The dictionary.com definition of beast is: a live creature, as distinguished from a plant: What manner of beast is this?
In the social media world, LinkedIn is a different kind of beast. It’s a social media tool for business networking and communication.
It doesn’t parade around and carelessly socialize like its Twitter and Facebook counterparts. It gets right down to business.
Too many times I hear something like: “why should I bother with LinkedIn, I like Facebook better.” In my head I’m ready to throw objects at these people for completely missing the point. The sole premise of LinkedIn as a social beast is for forging business relationships.
Keep It Clean
In a recent post, Keep LinkedIn Clean, social media guru and author Chris Brogan speaks on the importance of relevant updates. Brogan argues that LinkedIn updates should be utilized effectively and focused on business value.
I completely agree! It’s cool to import your Twitter feed, but you’re also updating all your connections with non-business irrelevant info. most of the time. It’s good to keep status updates meaningful to your connections. Telling people for example, that you’re out with friends eating sushi doesn’t provide any business value.
LinkedIn Style
What’s your LinkedIn style and how do you use it as a social media tool? Are you a regular user, casual, or have you abandon ship?
Connect with me on LinkedIn and be merry! You can invite me with sgregory [at] gmail. Looking forward to connecting with you.
eventually you’re going to run into some trolls(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29) anywhere but being one yourself is usually a bad idea especially on the one social networking community that is run on the pretense of its users acting as and consorting with professionals
Good comment Sir Derek. Trolls are lurking in all corners of the web and peeps should avoid the transformation process. I’ve been lucky so far, not many trolls have surfaced here yet.
I like to use my Myspace, because i have Tom as my friend
Haha! MySpace is weak my friend. Nevertheless, thanks for your witty comment.
You figure after everyone parents started to get on facebook and all it would stop being cool. Right? Anyways, I prefer facebook for the sole purpose of talking trash and stalking girls, not being professional.
Haha, indeed! Facebook’s 55+ audience grew 922.7% in 2009. Nevertheless, Facebook is still cool and growing with more than 500 million active users (at the time of this comment). Cheers!