Since its launch in 2003, LinkedIn has become a networking necessity. In ten years LinkedIn has shot up to become the third largest social networking site in the world with a total of 200 million users worldwide, 11 million of which are from within the UK. Whether you want to research companies or people, reconnect with past associates or even build new relationships, online is now the way forward.
Have you ever attended a networking event and not had a clue who was who, even though you have corresponded for years? LinkedIn is a fantastic aid to help you in awkward face to face situations; before attending your next networking event try looking up who is attending - you may even find some interesting things to discuss with them.
LinkedIn has become extremely powerful and can even have an effect on whether you land that dream job, so be careful. Danielle Mahoney, SilverDoor’s HR & Recruitment Manager, agrees that “LinkedIn has certainly changed the way HR search for candidates. It is now possible to research candidates before offering interviews and it is extremely easy to catch out candidates that are not being entirely truthful on their CVs.” LinkedIn can really make or break how successful your job search turns out to be. With the right know how, the way you use LinkedIn can make drastic improvements as to how in demand you are to potential employers.
It is also a perfect tool for B2B marketing. Companies can create groups, generate discussions and connect with potential business opportunities. LinkedIn is the corporate professional of the social world; the tone of it enables brands to post interesting and more in-depth discussions, resulting in better engagement with readers.
So don’t underestimate the power of LinkedIn and get connecting! It really will make a difference.
Image: jeroen_bennink (Creative Commons License)
