LinkedIn as a support for business

I’d be interested to hear people’s view on the benefits or otherwise of LinkedIn as a source/driver of business.

I get the whole “people do business with people they know” logic but the whole networking approach on LinkedIn seems a bit contrived to me.

It’s relatively easy to connect with people you barely know but that of course doesn’t by itself create business. They’re connections, not friends.

It seems necessary to go “all in”, creating multiple, regular posts which invariably involve turning everyday life events into lessons that can be applied to the business world.

So for example, a post describing a visit to your parents (possibly accompanied by a photo of your smiling mum eating a coconut cream), is really a lesson to all your contacts in the importance of “effective communication”. Going to a football match with your kids (accompanied by a photo of you all waving flags) is really a lesson in the importance of “staying grounded” and “maintaining a work-life balance”.

I guess what I’m really wondering is whether it’s as important for business as some make it out to be.

To me it all seems a big desperate and needy. But if I’m missing an angle I’d be interested to know what it might be.

Interested in other people’s experiences.

Don't use it at all anymore, a lot of virtue signalling nonsence, facebook but in a cheap suit.

Salvadore said:

Interested in other people’s experiences.

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About the same as yours.
I've used it to hire people a few times but that's about all I've found it useful for.

LinkedIn for me is for Narcissists with a capital "N"

Salvadore said:

It seems necessary to go “all in”, creating multiple, regular posts which invariably involve turning everyday life events into lessons that can be applied to the business world.

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That's only if you want your content to be pushed. No one I'm connected with or follow post trivial, non-professional nonsense.

The value for a business would be through identifying 2nd degree connections where you can 'borrow' an element of trust from someone you have a connection with to engage with someone in a company you would like to sell to.