 BUSINESS 4NETWORKING [LinkedIn and Plaxo - who is using them?] |
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Posted on 11th Oct 2008 at 09:40
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Posted on 11th Oct 2008 at 10:34
I'm 'using' LinkedIn, in that I've registered. But haven't done much with it. The advantage has been that I have made contact in a fairly lazy way with friends from corporate life (Claire Taylor being one of them). I guess one of the advantages is that each network gives access to other networks, and allows people to make contact.
In fact Claire said she found 4Networking via my profile in LinkedIn.
Another thing I really like about LinkedIn is that there are advertisements for relevant work posted on my profile every so often. Saves me looking for them. Actually - is that an idea for an improvement on the classified ads forum, Brad? I am grateful not to have to look for consultancy assignments or commission only sales jobs!
www.businesshat.co.uk www.legal-mentors.com www.swbusinesspartners.co.uk
THINK BIG
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Posted on 11th Oct 2008 at 10:40
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Posted on 11th Oct 2008 at 17:08
Linked In seems to me to be largely a sort of corporate world Facebook/CV touting place. Most of the contacts I've had from it are people from the corporate company I worked for until 18 months ago saying hello and catching up. I've heard it's used a lot to network for corporate jobs, increase your profile in a particular industry etc so seems less geared to SMEs. I haven't really got my head around all the functions/profile updates etc.
Plaxo seems little more than an electronic business card, but again, haven't explored it fully. Again, quite a number of people who've Plaxo'd me are old corporate contacts.
On the subject of networking places, only just come across UK Business Forum, exhibiting at The Franchise Show (don't worry, not about to buy a franchise...), have just signed on to have a look, put '4Networking' in to see threads on that, all sorts of "our postings are bigger than yours, ooh what about that Brad person" type comments and saw Steffnet pop up with a comment. Is it any good??? Loads of fairly dull looking postings from what I've quickly looked at and no real facility for a decent profile. There seems to be 'UK Business Forums' and BusinessZone, different but related things...I'm confused already...
Mark Beaumont-Thomas
Group Leader 4Networking Solihull
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Posted on 11th Oct 2008 at 21:05
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Posted on 12th Oct 2008 at 08:50
Surely it's time that someone took the best of the lot and created a........
But that's another story.
Personally I find keeping one profile up to date a chore let alone 3,3.4 or more.
The best thing about linked in is that it is a platform to "sell through the room"
Chris Slay, Director | Specialist Provider of Polish Jobs | 07977 131 389 | enquiries@skillsprovision.co.uk
Skills Provision Ltd is registered under the Gangmaster Act 2004
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Posted on 12th Oct 2008 at 09:11
Quote:
Surely it's time that someone took the best of the lot and created a.....
Is the black sheep onto my cunning plan.....
Seriously, I am interested in what benefits people find in them, plus, in the short term, what we can be doing to promote 4N within them, as somone joined this week who came along to a meeting because she had seen details of 4N on Gille's LinkedIn profile.
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Posted on 12th Oct 2008 at 09:32
I've also registered at linked in but not done anything with it - to be honest I don't really know what it's all about. I do use ecademy, granted not always to my advantage and I'm finding it a bit of a bore at the moment with the countless contact requests and little contact...
Kochou: PR, Marketing & Creative Services
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Posted on 12th Oct 2008 at 10:41
Ah , Stefan - so you have a cunning plan!
Remembering that a camel was a horse designed by a committee every business will have a slightly different agenda, requirements needs so no solution will be perfect.
My irritation with 4N is the 6 degrees of separation in that all of us know people, who know people that other peoples people would like to .... etc..
In my little world the most efffective way of growing my business is networking but whatever I've tried 4N doesn't work for me and I can't believe with 10k+ members who all have networks of their own that opportunities haven't occured in the year I've been a member. If a Linked in style opening up of contacts was incorporated within 4N , possibly through outlook then this becomes a passive way of helping others.
It has been suggested before and may be in some masterplan somewhere.
Do I feel another recommendation from Brad on its way inviting me to go forth and multiply and recommending the "competition"
Chris Slay, Director | Specialist Provider of Polish Jobs | 07977 131 389 | enquiries@skillsprovision.co.uk
Skills Provision Ltd is registered under the Gangmaster Act 2004
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Posted on 12th Oct 2008 at 10:45
Not at all, I appreciate that Rome wasn't built in a day etc and there are things I know Brad would love to add to the forum, they just haven't been done yet. I am genuinely interested to know what benefits people see in the other business networking sites.
For me, I love the Outlook integration of Plaxo and the fact that updating my profile there also takes care of FaceBook for me. LinkedIn, I'm going to spend some time getting to know now, ditto with Ecademy, based on comments from other people. I will always report good ideas that are being used to Brad, Tim, et all.
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Posted on 12th Oct 2008 at 10:47
Chris its on the cards MY NETWORK but we can only go as fast as our resource can take us.
Lets not lose site that linked in/plaxo have had 10-s of millions thrown at them. We at 4N know what needs to be done, just time, money, resource.. It'll happen
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Posted on 12th Oct 2008 at 11:13
Thank you for the update.
Appreciated
Chris Slay, Director | Specialist Provider of Polish Jobs | 07977 131 389 | enquiries@skillsprovision.co.uk
Skills Provision Ltd is registered under the Gangmaster Act 2004
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