Okay, I will just come out and say it: I hate LinkedIn.
To put my feelings into perspective, I would describe it as the fly episode of Breaking Bad, any Adam Sandler movie made post-2005, and yes — I’m going there — the Nickelback of social media platforms.
So, what is my problem? Why do I have so much beef with LinkedIn?
It’s simple: it’s not living up to its potential.
For the professional world, LinkedIn is a well of valuable resources, filled to the brim with contact information, job listings, and industry-specific news. Moreover, it is the ideal way to keep in touch with your network; everyone from old coworkers you enjoyed spending happy hour with to the big wig you met at the bar last night can be collected in one place, ready to be easily contacted should the need ever arise.
However, if users are to utilize these features to the fullest, it is essential that the site be easy to navigate. That, right there, is its #1 problem: it is not easy to navigate.
Over the years, social media’s other big dogs, particularly Facebook and Twitter, have added attributes like hashtags and geotagging to their bag of tricks. These attributes are designed to help users quickly and efficiently find the information they are looking for.
Think about how simple it is to find the posts you care about on these sites:
- You want to learn more about what’s happening in Washington D.C.? Search the hashtag.
- You can’t remember the name of your cousin’s boyfriend? Read the photo tag (you should probably check out his profile too, Creeping 101).
- What’s Kim Kardashian been up to lately? Check the trending topics (let’s be real — she’s always on there).
LinkedIn, however, doesn’t support hashtags, photo tagging, or geotagging. Without these, I find myself constantly struggling to find the content I want to see. I get lost in a web of industry groups and company pages in their search function that never quite meets my needs.
Now, I will throw LinkedIn a bone, though. It does allow you to tag friends in comments and posts, which is a huge help! I just believe advancing this feature would have astronomical benefits for its users by giving them faster access to the content they are searching for.
While discussing LinkedIn with a friend the other day, she told me about her biggest issue with the site or for the purposes of this blog post, problem #2: “There’s nothing social about it.”
Although I don’t completely agree with her — the biggest arguments being the ability to endorse connections and interact with posts— there are ways to improve its title as a ‘social’ media platform.
To begin, making an individual’s previous posts visible somewhere on their profile would be a step in the right direction. If I am interested in seeing a friend’s latest post, it is virtually impossible for me to do so unless it happens to appear on my feed or a link is sent my way.
I also believe that adding a chat function of some sort would be extremely beneficial.
Think of the possibilities that can come with a chat function:
- Recruiters and candidates can communicate instantaneously.
- Catching up with connections can take 10 minutes rather than 10 days via InMail.
- Coworkers would be able to share links directly through the site instead of turning to Gchat.
Now, I understand that the chat function would have its limitations. For example, you wouldn’t be able to chat Richard Branson just to ask ‘What’s happening?’ but I do believe that there are ways to implement one that would be only advantageous for users.
So, let’s move on to the last issue I will discuss, problem #3: its analytics.
Unless you’re willing to shell out, LinkedIn offers you next to nothing as far as analytics goes. Do I blame them for this? Absolutely not. They’re running a business, and businesses need to profit. Therefore, selling premium accounts is a must.
However, do I really care if an anonymous user viewed my profile? No, I wish they kept that to themselves! Now, I’m just sitting here wondering if my ex-boss is keeping tabs on me or if a recruiter for the job I just applied for viewed my profile and thought ‘Eh, not interested.’
Sidebar: I feel like there are probably some horror stories out there about people going mad trying to figure out who the dreaded, anonymous ‘LinkedIn Member’ is (please forward any stories you have about this my way, I’d love to know).
Back to the point, the analytics offered to LinkedIn’s users are weak. I used my free month of Premium and feel like I wasn’t getting much more than I did with my usual, bottom-of-the-totem-pole account.
Perhaps my issue with the analytics is a personal one rather than a universal gripe. As a Social Media Manager, I see all of the free analytics available to my businesses on Facebook and Twitter, and I feel like that tarnishes my view of LinkedIn. After all, you are essentially just branding yourself like a business on LinkedIn, right?
So, there you have it! These are a few of my issues with LinkedIn (obviously I don’t have time to go over all 99, time is money after all).
Although I dislike LinkedIn currently, I do think that a few simple alterations, additions, and improvements would be all it takes for me to sing a very different tune (think ‘Photograph’ by Nickelback verse ‘You Make My Dreams’ by Hall & Oates). I would love nothing more than to change my opinion on it and should that ever happen, I will happily write a new blog post on it.
Even though I’ve dwelled on the site’s flaws in this post, it is still important to note that it is a significant and worthwhile resource for professionals. So, here is me using a glass half-full perspective:
- The fly episode is one of the most complex and brilliant episodes of the entire Breaking Bad series.
- Adam Sandler might not be making the cinematic gold he used to, but he still has a relevant and thriving career.
- Nickelback, as much as we all love to rip on them, is filthy rich and raking in more and more money with each passing day.
- LinkedIn is an excellent reservoir of information that with a few minor tweaks, can be untouchable.
