I asked this question a while back on Facebook and Twitter and was unable to start a discussion, so I figured I would try asking this question on my blog. Is maintaining a LinkedIn account worth the trouble?
I do have a LinkedIn account. And I’ll go ahead and admit that I have not devoted much time and effort to building my brand on the network. The primary reason is that the site feels as if it is geared toward the Baby Boomer generation. It feels more corporate and impersonal, much like a resume. Very few of my contacts are on the site, so that makes it harder to effectively build a network. Although I feel that the site is geared toward the Baby Boomers, Dan Schawbel, who undoubtedly identifies himself as Generation Y, constantly talks about the importance of using LinkedIn. On the flipside, there’s David Meerman Scott, who argues that he doesn’t need LinkedIn because it would steal time he could be using to focus on the areas he’s strongest in. Seth Godin use that same logic to explain why he is not on Twitter.
Obviously, I’m leaning the same as David Meerman Scott. As Scott argues, you don’t want to spread yourself thin across too many networks. Right now, I feel that dividing my time between a blog, Facebook, and Twitter is enough.
Also, as my friend Ben Woodall pointed out while we were discussing this issue, you have to pay for the cool features on LinkedIn. With a free account, you can’t even view the whole profile of someone who is not in your contact list. And even when you do pay, you get access to a limited number of invites and messages every month. Most employers scan Facebook profiles and Tweetstreams of potential employees as it is, so am I really missing out?
Has having a LinkedIn account been beneficial for you? Can you share an experience that justifies paying for the good stuff? Please share!
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