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IntroductionThe year is 2002, and Reid Hoffman has just become a multimillionaire as the executive vice president of PayPal (Rusli 2011). But instead of settling down with a nice Ferrari and an early retirement, Hoffman buys an Acura, and, along with four colleagues, begins work on a new social media network called LinkedIn from his living room (“About LinkedIn”, n.d.).We conducted research about LinkedIn itself, how businesses and individual professionals are using LinkedIn, and the dangers and potential rewards for businesses and professionals using LinkedIn. Additionally, we proposed some helpful tips to businesses and professionals who are currently using, or desire to use LinkedIn to strengthen their business and professional network.?????What is LinkedIn?LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with the goal of “connect[ing] the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.” When a business or professional joins LinkedIn, they have “access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights that help [the user] be great at what [they] do,” (“About Us”, n.d.).-476257048500LinkedIn, founded by Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly, and Jean-Luc Vaillant, was officially launched on May 5, 2003, and by the end of its first month, had garnered 4,500 members. As seen in Figure 1, LinkedIn currently has over 313 million members in over 200 countries and territories (“About LinkedIn”, n.d.).-28098751560195Figure 1. Regional Membership. This figure illustrates LinkedIn’s global membership by country.00Figure 1. Regional Membership. This figure illustrates LinkedIn’s global membership by country.Headquartered in Mountain View, California, LinkedIn also has U.S. offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Omaha, and San Francisco. International offices include Amsterdam, Bangalore, Beijing, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Milan, Mumbai, Munich, New Delhi, Paris, Perth, S?o Paulo, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto. LinkedIn’s usage is available in 22 languages other than English: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, and Turkish (“About LinkedIn”, n.d.).At the beginning of 2010, LinkedIn had about 500 full-time employees; since then, the company’s full-time employee population has increased to over 5,700 (“About LinkedIn”, n.d.). In May 2011, LinkedIn made the transition to becoming a public company, and priced its IPO at $45 per share. However, when the stock opened on May 19, 2011, the price was $83 per share and soon rose to over $90 per share, peaking at $122.70 per share in the late morning (Pepitone, 2011).?????The Leadership of LinkedInCo-founder Reid Hoffman holds a Bachelor of Arts/Science from Stanford University, his Master of Science from Oxford University, and currently resides in Palo Alto, California (“The Midas List: #7 Reid Hoffman”, 2014). As of September 12, 2014, Hoffman is ranked #7 on Forbes’s “The Midas List”, which lists the top 100 tech investors of the year (Konrad, 2014).In June 2009, former Yahoo! executive Jeff Weiner replaced Reid Hoffman as LinkedIn’s CEO (Thomas, 2012). As LinkedIn grows in popularity among professional networkers, Weiner will face the difficult challenge of balancing the needs of both company users and individual users--parties whose wishes for the site are sometimes in direct conflict.Uses of LinkedIn?????For BusinessesLinkedIn is being used by professionals in many ways to benefit their companies. The main functions for which companies are currently using LinkedIn are: recruiting new hires, connecting with their customer base, and marketing their business. LinkedIn has quickly become the most popular social media site when it comes to professional networking. According to a 2013 statement from the social media site itself, LinkedIn groups, “provide a place for professionals in the same industry or with similar interests to share content, find answers, post and view jobs, make business contacts, and establish themselves as industry experts” (LinkedIn Help Center). Many companies are trying to attract different consumers by identifying key interests of a consumer group, then creating and posting targeted articles or other media that could entice that group to their LinkedIn page. This helps businesses to create brand name recognition and create or improve their reputation in the LinkedIn community. It is also a great way for companies to promote their new products or services. (Shiff, 2014).Perhaps the best LinkedIn tool for business professionals is the ability to post advertisements on their company’s page for open positions. More and more companies are using LinkedIn as their main resource for hunting down future employees. LinkedIn allows businesses to get a comprehensive look at an applicant’s background and qualifications before any contact with an applicant is required. Companies can thus use LinkedIn to weed out unsavory applicants without wasting time on scheduling and performing interviews that will not result in hires. LinkedIn also provides companies with exciting marketing opportunities. Marketers for new and established companies are using LinkedIn as a main source to develop and grow their businesses. Common strategies include using a company LinkedIn page to offer special deals or discounts, or sharing news and information on recent developments within the company. However, a company LinkedIn page can also establish itself as an industry expert by posting facts and company opinions on industry developments. These types of postings can catch the eye of consumers, other companies, and even potential employees.Of course, LinkedIn not only benefits just business users, but also millions