Are you LinkedIn?

So, how many LinkedIn invitations have you received in the past 2 or 3 months? Have you noticed the amount has gone up recently? Its always interesting to me when something "takes off." (After all, I was a flight attendant for 4 years--heh heh!)

LinkedIn is not a new phenomenon.They've been around since the early days of the Internet in 2002. (Yes, that's only 5 years ago--10 years in Internet time.) They are funded by the same group that brings us Google, Yahoo and PayPal called Sequoia Capital and received their funding in 2003.

What LinkedIn allows people to do is network with other people in both their own network and the network of the people they connect to.

Through your network you can:         

• Find potential clients, service providers, subject experts, and partners who come recommended
• Be found for business opportunities
• Search for great jobs
• Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
• Post and distribute job listings
• Find high-quality passive candidates
• Get introduced to other professionals through the people you know

The LinkedIn conciousness is an interesting trend to watch. Some folks have turned LinkedIn into a popularity contest and try to get as many invites as they can to prove they're at the top of the chain which is really kinda funny. I mean, how do you really KNOW over 500 people? I don't think my digestive system could handle all those business lunches.

I've taken a personal poll and a lot of my business colleagues and friends have noticed a sharp trend in invites lately. There are 47 million subscribers and counting. Social media has really started to "take flight" and is becoming more prevalent than ever before in the business world. (We're finally catching up to those teens who have figured this out years ago.) Social media is another avenue to get "seen" by more people and keep your company and yourself out in front of the pack. I'll be talking more about this subject this year in my talks and in the media. I'll keep you posted!

Myself, I have a measly 40 connections as of this morning.  I'm hoping this post will bring me more. C'mon people! Get LinkedIn! Everybody is doing it! Plus, I'm kinda hungry right now...I'll look for your invitation in my email coming soon. Just let me know where you'd like to eat after you send it. : )