LinkedIn makes the connection to more funding and publicity

How ironic: LinkedIn - indeed any social network - is all about making a connection. Yet thanks to the blizzard of coverage generated by the professional-themed network’s new $53 million-dollar round of funding, all I saw when I first tried to get on LinkedIn were error messages saying “connection interrupted” (Firefox) or “the server unexpectedly dropped the connection, which sometimes occurs when the server is busy” (Safari).
Yep, a New York Times story and ton of links on top content aggregators like Techmeme will do that to you.
LinkedIn is currently the Social Network Media Darling of the Moment because of its willingness to carve a niche for itself with $100,000-a-year-plus professionals, and many in that income bracket who have found their job security threatened in a down economy have turned to the site for career information. Indeed, a lot of people in my former profession - television news - who were recently downsized or may see a layoff around the corner have sprouted LinkedIn profiles. I’ve also noticed a rise in LinkedIn Groups dedicated to TV/media work (full disclosure: I’m a LinkedIn member.)
While a lot of the coverage has focused on forthcoming company-centered applications for LinkedIn and how that will go over with its 23 million members, The broadcast newsguy in me is curious about when I will see more video/audio on the site, specifically on the front page. I’m not talking about turning LinkedIn into Facebook or MySpace; I’m thinking valuable resources for the executives, mid-level professionals and entry-level staffers who make up the core of the membership.
Take some of the member-generated questions-and-answers and expand on them in LinkedIn-produced “news” stories; take more of the company-produced video content seen on LinkedIn’s blog page and put it out front; set up audio podcasts and quiz select members on major business stories of the day. No doubt LinkedIn’s membership includes some knowledgeable experts; any cable business network booker would love to include them in their Rolodexes. Use them and watch the connections multiply in the LinkedIn News Network.
Read [LinkedIn Blog]