The past few weeks, we’ve discussed some of the most popular forms of social media available today, as well as the latest platform launched: Twitter, blogging, Facebook, and Google+. But, we’re not done.
Social media reaches far beyond these four markets, and there are many other methods of promoting our works (e-books, music, and other business ventures) via the World Wide Web.
One of the largest online networks available today, and rapidly growing in size, is LinkedIn with over 120 million users. LinkedIn offers professional connections and many people set up accounts to find employment opportunities and to network with others in similar industries.
LinkedIn includes three different types of connections: direct, second degree, and third degree. Direct connections resemble friendships in Facebook and circles in Google+ – a user connects directly with family, friends, and acquaintances. But, LinkedIn takes the networking a bit further: second degree connections allow a user to connect with his or her direct connection’s connections; and third degree connections allow a user to connect with the connections of a direct connection’s connections.
Sounds deep, right? It is.
Think of it like a pyramid or family tree. The farther the user moves down the pyramid, or travels from branch to branch, the more connections he makes. LinkedIn allows a user to network with many similar professionals and potential employers they otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet.
LinkedIn also offers a large variety of employment, professional, academic, and career interest groups. For example, writers and musicians can meet and connect with other writers and musicians inside the LinkedIn groups. Much like Facebook, the LinkedIn groups are both public and private.
Another feature to LinkedIn allows businesses to promote or recommend products on a company profile page (think Facebook fan page), perfect for the writer selling his recently converted e-book or the musician selling his digital downloads courtesy of Digital Content Center.
Come back next week when we discuss the advantages of StumbleUpon and Reddit as additional methods of organic promotion to market and sell our products.