LinkedIn: It’s Facebook in pinstripes. No bar photos. No “poking.” Just buttoned-up professionalism. And for commercial artists, that can be useful. From jobs to referrals, illustrator Ben Weeks and photographers Jason Lindsey and Lisa Sciascia tell us what they’re getting out of LinkedIn, and what they’re not.
Describe the way you use LinkedIn
Ben Weeks: I try to stay up to date with LinkedIn, adding people and seeing what people I know are up to. It's useful for learning about the professional backgrounds of people you've worked with and met. It's also a good way to update people passively about your recent exploits.
Lisa Sciascia: When I meet people, I tend to go immediately to LinkedIn rather than even my other database program. I’ve reached out to people I’m linked with to ask if they’ll introduce me to one of their contacts I’d like to connect with. I post newsworthy events, but I don't do it more than once a week. And I did get a job from an old contact after reconnecting on LinkedIn.
What business benefits have you seen from LinkedIn?
Ben Weeks: I can't trace any new business to LinkedIn yet. The benefits seem mostly indirect. They're going to launch advertising soon. I tested Facebook and Google ads, which were okay but the ROI wasn’t clear. Maybe my ads were crap. Or maybe they're not effective marketing channels for my category. LinkedIn might be different, although I’m not sure how much my target audience uses it. Facebook has more users and activity.
Jason Lindsey: I use it for networking. A producer once contacted me on LinkedIn. The very next day I got a request to bid a job that fit her background perfectly. It worked out. We got the job and she was wonderful to work with. We’ve also asked for suggestions for crew members in certain geographic areas. We’ve hired crew in several markets around the U.S. this way.
What’s the best thing about LinkedIn?
Lisa Sciascia: I like the fact that you can have people post recommendations. I’ve used that in my bids for jobs.
Ben Weeks: It's great for finding suppliers. Once I needed a lawyer to help with a contract for what would have been one of the biggest jobs of my career. A LinkedIn connection posted a recommendation for his lawyer whose credentials were perfect. He did a fantastic job. I'd never have found him otherwise.
Jason Lindsey: I like that it’s used by professionals for work-related networking. Professional connections are more likely to accept a request on LinkedIn than on Facebook. With so many people losing and changing jobs these days, it’s much easier to keep those connections alive when they move to a new company on LinkedIn. And the information available gives you a much better understanding of people’s professional backgrounds than Facebook.
What is LinkedIn not good at?
Ben Weeks: Sometimes I'm unsure of its purpose much beyond being an extended address book. Do I really want to be "friends" with tons of people I don't know who aren't qualified prospects or suppliers? Not really. People seem to think that getting a bigger number of "friends" actually makes them more connected or valuable regardless of their mutual relevance to each other. That seems like an illusion. Am I friends with everyone in the phonebook because I have their numbers? If so, I have 2 million friends.
Lisa Sciascia: It’s not a good platform for meeting people that you really want to meet without having some contact to introduce you. I get excited about seeing a name of someone I really want to meet and wish I could reach out to them directly.
Hit us with your best LinkedIn advice
Ben Weeks: Recommend people because it's a nice thing to do. If you're lucky, some will do the same back. But be sincere. Otherwise, the value of the tool starts to erode.
Lisa Sciascia: People generally don't go on LinkedIn every day so don't post more than once a week. Stay intentional about asking your clients for recommendations. Join groups in an effort to have another opportunity to cross paths with potential clients. Be authentic and don't overdo it.
*****
Read what artists have to say about Facebook Friends and Other Strangers: Facebook Strategies for Artists
Read what artists have to say about Twitter Tweet, Pray, Love: Twitter Strategies For Artists