Do you have a LinkedIn account? When I ask that question, do you recall hearing the name, but you’re still not sure what it is? If you are still in the dark about LinkedIn, it’s time you came into the light.
When I started my LinkedIn account about five or six years ago, I wasn’t sure how it would benefit me. I had a couple of connections from networking events, but I wasn’t sure how those connections on a social media site could really benefit me in the long run.
It wasn’t until last October that I saw some of its true potential. When considering a top Gold’s Gym franchisee for the cover of our Annual Buyer’s Guide, I started looking through my list of contacts on LinkedIn. That’s when I realized one of my contacts in the industry was Todd Scartozzi, the Chief Operating Officer for Gold’s Gym International. I reached out to Scartozzi and he recommended Angel and Willie Banos, which became our October Cover Story.
I realize LinkedIn has been a valuable networking resource for many years, but I feel like in the past couple of months it has really taken off. I continually hear about people getting interviews and companies hiring new employees from resumes on LinkedIn.
At one time, great talent was only found through headhunters. Now companies have a continuous headhunter in LinkedIn. If you need to fill a position, spend a few minutes on LinkedIn and you may be able to find high quality talent in your area.
For example, if you need a new sales person, but you need someone with experience, and don’t think you could fill this position from within, head over to your LinkedIn profile (today, you must have a LinkedIn profile), and check out the “Group” “Fitness and Health Professionals.”
This group has over 29,000 fitness professionals. This means that every time you post a question or comment on that group’s page, it will pop up in a daily e-mail feed to the followers.
The Fitness Professionals Group is one of several. If you’re in a big enough city, you may have a group of fitness professionals devoted to your city.
Don’t think of LinkedIn in terms of Facebook. It’s not a place to browse endless amounts of friends’ baby photos. Instead, it’s a legitimate place to connect and discuss business and industry development. As a business owner, it’s also a place to find exceptionally good talent.
Block out some time in your office this week to get your LinkedIn profile up and running. It won’t necessarily bring you more members, but it could help you find the right employees to bring in more members and increase retention.
Tyler Montgomery is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
