Do you still have a Rolodex on your desk? I doubt it, but in case you do, you may want to start your social media activities with the very place many people used to view as simply a resume bank. Let’s take a closer look at the professional networking platform that is rising in popularity among business people, LinkedIn. In today’s connected world it offers a whole lot more than an online version off that dusty Rolodex.

There’s a bigger picture for LinkedIn 

Most everyone knows LinkedIn as an online professional contact database that allows members to create a personal profile and network with the other 40 million LinkedIn members from over 150 industries. LinkedIn started in 2003 with the goal of helping people manage their professional relationships more effectively. Many, at first, used it to shop for jobs, or hope their resume would catch the attention of those seeking qualified candidates. 

One of the key features of LinkedIn is that it not only lets you keep track of your contacts, it also gives you visibility into the contacts that your contacts have and the connections that your contacts’ contacts have, and so on. This makes LinkedIn something like a giant shared Rolodex and a rich source of information for all kinds of networking and prospect research. But the site has evolved from a job-focused site to a dynamic professional networking platform that helps you exchange contacts, knowledge, ideas, and opportunities.

Link in to community thought leadership

The feature called “LinkedIn Groups” allows users to find and join communities of professionals based on common interests, experience, affiliation, and goals. By joining a group you can stay in touch with organizations that you are (or were) a part of, or join industry-specific groups and collaborate in a professional community online, ultimately becoming a thought leader within that community.  It is important to note there is a difference between community thought leadership, and thought leadership as marketers typically know it. There is a well-known Henrik Ibsen quote that helps clarify the difference:: “A community is like a ship, everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.”

Community thought leadership is an approach that provides help and relevant content freely, without any sales focus, so that members of the community can come away with information and insight into how to solve their business issues. They may or may not be a direct prospect or customer of yours, so involvement does not necessarily point directly back to your product or service. However, you are a part of a community focused on influencing, advocating, and sharing knowledge with others on behalf of the industry you work in.  Another advantage to LinkedIn Groups is that you can search through the Group membership and reach out to individuals directly. If you are job searching or even considering a possible move in the future, being part of industry groups can help you build worthwhile connections.

Valuable business uses of LinkedIn not associated with job searching:

• Bringing opportunities to your attention that may not be posted or discussed anywhere else
• Researching the right person to contact at an organization of interest, and who you know that knows them
• Keeping current on industry news
• Monitoring customers, prospects, and the competition
• Raising awareness of your company in the industry

The larger message in all of this is that social media marketing—whether it’s through blogging, twittering, involvement with LinkedIn Groups, or some other platform—is no longer an option. It should be an integral part of your marketing landscape.  In 2009, we heard a great deal about why we should think about participating. In 2010, it will be more important to figure out just how you are going to make it part of your marketing plan. In the end, social media is nothing more than building relationships and building trust with the people who are important to your business. Just find the path that is most comfortable for your company—and keep learning.