The Rise of Linkedin

If you’re someone who views Linkedin as primarily an online CV database, it’s worth reconsidering what the platform can do for you. It’s true that in its early days Linkedin had limited reach, but consistent growth since its inception in 2003 means that it now has over 610 million users worldwide. A long way behind Facebook and Instagram, but impressive for a platform that’s aimed at professionals. Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t ignore Linkedin.

Linkedin is trustworthy. All social media platforms are open to manipulation but as a professional platform, Linkedin is more trustworthy than most. Members know that future employers are likely to cross-reference information on Linkedin with their CV and other references, so there’s a clear incentive not to make stuff up. That’s not to say all personal and company profiles are genuine and accurate, and you should always exercise care when accepting someone into your network.

Linkedin contains a rich amount of detail. Individuals and companies want to showcase their knowledge, skills and experience so tend to provide extensive information in their profiles. Contrast that with Instagram and Twitter, where profiles contain a few characters of text description.

Linkedin is a great source of news. Companies and individuals have responded to the growing popularity and influence of Linkedin by publishing more and more professionally relevant content. You can keep up to date on specific industry and sector content by following companies, influencers, hashtags and joining groups.

Linkedin is popular with recruiters. Linkedin has become an important platform for employers and recruitment agencies to identify and contact potential candidates. If you’re in the market as a candidate, make sure that you configure your settings to show recruiters that you are open to opportunities.

Linkedin works for B2B marketing. Linkedin has become more relevant for organisations looking to build brand awareness and generate leads. Linkedin’s paid options of Sponsored Content, Text Ads and Sponsored InMail are not cheap so require careful analysis of potential ROI. Individuals can boost their personal brand and visibility organically through posting interesting, high quality and relevant content.

Linkedin continues to grow, both in terms of active users and its use by social media marketers - 58% report using it (up from 56%) according to a recent industry report by Social Media Examiner. So whether you’re an individual, company or marketer, Linkedin is worthy of consideration as part of your social media strategy.

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