LinkedIn is one of the most used and widespread social media networks during recent years.
Launched on May 5, 2003, it encourages the development of professional connections and relationships, allowing working individuals to expand their network.
LinkedIn: what are the potentials?
Founded by Reid Hoffman in December 2002, LinkedIn was officially launched on May 5, 2003.
During its first month, the social network gained a total of 4,500 members, while in February of 2009 (6 years later) it had achieved almost 30 million active users.
According to company data, to date there are:
- Almost 11 million subscribers in Italy
- More than 500 million subscribers worldwide
- 60% of the highest paid professionals in the world are on LinkedIn
- 92% of recruiting and recruiting companies use LinkedIn
According to Forbes Magazine, a US economic-financial magazine founded in 1917 by Bertie Charles Forbes, LinkedIn is by far the “most productive social network for establishing international collaborations between professionals from different sectors”.
Its users include technicians and companies who use it mainly for business purposes. Technicians often use it for purposes such as creating their Curriculum Vitae (or CV) or looking for/ applying to job offers, while companies often use it for research purposes to find possible candidates for open job positions.
However, the potential of the platform must not be limited to the employer-candidate relationship.
Indeed, it would be a fatal mistake to consider one’s profile as a simple showcase to exhibit one’s CV and skills.
LinkedIn is a real social network, as it allows you to interact with experts from virtually every sector.
Therefore, it’s essential to update your profile like you would any other social media platform, such as Instagram or Facebook.
Regularly updating your profile helps it to appear more credible, encouraging your network to interact with your posts, articles, goals, etc. Furthermore, during the phase of selecting a professional profile for a job position, many companies take the activity and appearance of a person’s profile very seriously.
Conversely, a company that compares LinkedIn to a bulletin board for job vacancies is also neglecting the site’s full potential.
LinkedIn can help companies to market themselves in order to make them better known, spark interest in potential clients, increase engagement, and finally conversion, that is by creating a recognizable identity that leads a loyal public to trust the company and take advantage of its services / products.
LinkedIn is therefore an excellent professional resource, not to be confined to the mere function of a professional social network .
