When you think of social networks, Facebook or Twitter is probably the first thing that comes to mind -- but they’re not the only game in town. There’s another popular platform that’s used by 332 million people worldwide and gains two new members every second. At least 40 percent of its users check the site’s activity daily and more than eight percent visit during work hours. What site is it? LinkedIn. What is it about LinkedIn that makes it such a popular site for networking and what does the future hold for the company and its members? Let’s find out.

1. Photo Credit: Nan Palmero
LinkedIn Will Be a Powerhouse in 2015

2. What is it about LinkedIn that makes it such a popular site for networking.
What does the future hold for the company and its members?
When you think of social networks, Facebook or Twitter is probably the first thing
that comes to mind but they’re not the only game in town.
At least 40 percent of its users check the site’s activity daily and more than eight
percent visit during work hours.
What site is it?
Photo Credit: Mambembe Arts & Crafts Flickr
Let’s find out.
There’s another popular platform that’s used by 332 million people worldwide and
gains two new members every second.

3. We use it to jumpstart a job search, keep track of our peers, digitally mingle with
colleagues, and connect with people in our extended network of friends. Of course,
one of the most popular uses of LinkedIn is to find a new job.
It helps us get the word out that we’re looking and provides a comfortable way to reach
out to people who might be able to help.
For many people, LinkedIn serves as an online resume that’s dead easy to update.
There will always be a time and a place for paper resumes but LinkedIn profiles are a
way to give others a quick overview of where we are in our professional journey.
Why we love LinkedIn
One of the most beguiling things about
LinkedIn is that it revolves around one of the
biggest aspects of life: our jobs.
Like it or not, most of us have, need, or want a
job, and LinkedIn gives users a place to
network, connect, and learn alongside other
people in our industry.

4. Many organizations, especially small- to medium-sized businesses, benefit from
creating a LinkedIn company page.
It’s a nice way to gain a little no-cost advertising and provides a method for LinkedIn
users to check out your company without leaving the site. Google also thinks highly
of LinkedIn company pages and typically displays them among the top one or two
pages of search results.
Why companies love LinkedIn
LinkedIn has also proven to be a boon to
busy recruiters and hiring managers.
Instead of paging through hundreds of
irrelevant paper resumes, they can now
quickly scan someone’s entire work history
in just a few clicks.
Some job seekers even report that during
interviews companies favor referring to
printed Linkedin profiles instead of
resumes.
Photo Credit: A Name Like Shields Can Make You Defensive Flickr

5. Since its launch in 2003, LinkedIn has added a whole slew of features and tools to
help users get the most out of the service. Groups, news feeds, and a Twitter-like
social interface make LinkedIn the go-to networking service for people at all career
levels.
Thought leaders and CEOs from a wide range of industries publish
announcements, blog posts, and other types of messages for users to read and
share. As a result, LinkedIn is quickly becoming a source of news and information
for anyone who wants to track what’s happening in even the most niche industry in
the marketplace.
LinkedIn has responded to the love from workers and companies alike by stepping
up its game with better training and resume-writing tools for professionals in or
entering the job market.
It’s also offers a bevy of webcasts, reports, and in-depth analysis so organizations
can stay on top of the latest hiring and recruiting trends.
Where LinkedIn is headed

6. In the coming year, LinkedIn will become even more powerful as its member
base grows and it extends its usefulness to companies looking for the perfect
employee to join their ranks.
Photo Credit: Sheila Scarborough Flickr

7. In the coming year, LinkedIn will become even more powerful as its member
base grows and it extends its usefulness to companies looking for the perfect
employee to join their ranks.
Photo Credit: Sheila Scarborough Flickr