In today’s world, where social media has become an essential tool for personal and professional networking, the line between platforms designed for personal connections and platforms designed for business networking can sometimes blur.
LinkedIn has established itself as the leading platform for professional networking; at least that’s how I’ve always perceived it. But some time ago, I changed my perspective. I attended an innovative product launch where people were talking about dating apps, and LinkedIn was mentioned at least a dozen times. At first, I couldn’t understand why, on earth, they thought LinkedIn was for dating. As my brain gears pondered the thought, I finally realised that it is a dating app, albeit with an emphasis on business connections rather than romantic relationships.
Let’s look at LinkedIn from a different perspective.
B2B dating: bringing businesses and partners closer together
LinkedIn’s role as a B2B relationship builder is undeniable.Companies on LinkedIn purposefully create accounts to emphasise their expertise, attract new customers, and build strategic relationships. It’s similar to how people create profiles on dating platforms to showcase their personalities and attract potential partners.
Communications and marketing professionals can use the platform to build and maintain a brand; salespeople and project managers can use it to find lucrative opportunities and potential clients; and HR professionals can use it to find specialists, professionals, and experts in the required industry.
Businesses who use LinkedIn’s data, groups, and competitor analysis tools can obtain a better understanding of their target market, stay ahead of industry trends, and uncover chances to differentiate their services and benefit on competitor gaps.
At this stage, the most important task is to attract and interest potential clients. Everything else is up to the employees of the company itself.
An arena for employer and employee match-making
LinkedIn’s recruiting capabilities go beyond corporate collaboration, effectively turning the platform into an employer and employee matching tool. Employers looking for top talent can use robust filters and smart algorithms to browse profiles and select candidates based on specific skills, experience, and education. It’s similar to the way a dating app lets you swipe profiles left or right based on interests and characteristics. LinkedIn simplifies the hiring process by allowing employers to find the right fit for their needs.
But HR professionals aren’t the only ones who can use LinkedIn for recruitment. Job-seeking professionals can also use the platform to research companies and find job openings. They can subscribe to companies to receive notifications of new job openings or news.
Using LinkedIn for professional development
One thing you certainly don’t find on dating sites yet is professional development opportunities. Unlike conventional dating sites, LinkedIn is an important platform for professional development, not only for job seekers but also for those who are employed and want to upgrade their skills or update their knowledge. Many factors help in this endeavour:
- Industry Insights: LinkedIn helps professionals stay up-to-date on industry trends, company developments, and new technologies. LinkedIn’s news feed and selection of articles provide up-to-date information on what’s happening in the business world. This helps professionals stay on the cutting edge and make informed decisions.
- Enhance Professional Profile: LinkedIn provides a platform to create a comprehensive professional profile that reflects abilities, experience, and achievements. This helps potential employers find and evaluate candidates for open positions. The professional profile can also be used to find new opportunities, such as collaborating with colleagues, attending conferences, etc.
- Networking Opportunities: LinkedIn makes it easy to connect with industry peers, hiring managers, and potential mentors, expanding your professional circle and opening doors to new opportunities.
- Learning Opportunities: LinkedIn Learning is one of the most popular features on the site. It is a one-stop learning platform that provides access to an extensive library of training videos from leading experts in various fields, such as business, marketing, technology, project management, and more. With LinkedIn Learning, you can enhance your skills and knowledge and prepare for new career challenges and certifications.
The use of LinkedIn Learning in employee training is becoming increasingly popular.
The benefits of LinkedIn Learning for companies:
- Up-to-date information: LinkedIn Learning courses are regularly updated, allowing employees to stay on top of the latest trends in their field.
- Convenience: employees can learn whenever and wherever they want.
- Cost-effective: LinkedIn Learning is a more cost-effective option than hiring a coach or specialist to deliver courses.
Examples of companies that use LinkedIn Learning: IBM, Microsoft, Google, etc.
Advertising on LinkedIn
Those who have ever used free dating sites know that only cheese in a mousetrap is free. You have to pay for free use of the site too, though, by endlessly scrolling through advertisements.
The free version of LinkedIn is not yet clogged with a heavy flow of ads, but nevertheless, there are ads from different companies. But what is the difference between advertising on LinkedIn and advertising on Meta or Google? On this platform, an enterprise can advertise its services, clearly selecting its audience according to numerous parameters. From the advertiser’s point of view, it is an ideal option when his ads will only be seen by those who fall within his target audience. And more importantly, the people who see these advertisements are most likely decision-makers. However, the fact is that, unlike Meta or Google, the ads here will cost more.
Conclusion
So, is LinkedIn just another dating site? By connecting matching professionals, LinkedIn opens doors to new opportunities, partnerships, and collaborations. It is a great business development tool that can help companies achieve their sales, marketing, staffing, and professional development objectives. So, if you’re new to this or don’t have the time to do it yourself, we at Marketing Angles can be your perfect match for strategy, profile development, and account management.
