Are you LinkedIn?

I wanted to share an interesting article I read on MarketingProfs.com by
Matt Dickman
~Ann
An exerpt continues below. Read the full article here.







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.