Linkedin everyones opinion helpful or cumbersome

[Rosco]

Hey everyone i havent seen this on the forums in a while. What is people opinions on linkedin? I started my facebook page about 3 months ago and it has increase business. But i find linkedin confusing and cumbersome. How can i generate business or leads? Thanks everyone i appreciate everyones help! You guys are so helpful! I know i say this alot but TN is the BEST

 

[RichmondTech]

My suggestion would be to have lunch with one of your connections on LinkedIn. You print out their connection list and they print out yours and you both come up with ways to get introductions for the other person.

So this assumes that you use LinkedIn the way it was intended (connect with people that you really know and do business with) and not friend anyone with a pulse.

 

[Xander]

So this assumes that you use LinkedIn the way it was intended (connect with people that you really know and do business with) and not friend anyone with a pulse.

I signed up with LinkedIn years ago just because. My understanding was the same; it was for maintaining connections with business associates and so on.

Some radio show or podcast was describing LinkedIn last year as "Facebook for businesses" And that's pretty much all it is now. Just like those folks on FB who try to get 5000 "friends", it's just another means to devalue existing relationships for the sake of artificial ones.

 

[JAbbott]

I do not use it for advertising of any sort such as some do with FB or twitter accounts. I strictly use it for professional networking means.

 

[callthatgirl]

I have been on Linkedin for 6 years now and it's a wonderful resource for marketing. You need to be consistent, have a value add for your network and be have a blog or something on your website to draw folks to. It's awesome! I have way over 500 clients now from it and am doing quite well as it's #2 on list of ways we earn clients. #1 is referrals of course.

 

[Tekko]

It's great, you never know when the need will arise for you to get ahold of that old coworker who is the only person you can think of that still knows novell at an expert level

 

[callthatgirl]

or get awesome referrals from. I have had a few former colleagues send me great leads.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I signed up with it years ago.....early when it came out...
Ended up preferring the real "face to face" of working referrals (BNI)...and I haven't logged into LI in probably over 2 years...I'm just letting my account die I guess.

 

[onetech4all]

Re;

I got rid of my account, because I didn't find it useful enough, because the folks I was connecting with, were from my full time job only.

 

[16k_zx81]

All social networking sites are a complete waste of time and space, and should be totally banned from the internet. Forever.

Linkedin is no exception.

However, if there was a continuum of useless, stupid, annoying websites, Facebook and Twitter would have to be at the very top of the list.

So I guess relatively speaking, its a lesser evil. But probably not by much.

BTW, on this subject, Lisa, you're a freak. (I mean that in a good way). How you wangle business opportunities out of these sites is beyond me. I hate them!

.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

BTW, on this subject, Lisa, you're a freak. (I mean that in a good way). How you wangle business opportunities out of these sites is beyond me. I hate them!

.

I gotta say...although I haven't used FB as a way to work business/generate leads, my wife has (and still does) use it successfully for her real estate biz. She has gotten leads directly from facebook which have led to closings.

The way I have seen it work in this manner..once you're at our age, many people use Facebook to reconnect with old schoolmates from 20-30 years ago. They find out what you're doing for a living...they have a need..and they turn to you. That's what happened several times for my wife through FB...people she knew over 20 years ago back in high school that she reconnected with via FB...BLAM, buy or sell a house through her.

I manage to keep FB tolerable...I disable all apps/games...hate those things. Adblock in Chrome..keeps FB page lean and clean.

 

[TenYardFight]

I understand everyone's disdain for LI, but make no mistake about it...there's a bunch of money to be made there.

 

[callthatgirl]

Here is my take on social media

twitter/relay service for news
Facebook/fun/connecting with real friends
LinkedIn/GOLDMINE

MONEY MONEY MONEY

I swear, you guys don't know how much freaking FREAKY money is in LinkedIn. You have to go GET IT. It will not COME TO YOU.

 

[Comerwebs]

Here is my take on social media

twitter/relay service for news
Facebook/fun/connecting with real friends
LinkedIn/GOLDMINE

MONEY MONEY MONEY

I swear, you guys don't know how much freaking FREAKY money is in LinkedIn. You have to go GET IT. It will not COME TO YOU.

Could you share some techniques you use to utilize LI. Where would one start?

 

[callthatgirl]

There is a bit of info in my social media guide that I gave out over the holidays. For those still interested, I will still give out a free copy (email lisa@callthatgirl.biz). I have a few threads in the B&M forum search under "linkedin", should still be there.

For just a quick tip...join groups locally and in your state. Meet others online and go to events. Start technical question discussions like "what antivirus product do you prefer, are you backing up your data, etc". Then do the mix of online meeting people (like scope profiles for potential clients) and meet in person. If your town or area doesn't have a group, start one. Groups are where the magic starts and thrives. A lot of people ask technical questions in the groups as they trust their network, and you have opps to jump in and be the expert.

But other than that, create a good profile to get going. Add in your contacts and business friends to get stuff rolling.

There are quite a few good techie groups on LinkedIn, I am in a few...but the money is not there, it's in the regular groups where our clients hang out and read.

and the sweet spot about LinkedIn groups, is that if you start a discussion, it gets emailed to all of the members via email. So people don't even have to go on the site to see you and your name/brand, etc. WIN. lol. I love that one!

 

[nesrinamb]

I think linked in is pretty good since its how im getting a few customers. several times my customers have lost my cards and did not have my number but remembered my name and found me on linked in

 

[parker.casey]

Hey everyone i havent seen this on the forums in a while. What is people opinions on linkedin? I started my facebook page about 3 months ago and it has increase business. But i find linkedin confusing and cumbersome. How can i generate business or leads? Thanks everyone i appreciate everyones help! You guys are so helpful! I know i say this alot but TN is the BEST

I look at it like this; Facebook is where you go to interact with the public. LinkedIn is where you go for connections.