Borrowing the Expertise of Others for LinkedIn and other Tools/Services
May 5, 2007 by Eric Eggertson
Filed under Marketing
There are hundreds of productivity and communication tools out there that you’re only scratching the surface of. How many of us know how to use our word processor for complex tasks? That multi-function cell phone? The top of the line digital camera?
If you’re like most of us, you use the basic functions, and ignore the others.
That’s why I like user forums, social media groups focused on a single product, and blogs like LinkedIntelligence and TiVo Lovers. You don’t have to be a fanatic to benefit from the knowledge of others who have learned the ins-and-outs of a product or service you use occasionally.
I have a LinkedIn account, but I barely use it. Waste of time? I prefer to think of it as a placeholder, where basic information is available. And if I decide to get more active, everything’s set up for me.
Leaving a company means going from having your co-workers’ e-mail addresses fill in automatically, to having to keep tabs of their addresses yourself.
One of the top reasons young people like social sites like Facebook and MySpace is that it means they don’t have to keep track of their friends’ migration through a long series of e-mail addresses.
Like Facebook and MySpace, LinkedIn, lets you stay in touch with people without having to constantly update your address book.
Keep an eye on LinkedIntelligence for tips from others about the best ways to use LinkedIn. If you have tips of your own, take part in the group writing project hosted by Scott Allen, who has recently joined b5media.
Check out my LinkedIn profile.
Tags: linkedin, scott allen, fan sites, forums, business, networks, co-workers
For what it’s worth, I used to love LinkedIn but now I am finding that other networking sites (like http://www.octopuscity.com or facebook) give you more of an ability to really connect and interact with people, rather than just “have connections”.
Nicole:
Thanks for the comment. I have to admit, I’ve rarely gotten any use out of my LinkedIn account. The closest thing to a community is the Questions function, which lets you broadcast a question to people.
A good way to make connections with people is to provide good answers to questions.