Matt Dickman
~Ann
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Are You LinkedIn?
One of the social networks that I frequent most often is LinkedIn. I've been a member of the service for years, but until recently they've not had the critical mass necessary to get traction. Over the last 6 months, however, I've seen a flood of people using the service to connect on a professional basis.
LinkedIn is a focused, professional networking site. It doesn't pretend to be MySpace or Facebook. The design is clean, but a little stark and it could use a little more personality in order to make it more engaging. In this video tour, I focus on what LinkedIn does well within their network and how you can apply the same logic and to your own community.
What LinkedIn does well:
• Security. Friendships are made and links shared only with permission.
• Focus. The site is professional and keeps social elements out.
• Communication. Alerts are stored in your inbox and messaging is clear and simple.
• Answers. The answers area is a great resource for anybody looking for advice from peers.
• Rewards. LinkedIn offers virtual rewards for engaging (profile completeness, etc.).
• Community. It's all about community and LinkedIn has found great ways of showing you what's happening in your personal network as well as your extended network.
• Trust. The site is completely built on trust. You connect with trusted people and so do they. When a message/answer/job comes through the service you know it's for real.
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