It’s time to take LinkedIn serious

LinkedIn has been around since 2003 and has been seen in various lights. The glowing light of posting all your accomplishments for the world to see; the dim slog of updating things and approving connection requests from months ago and the dark busywork of fixing your header when the whole layout changes.

For a long time, there was little reason to log in (if you could remember your password) if you weren’t job hunting or e-stalking a prospective employee.

But with the purchases of Pulse and Lynda.com, the business-focused social network is working hard to create a vibrant ecosystem for professionals. And now is the time for everyone in the boating industry to get involved in the new facets of the network.

The site has been a great way to keep in contact with your network and voice opinions on big happenings in the industry via groups (like the 11,000 strong Boating Industry group). But with the now standalone Pulse it’s becoming a great place to demonstrate your thought leadership and a valuable tool for manufacturers and distributors to find prospects.

Boat makers big and small, distributors and other B2B companies should use LinkedIn to create a little more transparency, or even just recreate their blog in a professional space. Great content (original or shared) means attentive followers. And when that follower is pondering adding a new boat line or product to their offerings, the business popping up on their phone is going to be top of mind.

See you on LinkedIn!