Are You Connected? 5 Reasons Why BranchOut Offers a Real Challenge to LinkedIn

Most of us are probably familiar with LinkedIn by now. LinkedIn is currently the most popular social media service for professionals. It's increasingly common for an attorney's web marketing scheme to include social media profiles and connections. The ability to gather exposure on the web cannot be denied, and services like LinkedIn offer a niche service in bolstering professional connections. While once the only legitimate service of its kind, LinkedIn is now feeling the heat from some competition.

 

BranchOut hit the ground running in July of 2010 and hasn't stopped running since. With millions of users and the power of Facebook driving the network's success, BranchOut stands a good chance of becoming LinkedIn's most feared rival. BranchOut differs from LinkedIn in that it is not its own entity entirely; instead, BranchOut is a network on Facebook that utilizes a current Facebook user's connections to establish a new profile and set of connections that are purely career-oriented.

 

Here are 5 reasons BranchOut could rival LinkedIn:

 

• 1. Facebook friends: That alone should say it all. The world's most powerful social media website powers the BranchOut network. BranchOut searches the user's Facebook contacts to help discover professional connections.

 

• 2. Job listings: BranchOut is both a social media network and a job searching tool. Professionals can use BranchOut to search for jobs that meet their search criteria. This feature could give BranchOut the edge it needs.

 

• 3. Exposure: While LinkedIn is now a household name, it isn't quite Facebook. Facebook users can very easily add the BranchOut application to their Facebook service. The popularity of Facebook and its integration with BranchOut lead to excellent exposure.

 

• 4. Same thing... but better: BranchOut claims to offer many of the services that LinkedIn offers, including making professional connections and discovering previously unknown "inside" connections at companies via your social network. BranchOut is attempting to offer a similar service but in a more connected, Facebook-friendly package.

 

• 5. Easy transition: Many attorneys and other professionals in need of marketing already use Facebook to market and connect online. BranchOut is a logical step for those who already use Facebook for marketing. It's likely that many users will opt for the integrated Facebook/BranchOut combination instead of having to manage separate accounts over multiple websites.

 

If you have any questions about how LinkedIn or BranchOut can help your marketing, please give Foster Web Marketing a call at 1-888-886-0939.