LinkedIN Answers Feature - Extremely Useful

After announcing another round of funding a couple weeks ago, LinkedIN has introduced a new feature called “LinkedIN Answers.” In my opinion they just dramatically increased the value of their network.

With the Answers feature, users can ask a question aimed at professionals in specific fields, and other users with knowledge in the specific area can provide answers. By providing quality answers you can earn expert points in particular subjects. Your expert points are featured on your profile and you can appear on the answers homepage.

Why is this so powerful?
1. Asking questions, and more importantly, providing answers is a great way to make new connections.

2. Users want recognition. LinkedIN is largely used by recruiters and other companies to hire. Providing thoughtful and intelligent answers is another way to show off your knowledge in a way that you can’t on a resume.

3. It is a way to connect buyers and sellers. If someone asks the question, “What is the best web analytics software to buy?” I can guarentee you that employees from web analytic companies will be all over it.

4. Providing answers is a way to promote yourself, your company, your blog, etc. I already answered someone’s question pointing them to my post on Growing a Social Network.

5. Over time the answers section could become a huge knowledge repository. The amount of information that can be collected over time has numerous applications.

LinkedIN is finally starting to answer all the skeptics out there that have said there is nothing to do on LinkedIN after they join. The answers feature will definitely increase the stickiness and usefullness of LinkedIN. Hats off.

[tags]Social Networking, Social Network, Social Media, Online Community, LinkedIN, Answers, Brian Balfour[/tags]