Linkedin is by far the leading social media business. With more than 46 million members is the largest collaborative network focused on business. In Brazil alone has over 1 million and is growing rapidly as all the social media of the country.
If you are over 22 years and only need to choose a social media ... this is definitely your best choice! Through LinkedIn you can expand your professional field, since getting a job / to obtain strategic information. A professional network is a tool that lets you find any person or subject through multiple filters that generates LinkedIn. You can do a course, do a job, ask for help and even hire someone in an easy and effective.
Ideally, colleges / universities to teach, in the first year, creating a profile on Linkedin. Being such an important business tool for any area, its use should be encouraged in educational institutions.
In figures
Released in May 2003 by five persons (founders) have invited 350 friends in just one month gained 4,500 fans. At the end of the year 81,000 people were already connected and the end of 2004, the number rose remarkably to 1.6 million members. And like any social network that works, growth continued apace: four million in 2005, eight million in 2006, 15 million in 2007, 33 million in 2008 and 46 million members by August 2009.
Types of Plan
The personal account (most common) is free. There are 3 more paid categories: Business Premium (U.S. $ 25/month), Premium Business Plus (U.S. $ 45/month) and Pro ($ 500/month). The main difference is access to the base of 46 million members that the staff does not. Other search features and references also are differences.
Linkedin by those who know
I went on LinkedIn in May 2004 by one of the first and most famous Brazilian members: Robert Mayer, president of MBI and Assespro Sao Paulo.
Mayer is on LinkedIn since March 2003 and currently has almost 13,000 direct connections, which give indirect access to a network of nearly 20 million people. "Without LinkedIn, I would not have access to these people almost instantly," he explains.
I asked you some example of how LinkedIn has helped him, and he replied: "When I see a subject that interests me is developing anywhere in the world, I can get people involved by LinkedIn a few hours."
For those who want to get on LinkedIn, Mayer recommends to devote yourself to grow your network of contacts. "Do not just connects with you in fact know very well, to prevent their network to give access only to those people of whom you already have a cell phone," guides.
5 years ago he gave a hint of that network in an article published in the Journal InfoWeek.
Step by step
Open a profile (personal account) and fill in the Linkedin all fields carefully before calling someone. Remember that the focus is professional, so just put the relevant information.
Choose a good picture because she is the first impression you will make. Add one or two contacts who are friends and are the most time on Linkedin. Ask them to give suggestions to your profile. After that, begin to navigate through LinkedIn in order to learn about the tool and visit other profiles.
Once you get familiar inviting, little by little, people of your relationship and make a custom text for each. Restart your search of learning every day browsing the site.
After awhile, when you are comfortable with the environment, you'll realize what strategy to be adopted. You can keep a small circle of contacts made it clear that they are all very close, you can zoom (as suggested by Mayer) to access a much larger network of contacts, you can open work areas and participate in interest groups. Over time you can see advantages in opening a premium account and have a more active participation. The important thing is to always be researching and learning about this important tool of professional relationships.
