Is There Really Value to Being on LinkedIn

One of the biggest questions I hear from people who don't spend a lot of time in the social media universe is about LinkedIn.

"I'm on LinkedIn and I keep accepting people's requests to connect, but what's the value of being on the site? How do I actually use it?"

There was a time, when I first joined the site, that I had the same question. I don't anymore. A few hints, tips, etc., as to how I -- and others -- use LinkedIn.

Use LinkedIn to Make Valuable Business Connections
One important part of my job is helping people from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore make business critical connections in Montgomery County. A few years back, one of my colleagues asked me if I knew anyone at Digene (now Qiagen) to whom I could introduce him. I didn't. But a quick search on "Digene" on LinkedIn turned up some "2nd connections" -- meaning Digene employees who shared a connection with me. I called one of the intermediaries and asked him if he could facilitate an introduction to one particular employee. He did, and she and I had lunch. We talked about how we could work together and help each other meet our organization's objectives. After that, I connected her with my JHU colleague. Now, she's one of my favorite professional colleagues and also someone whose friendship I value dearly. And my JHU colleague is extremely pleased to have a working relationship with other Digene employees.

Use LinkedIn to Help You Find -- and Get -- a New Job
I had a friend who was job hunting and found a listing for a job he really wanted at an organization with a stellar reputation. He knew getting his foot in the door could be a challenge since the organization was a highly sought after place to work. After sending in his resume, he did a search on LinkedIn for that organization and found that one of its employees shared a connection with him, someone he trusted and with whom he worked well. He called the connection, explained the situation, and within hours he had been introduced to the employee. While that relationship is still blossoming and his quest for that particular job is still mid-process, he believes the introduction will prove valuable... and he says he's hoping to forge a relationship with this particular person whether he gets the job in question or not.

I have two other friends/colleagues who also tout the site for job hunting purposes. One says he has had numerous recruiters find him via his LinkedIn profile and call to talk about jobs. Another says that he knows LinkedIn is one of the first places recruiters go these days to find qualified candidates.

So you'd better make sure your profile is up-to-date, complete, and impressive, whether you think you're looking for a new job or not. Read more about using LinkedIn to find a job.

Use LinkedIn to Win (Significant) New Business
Steven Shimek, a Senior VP at Ruder Finn Public Relations in Los Angeles, says he uses LinkedIn Answers to generate significant new business for his firm. He replies to business questions posted on LinkedIn Answers that result in relationships and, sometimes, new business. Specifically, he cites a $250,000 contract that grew out of one of these LI Answers relationships. Read Steven's full story.

But that's not the only way LinkedIn may help your company win new business. Have you thought about the fact that potential new clients may look up your profile -- and your company's other employees' profiles -- on LinkedIn? From one of my colleagues: "I've also noticed that, when using the 'Who's viewed your profile?' function, inevitably someone from a potential client will show up within a few days -- even if I'm not part of the pitch." So you'd better not only make sure YOUR profile is up-to-date and complete, but also your employees' profiles. (Of course, this is most applicable if your a small organization.)

How about you? How do you use LinkedIn?