of individual professionals.??????For IndividualsLinkedIn serves several functions for its individual users. Perhaps the most used function is to “connect” with other professionals. In order to connect with another LinkedIn user, one must create or accept a connection request. If both parties agree to the request, they become LinkedIn connections. LinkedIn specialist Viveka Von Rosen identifies two styles of connection. There is the “open networker” and the “strategic networker”. The “open networker” accepts almost all connections and creates a vast network. This technique works best for professionals in sales or looking for any and all job opportunities. The “strategic networker” keeps their network small and focused to their industry, and rarely accepts connection requests from strangers (Rosen, 2012).LinkedIn can also be used as an online portfolio or comprehensive professional portfolio. Users can upload resumes, testimonials, and examples of their work. Furthermore, LinkedIn allows users to choose (from a massive listing) all the marketable skills they possess. These could be anything from Excel proficiency, to Time Management skills, to Foreign Language fluency. Once these skills are displayed on the user’s portfolio, the user’s connections can “Endorse” the user for particular skills, lending further credibility to the professional user’s abilities.LinkedIn is arguably most coveted by individuals for its role as a job-seeking tool. Individual users can search for job openings by region, industry, and even company. This means that getting seen by a company’s recruiters is now as easy as electronically submitting a resume via LinkedIn. Once a resume has been submitted, potential employers can also review the applicant’s LinkedIn page, which provides a much more comprehensive view of an applicant’s abilities than the average resume (Madell, 2014).In the next section, the three uses of LinkedIn will be looked at in closer detail. The benefits of these uses, plus additional benefits of using LinkedIn for companies and business professionals will be introduced. Benefits of Using LinkedIn ?????For Business UsersAs briefly discussed above, the ability to advertise and accept applications for open positions is perhaps one of the greatest benefits LinkedIn provides to business users. During the average hiring process, companies spend large amounts of time reviewing job applications and resumes, scanning for important skills and calling references, only to find many candidates unfit for further consideration. With the help of LinkedIn, businesses can significantly reduce this initial review of applicants. LinkedIn allows companies to effectively search for candidates possessing specific skills and/or degrees, search their backgrounds and experience, and connect with the most ideal candidates, all with the power of a few clicks (Prodromou, 2012).A well-developed company LinkedIn page can also provide a great resource for company clients, potentially lessening customer confusion and answering frequently asked questions. This is especially true of companies in professional service industries, such as financial planning. For example, it would behoove a financial planning firm to include links to articles on their LinkedIn page that explain types of savings vehicles, types of life insurance, and other similar information. Making such information readily available to their clients can be a time-saver for both the client’s and the firm’s employees (Shandrow, 2013).?????For Individual UsersAn individual who understands and takes advantage of the uses of LinkedIn has more than likely presented himself in a professional manner within his profile and has thus made himself approachable by recruiters on the site. This in turn leads to one of the biggest benefits of LinkedIn: marketability. On a face-to-face basis, it is often quite a challenge to put oneself in the line of sight of a potential employer simply by meeting with other people. LinkedIn allows you to remove that barrier by making your profile visible and searchable by anyone and everyone. The benefit of being on a network where you can sell your skills in a more in-depth way than that of a resume may lead to the possibility of being contacted by a recruiter or manager. Once the connection is made, the ultimate reward of could lead to an interview for a potential job. Another benefit of LinkedIn is the countless number of connections you can create. An individual’s personal network may be reasonably small, but once the individual connects with other professionals, he can then see whom they are connected with. Once that occurs, the possibilities of expanding your network are present when combined with good communication. Simply sending another professional a connection request with the generic “I would like to connect with you” message sometimes will not be sufficient. ?A better approach when making connections would be to send someone a message with the connection request stating why you would like to connect with that particular person. The ultimate reward of increasing your network through other connections can definitely have a positive impact on an individual’s career.Dangers of Using LinkedIn?????For Business UsersAs discussed above, LinkedIn is an excellent tool for businesses looking to recruit, market, or inform other LinkedIn users. However, business users must be wary of several pitfalls that can occur when using LinkedIn.Firstly, while LinkedIn gives businesses access to millions of qualified professionals, some of those professionals may not be as qualified as they appear. Some businesses have reported marked differences between applicants’ LinkedIn profiles and their actual abilities, particularly in the Skills section that LinkedIn