LinkedIn growth history 2006 - 2014: from 5 to 300 millions users --- 19April2014

Quo non ascendem?

LinkedIn growth history 2006 - 2012: from 5 to 160 millions users --- 31May2012

Is LinkedIn growth slowing down?

LinkedIn growth history 2006 - 2012: from 5 to 150 millions users --- 23February2012

LinkedIn growth history 2006 - 2011: from 5 to 135 millions users --- 23November2011

After 8 years, 6 specifics reasons for getting as many contacts as possible on LinkedIn

8 years ago, I started to be very active on social business networking. I registered on LinkedIn, Viadeo and Xing.

I then sent a huge number of invitations, using some programming techniques, gathering and guessing emails. And I got a fairly high number of contacts...

I now use Viadeo for France (6000+ 1st level contacts), LinkedIn for the world (20000+ 1st level contacts) and Xing for german speaking countries  (1000+ 1st level contacts).
Read my 2 most popular previous posts about business social networking:

• GROW YOUR NETWORK WHILE YOU DON'T NEED IT!
• HOW DOES QUANTITY BRING QUALITY?

Here are 6 specifics reasons why I feel I made the right choice: getting as many contacts as possible:

1. In 2007, Through a chain of “weak contacts(*)” on LinkedIn I was able to hire a new employee in my team.
2. In 2012, I was instrumental in getting an ex-colleague from the Bay area get hired by a famous company in Cuppertino. (I live in France and work in Switzerland).
3. Once, I received a mail from someone writing me: “I want to thank you for just having forwarded an introduction for me, and because of this simple action, I got a 200K$/year job”
4. In 2011, someone from my company HR, asked me several times to advertize some job position on LinkedIn, knowing I had a lot of contacts and it would get greater visibility.
5. I regularly forward business opportunities to business development people in my company.
6. Getting so many contacts demonstrates some persuasion ability. I got connected to 50% people through carefully crafted invitations. The 50% other part of my connections invited me.

As you can see, I did not get any personal advantage in having so many contacts. Networking is something I consider primarily as a service to others: to get a job, hire someone or simply do business together.

Here are the reasons why you should network with people such as me who have huge networks:

1. You will see more profiles.
2. You will be seen by more people.
3. I always answer positively to requests for help, even if the requester is a young student working in another part of the world.
4. If a request comes through me, it will be forwarded quickly because:
• I am accessing my networking sites daily.
• I know how to use the networking tools.
• You will probably need less networking hopping as I have access to more people.
5. I don’t do spam, because I value my huge network too much to annoy people with mass mailing.

Glossary:
A “weak contact” is someone, You have never closely interacted with in the real life.

Social Media Revolution

LinkedIn History 2006-2009 40 Millions users

LinkedIn History 2006 -2009

Dinosaurs demise on LinkedIn: fullfillment of the prophecy

With the new Linkedin search page you get the final step of what I prophetized 2 years ago following the exact steps:

• 1st step: cutting visibility from 4 to 3 levels (summer 2005).
• 2nd step: limit mega-networkers activity (winter 2006).
• 3rd step : enforce the no email policy (summer 2008).
• 4th step: take off the “sort by number” search option (december 2008).

Read it at:
http://eric-mariacher.blogspot.com/search/label/dinosaurs%20demise or
http://eric-mariacher.blogspot.com/2006/06/dinosaurs-demise-on-linkedin-dont-read.html

Marc Freedman is not going to earn any money any more :(

Linkedin history 2006 - 2008

For a year, number of Linkedin users is going exponential vs time. When I look at number of connections vs network ratio (for myself), it can be seen that people are more and more connected with each other.

I am not inviting any more people as I reached the number of people I am allowed to invite. The growth seen in the green curve (numbers of 1st level connections) is purely passive.

I have received 12 invitations per day for the last year. I am not advertizing my email anymore in my profile as it is now "strictly" forbidden, I mainly receive invitaions from LIONS and toplinked users. By the way, I did not see any diminution in the number of received invitations when removing my email from my profile.

When LinkedIn search engine is not working, use Spock

When LinkedIn search engine is not working, just use spock . Spock has access to Linkedin profiles and also to other web sites related to this person.

Where will LinkedIn be in 5/10 years?

This question was asked on LinkedIn Q&A forum. Read answers from various LinkedIn users: http://www.linkedin.com/answers/career-education/professional-networking/CAR_PNT/143754-2667972

Save Your Linkedin Profile To PDF

http://www.linkedintelligence.com/linkedins-built-in-save-to-pdf

I tested it, it does the job as expected, printing resume PLUS recommandations.

What will be the successor of the current user (professional) profile in online networks?

This question has been asked in LinkedIn Q&A forum Ronald Wopereis.

Ronald Wopereis asks: "Currently every major online social and/or business network has this concept called "user profile". The information inside such profile would hardly be considered factual by any news reporter or judge. Clearly, our presentation of ourselves is biased, aimed at offering a certain kind of contact while at the same time making sure that our shadow elements are left out as "not really relevant at this stage of relationship building".

In my theory of attention, and following Spinoza's comments 300 years ago that mind and body are two perspectives on one and the same area, i see a future where software usage is what builds a user profile."

