This document compares the online business social network LinkedIn to the Milan-based in-person business club Milan IN. It provides demographic information about Milan IN members, finding that most are male, aged 39 on average, highly educated, living and working in Milan in information and communications technology or consulting fields. The document contrasts behaviors between LinkedIn, which members frequently access online and have many contacts, versus Milan IN, where members less frequently access the website but prefer attending meetings on specific topics.

1. Business social network services
between online and offline: LinkedIn vs Milan IN
Ivana Pais, University of Brescia (Italy) pais@jus.unibs.it
BUSINESS SOCIAL NETWORK SERVICES (BSNSs)
NETWORK: is something that is constituted of nodes (vertices) and ties
(edges). Network NOT networking.
SOCIAL network: is a network where the actors represent nodes and the ties
represent the relations between them. They can be personal or professional.
BUSINESS social network: are services that focus on the building and mainte-
nance of professional social network.
Business social network SERVICES:
On line   In presence
Business social network SITES Business CLUBs
 
LinkedIn Milan IN
the first online business social an association set up in 2005 to allow
network, with 65 million members, members of LinkedIn living in Milan
800 thousands in Italy. to personally meet each other.
Online questionnaire (May 15th-22nd, 2009):
5,387 interviews (all Milan IN members)  1,674 respondents (31%)
Member’s features
Who
79% man, born between 1966 and 1978 (61%)
Average age: 39 years  BSNSs as “age neutralizer” service
80% at least graduate (39% of them have a post degree)  self-selection
47% live and 58% work in Milan  from Milan IN to Club IN (13,000 members)
Work
65% employed, 18% entrepreneurs, 18% self-employed, only 0,5% pensioner
and 1% students
27% Ict, 19% consultancy
Only 5% is looking for job, but their are employed
82% exceed 40 working hours weekly
42% average yearly income before taxes exceeds 60,000 €
LinkedIn Milan IN
65% access at least once a week 15% access to the website at least
they have 224 contacts on average once a week
77% have a “open strategy” 27% attended meetings and events
30% of connection are online only 44% choose the event according to
the topic dealt with