offers. Companies may bring in candidates who claim proficiency in Excel, fluency in a foreign language, or other specific skills, only to discover that their skill level is significantly lower than stated, or even nonexistent (Prodromou, 2012).Companies also must carefully decide the amount of time and resources they choose to invest in their LinkedIn pages. While most sources agree that social media marketing can and does work effectively in today’s market, some studies disagree. A Gallup study published by the Wall Street Journal found that only 29% of social media users surveyed use social media to view product information or reviews, and 62% of social media users surveyed stated that social media had “No influence at all” on their final purchasing decision (The Myth, 2013). Companies must evaluate the evidence individually to decide whether they want to invest in a more engaging LinkedIn page.?????For Individual UsersIndividual users can also be tripped up by LinkedIn pitfalls. For many individuals, the greatest danger lies in posting inaccurate or inappropriate material on their profile. Inappropriate material (for example, an unprofessional profile picture or “joke” data such as listing “My Mom” as a former employer) has an instant backlash. Potential employers are immediately turned off by unprofessional LinkedIn profiles, and those who have such profiles can miss out on job opportunities as a result. Inaccurate profile material can destroy job opportunities as well, though not as immediately. Lies on LinkedIn profiles are usually caught in the interview process, and no employer wants to hire liar (Prodromou, 2012).Individual users also must be wary of the “ghost network”, or having a plethora of contacts in LinkedIn without making “real” contacts. LinkedIn expert Viveka von Rosen always tells her audience that a virtual network on LinkedIn is not a substitute for “traditional tools of the trade- your phone, your email service, your favorite coffee house…”, but rather an augmentation (Rosen, 2012). A final danger for individual users is collecting too many or unnecessary connections in LinkedIn. Some of these connections may be spammers and annoyances, while others may simply be useless excess. Entrepreneur Magazine published an article highlighting some Connection Requests that should not be accepted, including: unknown requestors who do not accompany their request with a personal message, unknown requestors without profile pictures, and requestors that feel in any way suspicious. The article further noted that as your profile is an online, professional representation of you, make sure you do not accept connections that you would not want to be associated in “real life” (Shandrow, 2014).Tips for Using LinkedIn SuccessfullyArmed with knowledge of the uses, benefits, and dangers of creating and maintaining a LinkedIn profile, users can utilize this networking tool to the fullest extent. As a final aide, we offer these tips for business and individual users:? For Business UsersKeep current, and post regular status updatesThe LinkedIn status update feature is useful in that it allows followers to see what is currently going on with a particular business. After a status update is posted on a company page, it appears in the LinkedIn Home view of the page’s followers, which, according to Entrepreneur Magazine, “looks and feels similar to Facebook’s News Feed” (Shandrow, 2013). Effective uses of status updates include postings of networking opportunities, company updates, and other pertinent updates. However, Entrepreneur noted that businesses can also use status updates to create a friendlier rapport between themselves and their consumers and followers, and to feature a more “human side” of the company. To accomplish this, the magazine suggests that a company “pepper [its] status updates with links to blog posts, memes, and videos that might resonate with [its] target audience.” These updates should be useful and/or entertaining. Some good examples are: a shortened URL link of an industry-relevant article, a new product release, a video, or an important announcement. (Shandrow, 2013). ?Using status updates effectively will increase the presence of the business.Do not over-postWhile keeping current and active on LinkedIn can help a business to foster communication between itself and its followers and clientele, companies should avoid the pitfall of “over-posting”. Though a business can update its status as frequently as it wants, Entrepreneur Magazine recommends that it do this no more than three to five times a day in order to avoid information-overload. If followers feel they are receiving too many updates from a company, they may simply choose to unfollow it (Shandrow, 2013).Create a great first impressionUseful and entertaining status updates are great for maintaining a following. However, companies will have no one to share their updates with without a strong, well-presented page that draws in followers. MarketingProfs, an online marketing education resource, gives various tips on increasing visibility and presence, and explains how a LinkedIn page can enhance the image of a company. An article on the site states that, “LinkedIn visitors trying to find out more about [a] company will first see [the] cover image.” Thus, it is crucial that the cover image is instantly recognizable, of high quality, and aligned to the company brand and identity (Davis, 2013). However, in order to create a sense of individuality, a business should take care to differentiate its LinkedIn banners from its Facebook and Twitter banners. This helps drive the business-oriented approach that LinkedIn is known for instead of it just serving as another face page for the company. Be search-engine friendlyA LinkedIn page is not useful