Determining If LinkedIn Is Right for You.

• Author: Francis, Joe
• Position: MARKETERS' FORUM

LinkedIn has a variety of uses: job board, business page, personal profile, professional group site and a few more. Banks, as many industries, have been attempting to find their way in the social media world, including the use of LinkedIn. Some have been successful, others have steered clear of any involvement. (See the article, "Linking Through LinkedIn" on page 30 in this issue.)

These messages above are from banks that have at least considered the usefidness of this tool. What should a bank do to determine if Linkedln is right for them?

* Step 1: Determine how you will use it. As mentioned, LinkedIn is a personal as well as a brand tool. If you have business-to-business or investment sales objectives in a medium to large market, LinkedIn is invaluable to connect personal relationships at a business level. If you have a robust social media strategy and your business presence is essential, LinkedIn can be used as a part of this strategy--connecting subject matter expert content to your Web, blog, or other areas. If sales or PR/social media are beyond the scope of your bank at this time, maybe LinkedIn should be revisited later.

* Step 2: Once you've decided to strategically use Linke din, your next step is to assure your Linkedin page is being properly managed and second, all key staff should be trained to use...