I have always been a huge fan of LinkedIn. As a professional, I can appreciate the value in keeping my connections close, and allowing me to stay up-to-date on what they're up to. However, it seems abundantly apparent to me that staying up-to-date is the primary driver of social media. Insert and you have most social media that is consumed. We intrinsically begin to peer into the existence of another person that would allow us to do so. They do the same to us ... but we all love it. It has changed my life and it has allowed me to change the lives of others.
However, with many of the social platforms coming down the tunnel of step 5 in Social Media Evolution we have already surpassed the age of "spammers" and have begun to see less and less personality, and many more links. @TerryCreative said it best with this comment after I mentioned it on twitter ...
He's right you know. It is annoying. One of the greatest elements of social media, is, and will always be, the discovery of new people and the possibilities that can come from harvesting relationships. Surely I can learn a lot from you if you tweet a Mashable article, but I can learn so much more from you if you tweet that you're currently "enjoying a sandwich containing chocolate and mustard" (ugh, you know who you are).
So, to the point of this article, LinkedIn Signal strolls into my life, and I'm entirely infactuated. Here is why:
Consumption: Sometimes I'm in a mood. Perhaps a marketing mood ? Check the box big-boy and BAM ! Just like that I have filtered you out, Mr. "I'm not a marketer" guy. You're not a marketer, guy, and I'm in a mood.
It's Always Real: My twitter stream has been hi-jacked by links, many from people that I don't know very well. Signal allows me to get back to basics. Now, I'm one of the many that use LinkedIn they way that they intend it, and that is "only accept invitations from people you know". Love it. Love that they have stayed by this so important foundation of a business network. These updates are always real people with much less filler. If I want to discover new people, I can click 2nd party connections, check and see how I am connected to that new person, and perhaps become enlightened by someone new. Remember ... its the discovery of new people and the possibilities that can come from harvesting relationships.
Search: The foundation of my consultancy started on online brand reputation management. Give me a search bar and allow me to filter the results and you will have my always praise. Mmm data. Nom nom.
Buzzin' : Who shared that ? When this did this link gain popularity ? Signal is like BuzzFeed from people that I know.
Content; X Audience / Y Popular: This is really, really cool. Refine your results and instantly see what is popular in content among those people. My head just exploded. Seriously, it's all pink mist over here. This is perhaps the most useful piece of the entire platform for so many reasons. Research. Being influenced. Staying on your game. Example: What if you want to talk with every ad executive in your network? What are they talking about right now ? Now you know.
Have you used it ? Share your thoughts on it.
