Alternative Professional Social Networks to LinkedIn

Types of Social Professional Networks

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There are various types of social professional networks that exist. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Operational Networks: These networks consist of internal contacts within an organization and exist to enhance a group’s functionality and efficiency ¹².
• Personal Networks: These networks consist of people who share common interests, hobbies, or backgrounds. They can be used to gain support, advice, and referrals ³².
• Strategic Networks: These networks consist of contacts who may not be in your career field or industry but who may be thought leaders and bigger-picture visionaries who can help you with longer-term career planning or discovering avenues that could lead to a big career change ⁴².
• Expansive Networks: These networks are a broad umbrella group of contacts that can include present and former colleagues and industry contacts who can either speak specifically to your work experience and accomplishments or offer a broader personal endorsement of you as a potential hire. In your job search, your expansive network may also include people who can connect you with potential job opportunities ⁴.
• Nodal Networks: This type of professional network is also known as “street-smart networking,” which includes an understanding of not only the types of contacts within your network but also what people may be able to do for your career in a specific scenario. In other words, knowing who to contact when in your job search. Typically, a nodal network can be a more narrow subset of people but also a more powerful group of “marquee” contacts who may wield influence in your industry or with hiring managers and other leaders who make hiring decisions ⁴.

How To Build a Strong Social Professional Network?

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Building a strong social professional network can be a valuable asset to your career. Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Dedicate time to networking: Make networking a priority and set aside time each week to connect with others in your industry¹.
• Help your peers advance their careers: Networking is a two-way street. Offer to help others in your network with their career goals, and they will be more likely to return the favor¹.
• Focus on quality connections: It’s not about the quantity of connections you have, but the quality of those connections. Focus on building relationships with people who share your interests and goals¹².
• Join industry groups and attend events: Joining industry groups and attending events can help you meet new people and stay up-to-date on industry trends²⁴.
• Maintain one-on-one relationships: Building strong relationships with individuals is key to building a strong network. Make sure to follow up with people after meeting them and stay in touch¹.
• Be patient: Building a strong network takes time and effort, so be patient and persistent in your efforts²⁴.

There are many industry groups that you can join to expand your professional network. Here are some resources to help you find them:

• Indeed: Indeed provides a list of 57 professional associations that you can join to boost your resume. The list includes organizations across multiple industries and provides information on the benefits of joining each one¹.
• International Trademark Association: The International Trademark Association offers a list of active industry groups, including alcohol and tobacco, energy, fashion, financial services, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and media².
• JobStars USA: JobStars USA provides a comprehensive list of over 800 membership-based professional associations and organizations across multiple industries³.
• Business2Community: Business2Community provides a list of the top 10 business networking groups that you should join, including Business Networking International (BNI), which is the world’s largest networking group⁴.

Benefits of Social Professional Networks

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Professional social networks can provide a range of benefits to business professionals. Here are some of the most common ones:

1. Access to job opportunities: Professional social networks like LinkedIn and BeKnown allow you to search for job openings and connect with recruiters and hiring managers¹.
2. Professional connections: Social networks like LinkedIn and Spiceworks allow you to connect with other professionals in your industry, which can help you build relationships, gain insights, and stay up-to-date on industry trends¹².
3. Career advice: Professional social networks like LinkedIn and EFactor provide resources, tools, and support to help you succeed in your career¹².
4. New ideas: Professional social networks like Biznik and StartupNation provide a platform for entrepreneurs and small business owners to share their knowledge and experience with each other¹².
5. Valuable information: Professional social networks like Spiceworks provide IT professionals with access to information about technology directly from the vendors that provide it².
6. Personal and business growth: Professional social networks like LinkedIn and EFactor provide resources, tools, and support to help you grow both personally and professionally¹².
7. Building relationships: Social networks like BeKnown allow you to connect with other professionals, share content, and build relationships that can help you succeed in your career¹.

Why we use LinkedIn network?

LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform that has been around longer than Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram ¹. It hosts more than 600 million professional profiles, which means nearly an unlimited supply of network connections and job opportunities ¹. LinkedIn is the most widely used professional network available today ². It allows you to create a professional profile, connect with other professionals, and search for jobs ¹. LinkedIn also provides other opportunities such as being a part of groups, leaving recommendations for others and receiving recommendations ³. You can also build your professional brand online by uploading a professional profile picture and writing a powerful LinkedIn summary that emphasizes your strengths and showcases your personality ¹.

Top alternatives to LinkedIn Network

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There are many professional social networks available for business professionals. Here are some of the most popular ones:

1. BranchOut: BranchOut is a free application for professional social networking and job searching that debuted in 2010 on Facebook².
2. Spiceworks: Spiceworks is a free website for IT professionals to learn about and get advice on technology directly from the vendors that provide it².
3. Biznik: Biznik is a community of entrepreneurs and small business owners who share their knowledge and experience with each other².
4. EFactor: EFactor is a social network for entrepreneurs that provides resources, tools, and support to help them succeed².
5. PROskore: PROskore is a social network that helps professionals build their online reputation by providing them with a score based on their influence, activity, and engagement².
6. BeKnown: BeKnown is a professional networking platform that allows you to connect with other professionals, search for jobs, and share content².
7. StartupNation: StartupNation is a community of entrepreneurs that provides resources, tools, and support to help them start and grow their businesses.
8. Meetup: Meetup is a social networking platform that allows you to connect with other professionals who share your interests and attend events in your area¹.

Each one of these networks has its pro’s and con’s, demographics analysis and other details coming in the next sections. But smaller groups may lead to faster progress in connection building and professional advances. As you will read more in the next sections, some of these are not for job hunting or compiling resumes. Some are for meeting with other groups in person and sharing ideas too.

BranchOut

BranchOut was a Facebook application designed for finding jobs, networking professionally, and recruiting employees. It was founded by Rick Marini in July 2010, and was, as of March 2012, the largest professional networking service on Facebook ¹. The company sold its assets to HR Software Company 1-Page in November 2014 and the staff was picked up by Hearst ¹.

Spiceworks

Spiceworks is a free website for IT professionals to learn about and get advice on technology directly from the vendors that provide it ¹. It offers a range of tools and resources, including a help desk, remote desktop support, and inventory management tools ². Spiceworks also provides business and industry news, analysis, and expert insights ¹.

Biznik

Biznik is a community of entrepreneurs and small business owners who share their knowledge and experience with each other ¹. It is for sharing your ideas, not posting your resume ¹. Biznik members meet online and in person, because nothing beats the power of a face-to-face meeting to build lasting business relationships ¹. After you establish your profile city, Biznik shows you local members in your area and events you can attend for local networking ¹.

EFactor

EFactor is a social network for entrepreneurs that provides resources, tools, and support to help them succeed ¹. It is the leading fintech company in Mexico empowering corporates and their suppliers by improving their payment terms and giving them access to working capital ¹². EFactor has provided over MXN 100 billion (USD 5 billion) directly to businesses through its funding platform during the last ten years ¹². Its growing network includes over 15,000 companies, consisting of buying organizations, suppliers, financial institutions, and technology partners ¹. EFactor’s multifunding platform provides flexibility with access to over 35 different financial institutions, allowing clients to receive funding in multiple currencies and countries ¹.

Conclusion

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Depending on what you intend to do in your professional network, carefully choose the right place to spend your time and effort. Building a strong professional network requires time and planning. You can always find more resources in the section below and grow your knowledge base.

More Resources

• Professional Networking In Psychology 
• 12 Types of Networking Connections (Plus Tips for Making Them) | Indeed.com 
• Professional Networking in Public Health 
• 5 Types Of Social Media Networks And The Benefits Of Each One 
• Top 12 benefits of professional networking | Michael Page AU 
• Professional Networking: How to Build Your Network | Built In 
• 7 Tips for Building a Strong Professional Network | Indeed.com