The Power of LinkedIn Answers Section

LinkedIn has become a powerhouse of social networking for professionals. Unlike many social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace, LinkedIn is designed for professionals as a way to showcase skills and meet other professionals across the globe.


Part of the power of LinkedIn is the Answers (or Q&A) section:


http://www.linkedin.com/answers?trk=tab_ayh


There are two options members can leverage when visiting the Answers section:

1) ASK - A LinkedIn user can pose questions to other LinkedIn members in a variety of categories from Administration to Using LinkedIn. After a question is asked it is posted and other members can provide their thoughts. This provides the original questioner with an e-mail reflecting each individual answer and a post for others to read if they have the same question down the line. The format serves as an online advisory board of sorts. The best part is the bredth of responses one can receive from other members. Unlike asking the same question in your day-to-day workplace, the answers you can receive from LinkedIn members provide you with both an outsider's perspective and experience from other industries, job titles or other countries and cultures.


Those who ask questions even have the option to rate the answers of others when the question closes

2) ANSWER - Using the same format, any LinkedIn member can browse questions for topics they have an interest or expertise in and provide an answer. This allows a member to both showcase his or her knowledge and expertise but also help other members with areas in their professional lives.

A side benefit of the Answers section of LinkedIn is that by participating in the forum you increase your opportunities for making more connections and expanding your network. Either by someone who respects your thoughts and may want to develop a deeper professional relationship or by someone who may look to you for future advise or career opportunities