A number of professionals say they’re confused about the benefits of being on Facebook versus LinkedIn. To those of us in sales and marketing, this might seem funny. But even I have to admit I was originally skeptical to the value in having both. After all, a lot of my “friends” on Facebook are current and former co-workers who I’m also connected to via LinkedIn. It just seemed easier to stay in touch via Facebook since everyone seemed to be on it already.
So, what’s changed my mind? Well, beyond still displaying personal preferences such as the last books I’ve read along with my WordPress blog entries, which always seemed more “social” in nature, LinkedIn continues to take definitive steps toward becoming the professional’s portal of choice. Recent acquisitions and product launches are positioning LinkedIn as more than just a social media juggernaut built upon networking capabilities. They’re now becoming a powerful destination site for professionals looking for industry information and a legitimate career resource center.
In exploring LinkedIn, you will find through their Learning Center that you can easily set up tools to follow news about your company, contacts and even your competition. User guidelines allow you to categorize yourself as a student, job seeker or as a professional simply interested in business development. There also are training resources. To check out some of their newer features, simply visit their “New on LinkedIn” page.
Now, I don’t intend for this to become a public service announcement for LinkedIn. But to me, more than ever, there’s a clearer delineation to staying connected with peers at work within a professional network versus just Facebook. After all, do you really need to see what your co-worker’s husband looks like in a bathing suit while on vacation?
