LinkedIn is a great tool for research, networking, and keeping tabs on professionals you know. Some recent additions to the platform have made it even better – applications and company information. These new features have been out for a couple weeks now, and they are very easy to utilize and can deliver some great results.
Applications – From placing an Amazon.com list of book you have read to placing a widget featuring your latest blog posts, LinkedIn has added the ability to use external applications to further differentiate your page and add value to using the LinkedIn platform. The Slideshares and Google Presentation widgets allow you to easily embed slideshows within your page, while other applications like box.net allow you to upload files and collaborate with connections directly through LinkedIn. While there are only 9 applications available now, the list is sure to grow soon. Still, those that they have added are absloutely worth taking a look at implementing into your profile.
Company Pages – Have you ever used Hoovers Online to research a company? This is a similar concept, but approaches it from a completely different angle. While Hoovers offers up the view of a company from the top, LinkedIn provides a much more bottom-up view of a firm. You can see where people who work at a company tend to go to school, where they used to work, what popular job titles are, and on and on. LinkedIn takes the data attached to each individual profile and aggregates it into a very interesting and meaningful profile of an organization and its employees. Thinking of calling on company XYZ for some business? Seach for them on LinkedIn and see what you can learn.
So go get on LinkedIn, update your profile, add some books to your reading list, and build your personal brand.
