Small Business News: Are You LinkedIn?
By now you’ve probably heard of LinkedIn, the business oriented networking social media site which appeals primarily to B2B networking encounters and has even begun being used for job recruitment and other business functions. Groups and status updates make LinkedIn even more unique and usable for small businesses, enabling you to customize the site for your purposes. But is it time for Facebook to move over? Well, maybe not just yet. LinkedIn is distinctly different than both Facebook and Twitter and that’s OK as we’ll see in the third installment of our series on the big three of small business social media. Enjoy!
Getting Started
You’re “LinkedIn” now what? Remember, having a profile alone on the highly successful business networking site doesn’t necessarily mean that success is just around the corner. This is where many small business people begin to despair, believing social media just doesn’t work for them. But wait! There’s chance to maximize your chances for success. Read more above. Sharisax Is Out There
Using your LinkedIn profile with precision. Like anything else, your LinkedIn profile is a work in progress, but as more and more people attempt to create a new business or recruit for and run an existing one using the tools LinkedIn offers, it’s important to shorten the learning curve on mastering this valuable platform for your company’s use. ContempResume
Trends
The big bang. Use of social media (including LinkedIn) is growing by leaps and bounds in small business. Have we finally reached the tipping point? How long can your small business afford to sit on the sidelines? Forbes.com
LinkedIn and the future of management. In this interview, Jonathan Lister, country manager for LinkedIn Canada, explains how he uses the company’s platform to recruit new talent and generally run and expand his company. And advises you to do the same. Financial Post
Tips
Ways LinkedIn will help you grow your business? Ivana Taylor shares seven ways (there are more!) you can let LinkedIn work for you. Are you the CEO of a small business too tiny to have a marketing department (or a content management system for that matter?) DIY Marketers
Getting business from LinkedIn. Far from simply a networking tool, LinkedIn can be a source or real business for your small company. Small and mid sized business consultant Dragan Mestrovic lists some basic tips to get you started. LinkedIn, like other social media sites, will tend to offer the most to those who have put the most effort in. inBlurbs
LinkedIn ideal for B2B, prospecting efforts. If you need to sell a whole lot of something to the general public, Facebook and, to some extent, Twitter, could be the way to go. But if, on the other hand, your business is mainly B2B or you’re prospecting for new clients, LinkedIn could be the clear choice. Marketing Pilgram
Alternatives
Gist provides a possible crowdsourcing alternative to LinkedIn. The new social media network has already collected 100 million profiles aggregated over the Web during the past year and is now inviting the owners of those profiles to claim them. It remains to be seen how large an audience will buy into yet another huge online network, but that’s what people probably said when an up-and-coming social media site named Facebook overtook MySpace for top position a few years ago. ReadWriteWeb
Jibe will mine LinkedIn and Facebook for talent. Another recently launched social network mining sites like LinkedIn and Facebook could conceivably become a hunting ground for talent among small businesses, though probably less of a marketing or networking hub than LinkedIn has become. Jibe intends to charge potential employers to unlock applicant profiles and lets applicants customize their own profiles from the data on LinkedIn and Facebook. Fast Company
Conclusion
How can I look amazing on LinkedIn. OK, despite the alternatives out there and all the time it takes to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty in the social media world, LinkedIn is clearly a place your business needs to be. And if your small business decides to create a presence, make sure to take full advantage of all the features LinkedIn has to offer. Here, from last week’s SugarTone Sweet Blogging Contest is an entry that tied for first place in the contest from career consultant Greg Fry about what it takes to create an “amazing” LinkedIn profile for your business or expertise again. Tweak Your Biz
The most frustrating thing for me with LinkedIn is that they don’t have a very user friendly app. I find that I have more time to do this when away from my desk and their smartphone solution is no where near that of Facebook’s.
Many thanks for the mention. Delighted my post has been included in the post and alongside such great articles.