RE: LinkedIn’s Tactics to Increase Users
In response to Janice Leung’s blog post, I find myself at odds with her analysis of LinkedIn’s new feature; the ability to “Follow Thought Leaders“.
Janice proposes that the ability to follow influential business leaders will lead to an abuse of this new system, with leaders promoting themselves, their businesses, and their own points of view instead of, as their own professional knowledge and insights.
Presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are two of the many influential figures that you can follow
In my opinion, the ability to follow business leaders would be a incredible addition to the professional website. By looking at the viewpoints, opinions and advice of business leaders, we would experience greater growth. These influential business leaders are clearly very successful, accomplished people, and we could stand to gain much from their insight.
I do agree with Janice that these leaders may use LinkedIn to promote their own businesses and campaigns, but I see little problem with this. Perhaps this self promotion would lead to greater opportunities for business professionals, and it may not. It would be impossible to judge the effects of increased promotion on LinkedIn by influential leaders, as anything we think of now would be mere speculation, and potentially, far from reality.
Essentially, it is my view that the addition of the ability to follow business leaders and their opinions/advice would enrich the LinkedIn community, rather than detract from it.