Using LinkedIn to Network and Learn

As of May 2009, just six years after the online business networking service was launched, over 41 million members have joined LinkedIn. What I want to know is what percentage of those 41 million members are only logging in so they can accept a contact request and what percentage are actually utilizing its features to market themselves and their business.

More and more people are beginning to realize that there’s a lot more to LinkedIn then just maintaining a contact list full of customers and colleagues. By taking advantage of the tools within LinkedIn, business professionals are able to manage and strengthen their current business relationships, improve their visibility in Google search results, develop new relationships with customers who have similar business interests, and learn about their competition, industry trends, and more.

A profile that has a solid description of your company and your strengths is the best place to start, but you can also become a member of up to 50 different interest groups. By joining a group that is related to your industry, contributing to the group discussions or by even starting a group of your own, you immediately improve your visibility.

You can also use the “Answers” tab to ask and answer questions relative to your field of expertise. The same concept of improved visibility applies as with groups. By answering questions posed by people who are interested in the services or products you have to offer, you are naturally viewed as being an expert and they will be more likely to remember your name and even contact you when they need help.

This kind of social networking for businesses can be considered an informal method of learning because of the two-way sharing of information in a non-structured environment. Using tools such as LinkedIn is rapidly becoming a necessary part of doing business and increasing knowledge.You can connect with some of the Frogkick team on LinkedIn here…

• Greg Gunther


• Catherine Baker


• Chris Bautista