LinkedIn; The Good, The Bad, and The Annoying
Since the beginning of September, there have been not one, but two articles published that slammed LinkedIn. Is the professional network site that bad?
Since the beginning of September, there have been not one, but two articles published that slammed LinkedIn. Both authors write their own columns on technology and business, and both seem to be fed up with the social media platform. LinkedIn is supposed to be the “professional” social network. A place where professionals and their professional persona’s, gather and expand their networks, talk shop, recruit new talent, and increase their influence. These two posts, however, have ardently stated that LinkedIn is anything but that. The mission statement of LinkedIn—To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful—has been missed. At least, according to these two authors. Has it?
LinkedIn as it Should Be

The Bad
Let’s start with the “bad,” and get that out of the way first. LinkedIn was meant to be a place where professionals go to network and find contacts. It wasn’t meant to be a place where people are constantly bombarded with sales pitches. Unfortunately, there are plenty of spammy sellers out there. One such example; When I was hired as Content Writer, I went on LinkedIn and changed my status to reflect that. Within a week I got a connection request and a message. LinkedIn gives you the option to send a note with each connection request. Part of the reason is to introduce yourself. Make an impression. Another reason is to ensure it’s not just some spambot trying to connect with people willy-nilly. This connection came with a note. It said something to the effect of “I think we can help each other out, let’s set up a call.” I didn’t want to say yes, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to have another connection. Well, the phone call turned out to be a waste of my time as this person had obviously not done their research. They’d seen “content” and assumed they could sell me some service related to content. The content marketing goals of my job, clearly stated on my profile, didn’t match up with theirs. While this is common, the next story is even worse. Living in San Antonio, we’re home to the greatest basketball team that’s ever played the game- The San Antonio Spurs. As you’d expect, there are always deals on season-ticket packages. And there are sales associates who sell those packages. These sales associates are on LinkedIn. One such associate requested a connection. And with the connection came a message. This one stated that I could get a season ticket package to give out to potential clients, or to members of my team to boost morale, or as an incentive. Again, if this person had done their research, they’d learn that I wasn’t in charge of anybody at the time. I was also not directly meeting with clients. As much as I wanted to mess with the guy, my conscience won out and I told he’d be better off trying to sell to someone else. This is the most common issue with LinkedIn- people who see a title or someone who might have some cash, and they pitch them their service. A little bit of time spent looking into my profile would have saved them this time. They could have then focused it on someone who might actually need, and be inclined to buy, their services.The Annoying

The Good
Let’s end this on a high note, shall we? There are some good things about LinkedIn. First of all, I use LinkedIn to check the pulse of my industry. As a content writer and someone who works in the publishing industry, I can’t afford to ignore what other people are doing. I do check other news sources for my information though. I would be remiss, however, not to keep a direct eye on my target audience. It also helps to know what’s going on in my industry. Secondly, despite all the spammers and connections who ignore me, I have made good connections. I’ve met a couple clients through LinkedIn and the experiences have been positive. They recognize my skillset and how it can compliment them in their professional endeavors. Another will always ask me for insider advice on publishing, which I’m happy to give. The fact that he keeps coming back and asking leads me to believe he needs more than just advice though. But that’s for another post. Thanks to LinkedIn, however, my professional career has been made easier. It’s no walk in the park, but a social network that makes networking easier is much appreciated. I can’t imagine growing my personal network through just face-to-face meetings. As confident as I appear to be on LinkedIn, in person, I’m awkward and socially inept. So that’s where LinkedIn helps me out. Which is nice. But they’re not the “magic bullet” to making my career take off. I still have to put in the work to make that happen. Sigh.Why isn’t LinkedIn like LinkedIn?
LinkedIn, for all of its flaws, still has advantages. And those who are aware and know how to leverage them, LinkedIn is great. But LinkedIn has missed the mission of its mission statement— To connect the world’s professional to make them more productive and successful. I would say I’m marginally more productive and only slightly more successful. Part of that is my fault. I pick and choose how to use the platform instead of going all in. The other part is on everyone else on LinkedIn.