My answer is: I guess LinkedIn is pioneering the "successor of (professional) user profile" with 3 specific features:

1. who you know - your network
2. recommendations from current and past colleagues
3. LinkedIn Q&A feature where you can advertize your skills by asking and answering question. from what I understand this is what you call "software usage".

In addition to what's on LinkedIn, as Ronald wrote it, every name can be "googled". That's why in addition to Linkedin Q&A, it's a good practice to participate to forums and publish some papers.

Read also: GROW YOUR NETWORK WHILE YOU DON'T NEED IT!

LinkedIn is back!

LinkedIn just reached 11 millions users!

It took 4 months to LinkedIn to grow from 9M to 10M and it took only 6 weeks to go from 10 to 11M.

The graph below shows the sharp increase in terms of users (blue line).


I write "LinkedIn is back!" compared to what I posted previously: LinkedIn is still growing, but...

LinkedIn, The World, France, Germany, India and China

OK, LinkedIn is the 1st worldwide and in Europe BUT not in Germany and France.

Germany and France are still important markets and still love to speak their respective national language. Actually they not only love to speak it, but a sizeable part of french and german people do not speak any other language and they live and work very happily.

That's why, it is my feeling that whatever the size LinkedIn will reach, both Xing and Viadeo will keep an advantage in France and Germany.

By the way, I think there is definetely a place for a chinese speaking social networking site, and that's why Viadeo made an alliance with one of them... No place though for an indian speaking social networking site as many languages are spoken in India and english is the common language. India is using LinkedIn!

Read also my previous post Are French and German not interested in "social networking"?

By the way, I'm an open networker and welcome all invitations on LinkedIn, Viadeo and Xing.

I use Viadeo for France (4000+ 1st level contacts), LinkedIn for the world (12000+ 1st level contacts) and Xing for german speaking countries (1000+ 1st level contacts). I am not speaking chinese fluently enough to invite you to connect on a chinese social networking site :-(

LinkedIn is growing its user base in India

I am one of the 50 most connected users in LinkedIn. Lately I have seen a trend where my network in India is one of those that grow the fastest .

What is unusual here is that usually the fastest growers are also the the biggest as UK, NY or the bay. But this is not the case for India which is below 4% but may soon appear in the top 5 areas in terms of LinkedIn users.

In Basic LinkedIn Users Radioscopy I explain why my network may be similar to the entire LinkedIn user base.

PS: I heavily "invested" in terms of connection effort towards India because I'm in love with this country/continent and I think it is an area of growth in many areas.

Technorati tag this: mariacher, linkedin

Social Networking for Jobs

Should Monster be scared?

Read this article about employers and job seekers using LinkedIn. Viadeo is missing in this comparisons between different websites.

LinkedIn is still growing, but...

So LinkedIn just enlisted it's 10 millionth user. Here is LinkedIn progression since early 2006:













A 1st fact is that since early 2006 LinkedIn is growing linearly, while one could expect it to grow exponentially as more and more users would invite more and more people.

A 2nd other interessant fact is that the ratio between people I can reach and the total LinkedIn users is increasing these last weeks, while my number of 1st level connections does not grow as fast as this ratio. Ratio was 55.5% jnuary 2007 and is 60% today.

It means that inside LinkedIn, people are connecting between themselves faster than new users are entering LinkedIn. I have more and more connections, but in a closed world.

How to use Linkedin and Viadeo to find a new position in 4 steps

Step 1 connect with as many people as possible

The main goal is to maximize the chances to see and be seen on LinkedIn and Viadeo. An additional goal is to minimize the path for reaching people you want to contact.

Connect with 3 different kinds of profile in addition to your near colleagues:

• Connect to people who share your professional goals.

• Connect with recruiters. There is a huge number of these people on LinkedIn and Viadeo.

• Connect with people having a lot of contacts (several thousands) on Viadeo and LinkedIn like eric.mariacher@gmail.com.

To add me as your LinkedIn connection:

0. register on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com

1. copy/paste eric.mariacher@gmail.com

2. click on http://www.linkedin.com/addContacts?displayAddByHand=

3. paste eric.mariacher@gmail.com in the email field

4. click on "search"

5. click on "send invitation"

To add me as your Viadeo connection: Invite Eric Mariacher on Viadeo

As a general rule do not use standard boiler plate invitation (3rd advice). People with more than 1000 1st level connections usually accept every invitation provided it is not too standard.

To find the most connected people on LinkedIn: click on http://www.linkedin.com/search and sort results by number of connections.

To find the most connected people on Viadeo: ask me

Step 2 get recommendations

One of the real plus of tools such as LinkedIn and Viadeo is the recommendation feature. You get feedback from former colleagues in real time. people looking for those recommendations can contact those former people to get additional information.

Step 3 use Q & A feature on LinkedIn

Another plus of LinkedIn (and to a lesser extent of Viadeo and Xing) is the Q & A feature where you can show your expertise concretely.

Step 4 read my "My 2 cents about Online Business Networking"

http://eric-mariacher.blogspot.com/2006/05/my-2-cents-about-online-business.html

“Grow your network while you don’t need it”

Technorati tag this: mariacher, linkedin