Feb. 11 – “Get Linked In or Get left out?” Hardly. The wildfire of social networking copycats continues to spread despite a saturation of the market and many sites missing the point.
Technology companies are trying to transcribe the success of Facebook and MySpace in the professional world. Some are new; some are growing and developing. Yahoo! launched “Kickstart,” a social networking site for college students and young professionals. Doostang, a private, invite-only professional networking site boasts unique professional profiles aimed at advancing users’ careers. Jobster has a modern user interface with the same aspirations. The juggernaut of professional networking, however, is “Linked in” – over 12.5 million users and growing.
Linked in boasts several successes to appear more marketable to potential users. The site includes all ranks of employees, from data input technicians to CEO’s. “See, we appeal to all age groups: baby boomers and the Internet generation.” The site grabs a user’s email, work information, and all other potential contacts to demonstrate just how connected members actually are. “Look how easy it is to connect to everyone you’ve ever contacted.” In theory, all of these features should create the most effective professional network users can imagine. Why then, do many urban professionals and recent graduates find themselves signing up for Linked in only to leave it for months at a time and rarely employ the benefits of such a resourceful rolodex?
There are several reasons to explain why the professional social network may not be catching on AND working like Facebook and Myspace. First, and most important, a site needs daily traffic. The user traffic keeps people involved in the development of the site. Social networking sites require user-base daily traffic with simple services. Facebook and Myspace have dozens of sub-features such as blogs, videos, and comment postings which serve as personal expressions of the user. Link-In generates traffic when users update a resume or look for a promotion. How often does that happen? If the user is interested in a stable career, not more than once every six months. With lighter traffic comes lighter interest and less upkeep.
Second, and related to the first point, online communities feed on instant gratification. A quick laugh from a funny comment board or an intriguing link provide quick and easy entertainment. Instant gratification that keeps people engaged is virtually non-existent in the professional networking arena. So a user adds a contact- then what? The user sets up a profile, baits the hook and waits (almost indefinitely) for someone to bite. Constant emails updates saying, “Someone has written a fun message on your wall, check it out!” is much more engaging than, “You now have a new contact that likely will do nothing for your career.”
Third, Linked in sets up the expectation that the user will advance their career simply by joining. The bright colors and multiple illustrations of people networking create the impression that the moment users create a profile, their inboxes will be full of new job offers for CEO positions. Professional advancement is something people have to work hard to establish. Making connections is the first step. Aside from introducing and recommending contacts, Linked in does little to help users with the follow through techniques that are necessary for professional development.
Fourth, the interests of the two networking sites are diametrically opposed to each other. Social networking sites started as another way to better understand people in your community. Secondary purposes, such as reuniting old friends, developed after. The profiles depend on creative personal expression: photographs, journal entries, favorite books, quotes, sites, and groups. This keeps users entertained. Working professionals want to keep their portfolio as simple and substantive as possible with a clean divide between work and play: education, career, and a few interests that show a personality without giving too much away. Quite simply: boring without putting the reader to sleep. Too much creativity in the professional world up front is, unfortunately, a turnoff.
This is not to say that professional networking sites are dead or dying. As previously mentioned, many business fields are attempting to replicate the Facebook/Myspace business model. The foundational concept may be of some use. The potential for the Internet to facilitate business relationships is endless. Before the wildfire continues to grow, however, investors in the technology arena should carefully consider what makes social networking sites tick and whether or not the same ticking will take place when transcribing business models into new fields.
Posted by thechritic 
