dutter
10-16-2006, 08:40 AM
Service provider recommendations have been added to the LinkedIn business social networking site. So if you think the world of the person who fixed your furnace, this would be where you can let others in your network know about him.
More... (http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/topnews/wpn-60-20061016LinkedInWantsToSuggestAPlumber.html)
ChrisLanglois
10-18-2006, 08:19 AM
Hi David,
Thanks for your post.
Please check my recent post about LinkedIn's new service directory: http://www.visible-networking.com/2006/10/net_service_pro_1.html
On one hand, this is a good initiative from Linkedin. It will help them to insist on one of their key differentiators, the endorsements, and go beyond their reputation as a highly efficient recruitment tool. Well done LinkedIn!
On the other hand, I am a bit confused. They are some challenges which LinkedIn will probably face soon:
1) Maintain its "quality"
as far as I am concerned, one of the key benefits of Linkedin is to be able to find professionals from various industries and especially very senior people in the organization. Will those people keep registering if Linkedin further "open its doors" to everybody?
2) More SPAM?
Most poeple are not used to social networking. They don't know how to do it... or more precisely they don't know how to do it WELL! The core of LinkedIn users are probably "sneezers" (thanks to Seth Godin for its "Purple Cow"), people interested in new technology and the web, curious about networking: some of those users are already sending or forwarding "very average" requests... So another potential consequence could be an increased number of contact requests, and more SPAM...
3) Confuse its members / no clear strategy?
First, there are quite a lot of websites/market places whose goal is to help service providers build a credibility online, and be rewarded. Those sites are more targeted to the consumer market, are more for SMEs, and are not B-to-B where I believe Linkedin stands (or at least used to stand initially...)
Will I use LinkedIn to find a service provider... I am not sure about that!
4) Too US centric?
I wonder what the situation will be in the next 6 months, especially regarding providers included in the 3 last categories. I wouldn't be surprised if most of those providers were based in the United States...
I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Kind regards,
Chris
+44 77 36 44 63 57
www.Visible-Networking.com