I keep seeing this theme on LinkedIn – “there’s a bikini-clad model that’s not “professional” this is LinkedIn and bikini clad models don’t belong here”
Businessmen shouldn’t wear backpacks – that’s not professional (sure you’re much better off with a $600 Tumi briefcase telegraphing that you are toting $1000 worth of electronics)
“Politics doesn’t belong on LinkedIn this is a professional networking platform”
yet
“One thing that you’re seeing is that there is a third [political] party emerging in this country, which is the party of CEOs,”
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said.
who do I believe?
What is confusing to me is the definition of a “LinkedIn professional”
Can I be on LinkedIn without being a “professional” or do I need to be a “professional something”? How do I become a LinkedIn professional is there a form I need to fill out – is there a test that I need to take?
Here’s a picture of me in my home office. Blue jeans – one of my 46 black medium dickies T-shirts – wild suspenders – 6 in banded beard – logger boots – and concealed weapons.
I’ve also got an albino cockatiel named Popcorn on my shoulder who is crapping on my shirt.
Yet here I sit with 9 or 10 or 11 websites and blogs – I lose track – I’m monitoring 10 servers. I have 5 employees and digital subcontractors in six time zones around the planet.
I get the majority of my creative work done between 10 PM and 4 AM Central standard Time.
Windy City Parrot where the sun never sets empire – the small Internet company I help run provides stellar customer service – has been around for 23 years – we’ve never missed a USPS – or FedEx daily deadline.
I’ve amassed close to 500,000 followers – fans – twitterers – Pinner’s – blog readers – You-tubers – so yes Martha, I am an expert on social media.
I’m Google certified – I’m an SEO expert, content creator & digital marketer
But I am unable for the life of me to figure out is what the heck is a “LinkedIn professional”? Everyone’s talking about it but what does one look like?
All this debate has led to self-doubt – some mornings I get up and look in the mirror and say Mitch “you are a LinkedIn professional no matter what anyone says”
Other mornings I get up and look in the mirror and say “that beard needs more oil and you’re just a Jewish hillbilly”
So someone help me – this divisiveness is making me bipolar – I don’t know what I am anymore.
Please assist this poor guy out and let me know if I’m a LinkedIn professional or not so I can sleep again.
Nora Caterino
ecommerce website admin, blogger, social media marketing
Andy Loigu
Contributing Writer at Recorder Publishing Company