LinkedIn can cook you lots of nice treats. I have warmed up to it a lot since I started using it. I do not have hundreds of connections, but a steady number which I am thrilled with.
Here is what sugar that LinkedIn adds: it allows you to get the names of key contacts you may have had a hard time trying to pin down.
Example: There was a name of a press contact I really wanted to get my hands on for a well-known brand, for the website. What I did was I searched and searched and eventually found a LinkedIn result for the exact person with the right work history. It was great, because from there, I worked out the email format and sent my request in.
I think the social network allows you to be a career detective. You won’t need to live at Baker Street to do this, you just need to have a laser focus on what you are trying to achieve with your strategy. There is a danger of spamming people, but I think if you use it every now and then to try and get introduced to the right people, it could really help you.
I think aspiring PRs could benefit from this, especially in creative industries where who you know is paramount.
Tags: Aspiring PRs, how to use LinkedIn, Linked In
