Comments on: LinkedIn the Vehicle vs. LinkedIn the Destination

By: LinkedIn Profile - Have a Call to Action? | I'm On LinkedIn - Now What???

LinkedIn Profile - Have a Call to Action? | I'm On LinkedIn - Now What??? — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:11:06 +0000

[...] realize I can do these two things because I have two other places I want you to go… do you have something more than “look at all the cool stuff I did” on your [...]

By: Brian Schuster

Brian Schuster — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:46:37 +0000

Just commented about this post on my blog, post here: http://cleverwebtech.com/2009/03/31/why-no-one-will-respond-to-your-blog-and-how-to-fix-it/

Thanks for the inspiration, Jason!

Brian
cleverwebtech.com

By: Gary Parkes

Gary Parkes — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 01:40:14 +0000

I am a big Linkedin user and refer all new contacts, gate openers, potential clients, business partners, etc to my LinkedIn site. To me it is both a channel and a destination since my ultimate goal is to have the client feel comfortable working with me.

As a mortgage broker, I am in an industry of high scrutiny; we receive a great deal of the blame for the financial circumstances we are currently in. I feel it vitally important to establish objective credibility as early as possible in the relationship. I actively request endorsements from the various parties in a transaction and have more than most.

I think by sending someone to LinkedIn first, I am smoothing my way toward earning the business. Since my website is made essentially by me, for me, it is always going to be a glowing endorsement but Linkedin allows for people to speak in their own words about their experience. Additionally past clients will often make contact through Linkedin out of convenience-they know I am there. From a branding standpoint, having a client know they can find me on LinkedIn is helpful. Instead of having to remember my URL, they can go to LinkedIn and get my contact info readily!

By: Brian Schuster

Brian Schuster — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:52:14 +0000

Actually, I’m currently in the process of starting a company where LinkedIn (or sites like it) is used as both a destination and a channel. LinkedIn is a good place to give people a glimpse about who you are and what you do. From there, if they really want to contact you, give them the means to. If they want to know more, give them links to your website or other places where they can find out more.

The internet is all connected. I believe different social networks should be, too.

By: Joseph Hollak

Joseph Hollak — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:09:58 +0000

Let me through another idea into the mix, and I am curious to get some answers on this because I raise this question without knowing the answer.

Is it possible that making your LI profile a destination (occasionally leaving the link in various places online, like I’ve done with this comment) actually increases the page rank of your profile slightly?

If someone Googles my name, I want my LI profile to show fairly high in the results as a part of my positive and controllable online brand.

So, if on occasion, I leave the LI URL in various comments does it help the profile rise to the top of search engine results for my name?

If the URL sprinkled around does help in SEO, then by all means make it an occasional destination.

Interested in reading the comments from those of you more SEO savy.

Joseph Hollak

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:26:36 +0000

Linkedin is my destination for professional purposes, while my web site is strictly personal. If an employer/potential employer happens to stumble across my personal site, it would be no big deal since there’s nothing incriminating on there. However, I’m not going to advertise it. I do, however, have a link on my personal site to my Linkedin profile since I’m seeking a job and would like to provide a way for people to see my online resume if they choose. If they want to see work samples, they can just call me for an interview.

By: Karen Stevens

Karen Stevens — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:48:47 +0000

I wholeheartedly agree that if you are a jobseeker, your linkedin profile should probably be your destination. As a longtime user of LinkedIn for recruiting purposes… these days, we look for you there first!

By: Mike Smith

Mike Smith — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:22:25 +0000

To me, it is simple. “What is your objective?”

By: Sean Nelson

Sean Nelson — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:11:47 +0000

I think it’s a matter of strategy. For the person on LinkedIn whose business is LinkedIn the website should be the end destination. Rather than a link that person should be using the widgets to show their mini-profile or company profile. If you’re going to talk about it you should be playing with the tools.

For someone who strives to be a LION it makes perfect sense because the connection is the final destination.

For a small business owner with a website, it’s a means of trying to demonstrate some level of credibility. If the person is already at my site they are at the destination. The LinkedIn link is for them if they want to see more information than is on my site.

My LinkedIn site has the widgets, my insurance related sites have the View Profile button.

By: Cassie Armstrong

Cassie Armstrong — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:15:44 +0000

What a great question. Before you asked the question, I never gave this any thought. I enjoyed reading the responses.

I have both a Web site and a LI profile because I am trying to build a client base. I need a virtual pressence. Both LI and my Web site provide that for me. My Web site is getting more and more hits from Google and other search engines as I go along.

I have a LI profile because I am trying to run with the big dogs. But honestly, I don’t know what I expect it to do or where I expect it to take me.

After reading the responses, I will probably spend the rest of the day thinking about this.
Thanks for asking the question.

Cassie Armstrong