By now I am sure you are making use of LinkedIn, an ever growing social networking site for professionals. If not, now is the time to take advantage of the benefits this site has to offer!
According to Jason Seiden, “LinkedIn began publicly trading Thursday, and immediately the stock spiked, rocketing from $45 to $122.70 before retreating to $94.25 at the end of the trading day.”
Take advantage of LinkedIn. As a student, I have had this pounded into my head. As an entrepreneur, friend, and coworker, I have experienced the benefits firsthand. Not only is LinkedIn a great place to keep in touch and connect with acquaintances; but it also has the potential to get you a job!
Check out the new InMaps. In this post you see an image of my own LinkedIn InMap. If you click on the picture it will take you to the interactive version. These InMaps are a way to see your own connections and assess your network of people. Why would it be important to assess your network, you might ask? If you have too many connections that are not relative to your interests, then your network does not benefit you. Make sure that you are easily able to label and recognize the various groups and individuals that you know. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when using LinkedIn:
- Keep in touch and connect with people that you have worked with and that could recommend you to someone.
- Do not connect with people that you are not familiar with, as it does not benefit you in any way.
- Make sure your profile is a complete and correct representation of you.
It’s not as big as Facebook, but I’m excited to see how LinkedIn grows from here on out!
CNN recently published this article suggesting digital alternatives to the business card:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/01/digital.business.cards/
Are we seeing the last generation of paper business cards? Or is this just a fad? CNN seems to suggest that the business card is yet another casualty of the conversion to all-digital media.
Each of the digital suggestions in this article have their own unique merit – the ability to record where you met someone along with their contact information, and endless customization possibilities, for example. Certainly for someone in a fast paced, technology centered industry, any of these would make a great addition to her virtual identity.
However, I don’t see how digital business cards can render the paper version obsolete. There’s always merit to something tangible. I believe it creates a lasting impression where a digital substitute cannot. It gives the feel of exclusivity – a personal invitation to contact someone again. If I were told to simply “Google” someone, this would not make me feel special. Anyone can find that information. However, if you hand me your business card with 3 different contact phone numbers, I feel like you’re making that extra effort to ensure that I get a hold of you again.
Sometimes the newest, flashiest product isn’t always the best choice for every situation. At least that’s my opinion. Feel free to disagree 
Categories: CD Replication, Consumer Electronics Show, digital downloads, DVD, DVD Replication, DVD-r, glmt, glmt.com, great lakes media technology; www.glmt.com; replication; cd; dvd, HDTV, High-Definition, LinkedIn, Media Storage, Social Networking, USB Sticks Tags:
Can LinkedIn Help Your Company Sell?
Are you diving into the networking craze that so many companies are now doing? Can social media websites such as LinkedIn help you sell your products? I say why not give it a try…LinkedIn is free, easy to use, low maintenance – and if nothing else you’re able to connect with colleagues, partners and friends that maybe you haven’t heard from in awhile. It’s free marketing, and during these tough economic times, surely can’t hurt.
Being in a sales/marketing role here at GLMT, there is no doubt that LinkedIn has been a great resource for current and potential customer contacts. My goal is for people to think of Great Lakes Media Technology and myself when someone needs the products and services we offer – and LinkedIn can only help to increase that brand awareness. Not to mention that observing a contact’s profile helps you learn a little background about the person that you otherwise probably wouldn’t have known. Even tangible networking events usually don’t involve discussions of people who think highly of you (recommendations section of LinkedIn).
As far as me personally generating sales revenue as a result of being in touch through LinkedIn – to be honest I have yet to see any real results. You’re probably laughing by the way I was just talking up how useful the website has been, but believe me I have faith. Even if it does not directly result in a sale, I do believe it has helped me to better connect with existing customers. I’d love to hear your thoughts…