Altitude on Small Business Tools

There are tons of social networking sites available and many business professionals find themselves eagerly attempting to use them all or significantly underutilizing the ones they’re involved in. With so many to chose from, it’s easy to understand how one can become overwhelmed. When making your choice, it’s a good idea to get an understanding of the network and then determine how it might benefit you and move forward from there.

One network that has been around that many business owners and professionals find useful is LinkedIn, a professional network that has proven itself useful for doing the things it says it will do, when used effectively. If you’re not already using this professional network, here are 3 reasons why you want to use LinkedIn.

Expand Your Network
The ability to network is the general idea, but you can easily expand your network by accessing your network’s network, which makes it easier for you to make new connections and contacts. Not only that, LinkedIn has the hindsight to make assumptions on who you might know that’s already using the service, then gives you the option to invite them into your network. How cool is that?

Stay Updated on Clients and Colleagues
Do you ever wonder what your colleagues are doing? LinkedIn takes away the guesswork by helping you stay abreast of what your contacts are doing through the Network Update feature, accessible through your home page once you’ve registered and logged in. You can easily find out who’s made new contacts, who’s recently joined the service, recommendations that have been made and what individuals in your network are doing, a great way to stay connected and updated.

Conduct Research
Market research just got easier. LinkedIn is a great way to gather data and information about a prospect, client, or company. Find out interests, hobbies, where someone attended school, where they worked in the past and what they’re currently looking for — contracts, job opportunities, new ventures, and more.