already connected with enough people on social media such as Facebook and Twitter and that if people wanted to connect with him, they could connect with him there. So, have you considered including LinkedIn as a core part of your social media mix for social networking?
Consider the following LinkedIn statistics to help you decide whether you would find LinkedIn useful for social networking in your business. Even though LinkedIn seems to be a long way behind the giants we see in Facebook and Twitter, there are many reasons you should consider including LinkedIn in your social media mix.
- LinkedIn now has over 135 million members
- A new member joins every second
- 80% of members influence decision makers at their company
- Average household income is higher than either Facebook or Twitter
- Most users are employed with companies with over 1000 employees
LinkedIn is entirely different to Facebook or Twitter in that it is more about business networking than it is about social networking. Participating in groups can provide support and advice, industry news, and gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise to decision makers within your target market.
LinkedIn is the largest professional network which makes it unique from the giants of Facebook and Twitter – the two largest social media outlets. Google+ has a lot of high profile executives active on the site however, you still do not have the unique opportunity to use features such as InMail to connect directly with these decision makers as you do when you sign up to LinkedIn Premium. And this is not the only benefit of using LinkedIn’s Premium service.
If you are targeting a corporate market as a consultant, product or service provider, LinkedIn is exactly where you need to be. If you are looking to link directly to these decision makers within a company, LinkedIn is exactly where you need to be.
When you do set up your profile on LinkedIn apply these top tips:
- Complete your profile to 100% including claiming your profile’s custom URL
- Extend your profile by linking your blog to your profile, your Twitter handle, your SlideShare account, websites etc.
- Include as much information as possible and all relevant experience
- Give recommendations and request recommendations from those you have worked with (either as an employee or service provider)
- Participate in targeted group discussions regularly – take the opportunity to showcase your expertise- you never know who is reading
If you are on LinkedIn, I’d love to connect with you there.
Like our aforementioned writer, have you avoided getting started on LinkedIn? Or have you already added LinkedIn to use for social networking and business networking? Share your reasons in the comments below.
Nice write up, as an business man i know how LinkedIn can help our business. although we use facebook and other social media but LinkedIn is an hub of professional network.
Thanks for your comment. Yes I regularly receive enquiries through my LinkedIn profile. This definitely proves that if you use LinkedIn well, you can get a measurable return on investment.
Very good points. I recall one very connected individual asking me what Linkedin was about.About 24 hours later, he had an account opened!!
In fact, I read somewhere that every 60 seconds, 100new Linkedin accounts get activated. Bottom line, whether you’re new to the corporate world or are well established, it cant hurt to have an extra tool at your disposal.