if cannot be found. MarketingProfs explains that embedding the right keywords, (those which are most used/helpful to the target audience), and avoiding oversaturation of certain keywords and buzzwords can help ensure that a company will appear at the top of LinkedIn Companies searches. Relevant keywords and tips on keyword placement for specific industries can be found through simple research (Davis, 2013). Be dynamic- incorporate videoMarketingProfs further recommends a short and sweet, well-made summary video be added to a LinkedIn page. The video should give a summary of the business and explain what it has to offer. Incorporating video makes a LinkedIn page more dynamic, and can keep site visitors engaged longer than simple text entries. Furthermore, a summary video can relay key company information without forcing site visitors to search the page extensively.???????For Individual UsersLinkedIn is not only useful for businesses. Indeed, its opportunities for networking help individuals on their search for professional development, job opportunities, and other outreach. Just as with businesses, LinkedIn offers individuals many tools and features to help cultivate a page that presents an individual well, but one must take care to use them properly and to their fullest extent.Be more than a resumeProfile expansion is at the heart of any useful LinkedIn page. An article published by U.S. News argues that a LinkedIn page should not just be a page where one posts a resume. Instead, it should serve as an extension of one’s professional experiences and contain details that are not usually offered in resumes, including links or access to portfolios, samples of work, and even testimonials. This comprehensive approach to creating a LinkedIn page offers flexibility that a resume usually does not (Maddell, 2014).Create and maintain a comprehensive summary sectionThis comprehensive approach should also be reflected in the summary section, which should serve as a brief, but complete projection of the user’s professional self. A user’s summary section should inform page visitors of the user’s vocation, professional goals, and foremost abilities in a concise paragraph. Potential employers may choose not to examine the complete profile if the user’s summary section is found lacking (Maddell, 2014).Keep connectingUsers should be proactive, and search for solid contacts within their industry. Former classmates, friends, co-workers, and former co-workers are all potential LinkedIn connections, who may have further connections to offer as well. While users should be wary of connection requests from unknown requesters, connections with new business associates and peers should almost always be accepted and explored (Rosen, 2012).Maintain, maintain, maintainA complete and up-to-date LinkedIn page requires maintenance, but it will amply reward the user if utilized to the fullest extent.Present your best, REAL selfUsers should use LinkedIn to showcase their best work, best skills, and highest honors, but should never use falsehoods in their profile. Presenting a false self on LinkedIn may secure an interview, but it will lose the job in the long run.LinkedIn is a powerful tool for the modern professional, and with the right information and approach, a LinkedIn profile can promote great success for both business and individual users. As LinkedIn continues to grow as a social media site, the functionality and effectiveness of using the site for professional networking will increase. This social media site is currently introducing new things like customization of your profile, and being able to see who has viewed your page. LinkedIn will continue to grow and be seen as a worldwide tool for hiring, marketing, and targeting. ReferencesAbout LinkedIn. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2014, from Us; Mission; Company Info. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2014, from , J. (2013, August 15). Eight tips for creating a great LinkedIn business page. Marketing Profs. Retrieved September 14, 2014 from , A. (2014, March 26). Midas List 2014: The Methodology. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from Help Center - Verifying Authentication. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2014, from Madell, R. (2014, February 4). How to avoid misusing LinkedIn. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 14, 2014 from , J. (2011, May 19). LinkedIn stock more than doubles in IPO. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from , T. (2012). Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Business: How to Get Connected with 150 Million Customers in 10 Minutes. Irvine, Calif.: Entrepreneur Press.Rosen, V. (2012). LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day. Indianapolis, Indiana: John Wiley & Sons. from , E. (2011, November 5). A King of Connections Is Tech’s Go-To Guy. The New York Times. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from , J. (2014, January 30). 8 Ways to Use LinkedIn Groups to Boost Your Business. Retrieved September 14, 2014, from , K. (2013, May 21). 10 questions to ask when creating your LinkedIn company page. Entrepreneur. Retrieved September 14, 2014 from , K. (2014, April 17). Stranger Danger: 3 Good Reasons to Reject a LinkedIn Connection Request. Entrepreneur. Retrieved September 16, 2014 from Midas List: #7 Reid Hoffman. (2014, September 12). Retrieved September 12, 2014, from Myth of Social Media. (2013, January 1). Retrieved September 16, 2014, from , O. (2012, July 4). The Amazing Roller-Coaster Career Of LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner Read more: . Business Insider. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from ................
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