Why LinkedIn is Important Today?

Why LinkedIn is Important Today?
By Marc V Weiner 

The good news is that the site does exist. It's called LinkedIn, and it is a top-rated website that enables the user to build and maintain useful professional networks. It has enriched the lives of millions of people, and it can do the same for you.

It is estimated that there are over 500 social media networking sites currently available on the internet. This number alone can cause the most tech-savvy individual to experience overwhelm and confusion. With so many social media opportunities, how does a person select a site to join?

Before a prospective social networker commits to a site, it is important to determine whether the features of the site align with the individual's professional and business goals. The primary goal of any business is to connect with as many people as possible to get the word out about the services that are being offered.

Social networking is all about connecting like-minded professionals with each other. In fact, the number one professional networking site is LinkedIn. Since 2002, LinkedIn has developed into a powerful social media networking platform that connects over 225 million members throughout the world.

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Is LinkedIn Difficult to Learn?

Some people are intimidated by LinkedIn. As a result, they have opted not to join the site. They believe that it is too hard, or they don't have the capacity to learn another social media site. Some people may believe that they are not 'professional' enough to join the site.

The apprehension may be caused by the formal look of the site or the term 'professional network'. It could be also caused by the common misconception that learning to connect on LinkedIn is complicated. If you learned how to read, then you can learn how to master LinkedIn.

What is the Purpose of LinkedIn?

The basic premise of the site is that it provides a platform for people to leverage their current connections to get new connections. Think of LinkedIn in this manner. Joe brings Sharon to a party. Sharon does not know anyone at the party. Joe introduces Sharon to Mike and Lisa, and she connects with them. For the rest of the evening, Sharon makes connections with each of Joe's friends.

There are always new concepts to learn when joining any social media platform. There are rules of engagement, specific site customs and appropriate behavior that must be respected for each site. In that respect, LinkedIn is similar to other social networking sites.

LinkedIn was designed to meet the needs of professionals in various industries. A prospective social networker will not find large amounts of spam and mind-numbing games on this site. However, there are plenty of opportunities to forge new career paths, make new connections and market business services.

How Does LinkedIn Work?

LinkedIn is an easy site to master. A great thing about LinkedIn is that the basic site is free to join. The site does offer other paid options. However, the free version is more than enough to keep the user actively engaged and connected. Getting connected on LinkedIn is as simple as completing three simple steps: create a profile, publish and connect.

Create a Professional Profile

A professional profile enables users to learn more information about other users and businesses. Since this site is intended to connect professionals, the profile should consist of pictures that portray professionalism. Information that is often included in the profile is a resume, summary, website or blog links and contact information.

Need help to write your Linkedin Profile Summary. Click Here

Publish the Profile

Publishing the user profile can be done with the click of a mouse. After the professional profile has been created, it is important to review and tweak it. The user wants to be certain that a professional image is being conveyed. After the user is satisfied with the results, the profile is ready to be published. Publishing means that the profile is active and able to be viewed by other LinkedIn users.

Get Connected

This is the part where LinkedIn becomes engaging. It is now time to connect with other users. LinkedIn will assist you with this process by making suggestions based on email history. A user can also use other social media sites to make a list of people that can be connected with on LinkedIn. The possible connections are endless.

Need help to get connections. Click Here

Join LinkedIn? Why?

There are numerous benefits of joining LinkedIn. This site can assist the user with the creation of business and professional prospects. Other benefits include the ability to:

- Search exclusive LinkedIn employment listings.

- Connect with potential employees in various fields.

- Align with like-minded professional groups of interest.

- Share expertise with other active users.

- Showcase a resume everyday without having to send it to hundreds of companies.

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