There’s no doubt that LinkedIn is popular. The social networking site hit 100 million members in March and is continuing to grow. LinkedIn allows users to create an online resume complete with references, but perhaps the most valuable resource is the network you can create on the site. The service gives you the ability to see if anyone you know is connected to someone that you want to know, potentially turning a cold call into a referral.
Recently Lab 42 conducted a survey about how LinkedIn users interact with the site and created an infographic with the results. Besides visit frequency and how often people update their profiles, Lab 42 asked the key questions: What do you use LinkedIn for the most and why is LinkedIn useful?
What do you use LinkedIn for the most?
Lab 42 segmented respondents into three groups based on their level of employment: top-level execs, middle management and entry-level and asked them about what they use the site for the most. Across the board, about 20 percent of each level use LinkedIn mostly for industry networking. Twenty-four percent of workers with entry-level positions said they use the site primarily for job searches, while 24 percent of employees in middle management use LinkedIn for mostly keeping in touch.
A notable trend is that the higher up the food chain people are, the more likely they are to promote their business, which makes sense. This jumped from 6 percent with entry-level employees to 20 percent with top-level executives.
Why is LinkedIn useful?
The professional-looking site wouldn’t have attracted 100 million members without providing a valuable service. According to the survey, 90 percent of people think the site is useful for three reasons, two of which I strongly agree with: “It helps me to connect to individuals in my industry as possible clients” and “It is more professional than Facebook.”
LinkedIn is focused on your career. Because it hasn’t tried to integrate things from your personal life like pictures from last night’s barbeque, it’s created a place devoted to business interaction. I know of several people that have found sales leads, received messages from future clients, and found exceptional employees using the site. Do you have any LinkedIn success stories?
As a private business owner, what do you primarily use LinkedIn for? Have you found any customers or leads through the site?
