I am not looking to network or anything but I have had a linkedin account for many years. I basically use it, if there is ever a need to get in touch with someone. I get requests on almost a daily basis from people who I do not know or want to know. Sometimes people reach out to inquire about doing business with me but it almost never works out. I think in 10 years, only one linkedin chat has ever translated into doing business. Either I suck at sales or their system and I are not a good fit.
Has anyone here found Linkedin to be useful?
I deleted my account.
too many spam messages, too many people selling stuff nobody needs.
to be fair I sometimes see jobs advertised through LI.
also some interesting articles get shared that I wouldn't have otherwise seen. but it is very facebooky nowadays.
Yes it is great to know who people are, find more info about them, but NOT to message them directly on LinkedIn.
If you’re able to contact them thru direct work email or phone number listed much better. The LinkedIn cold outreach isn’t great unless it’s for alumni / people you’re 2nd degree/1st connected to.
All it’s good for is getting a better contact route tbh or the potential for a more direct reach out
SB, LinkedIn is amazing for doing “research” on people’s backgrounds, where people exit, and so many other things.
Hunter.io and rocket reach are great websites to look up a company and find their email format. Once you know the company email format and you have a name of someone you want to reach out to, you’re in business.
In my opinion, no. I'm considering deleting mine as all I ever get are recruiter messages or other spammy bullshit from people looking to boost connection counts. I've spoken with several of my contemporaries and the consensus is this: great for job hunting, not much good for anything else.
I probably would not delete mine for two reason: I use it store contacts and occasionally potential clients ask to see my Linkedin account.
makes sense, I've begun to not rely on social media for storing contacts and try to keep everybody in my phone. on potential clients, I get that, everyone has to have a digital presence. I have a website so I feel like it solves that, and my cell + email are visible for anyone to see, along with a message feature and scheduling feature.
I've heard that people who use it effectively for generating business use it all-of-the-time and it is an enormous time investment but has a decent hit rate. I don't think it's without value, just the people I tend to do business with aren't active on it
It's a great networking tool if you know how to network. That requires acumen and discipline and you get much better at it as you mature. I have connected and been connected to many people that otherwise would have at least taken much longer without LI. Asking a connection to connect you and doing the same is a very powerful use of the system. When I can, I typically follow this format in connecting parties:
Message to X and Y: Hey guys, wanted to connect you two as you may be able to benefit one another. X, I've known Y for many years. He's a thought leader in the blah blah blah space and has a history of Z. Y, X is a good friend and great resource for A, B and C. Always good to know other great people. Cheers!
They almost always connect. What they do with that is up to them. When I've been connected this way, I had pretty substantive conversations. The thing about networking is IT'S NOT TRANSACTIONAL! It's relationship based. You can't measure it's success by immediacy or specific results like "Did I get a sale or find a job right away". It's a relationship. Over a long period of time, did it help you personally or professionally in any way? Help connect you to others? Help promote your business? Help you find a great vendor for a project? All forms of success.
If it's not working for you, I would suggest you are the issue as it's simply a tool. It's how you use it. Think of it as a detailed digital rolodex. You can't say having a rolodex doesn't work. It's inanimate. It's what you do with it.
Yeah, I use it as a roledex to store contacts but that is about it.
To be good at networking, you probably have to be good at sales, and I just do not have those skills.
I second the above.
Is it the best tool, maybe not. But I actually used it to break into research couple years ago. Basically just kept reaching out asking to talk to people about banking and such. I actually had a lot of phone calls and got a job through it. Just has to be right place right time, which is what you're hoping for. It's a funnel though, you send out 50 messages, ten people will probably talk to you.
On the flip side, I do feel its leaning a little toward facebook in the way people are using it, more a "look at me" device. But I guess everyone needs an "online presence" these days.
I get messages from recruiters and former coworkers so that can be helpful. Hell, I even got an invite for the first mobile MBA, which I found funny. It is good for basically career stalking and job finding. I view what people post as mostly corporate feel good trash, however, it does help gauge how much of a tool someone is. To be fair, I’ve put as much effort into my profile as i put into taking shit, no pic and about as vague as possible. I’ve known people who did the polished approach and gotten job offers. So some value exists if that’s your thing. Please resist the urge to use the word ‘incoming.’
I don’t use it for much besides networking or do research on people’s background.
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