With over 800 million users in more than 200 countries and territories, LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional networking platforms. It is unrivaled in the world of professional networking.
People around the globe resort to LinkedIn who are eager to pivot into a new job.
It is a business and professionals-related social networking platform that allow businesses, freelancers, job-seekers, and professionals to network and build connections with potential clients.
LinkedIn has so much to offer, from learning solutions to marketing solutions to premium subscriptions and whatnot. It has everything you need to knock your business game up a notch.
LinkedIn’s annual revenue was $10 billion in 2021, up 27%, and its net income was $159.2 million.
According to Statista, LinkedIn’s monthly active users were 310 million, and an average user spends 11 minutes every day on the platform. Furthermore, 40% of the active users logged in to the platform daily.
However, the platform has flaws too. For one aspect, due to the number of active users and size, the feed doesn’t give a vibe of personalization, plus the content isn’t hyper-relevant.
The worst? Many people have started sliding into DMs trying to sell products/services. The ratio of quality connections to spammers appears to have shifted in the wrong direction.
DISCLAIMER: BY NO MEANS ARE WE SAYING THAT YOU SHOULDN’T NETWORK ON LINKEDIN; THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPTIONS THAT YOU CAN GIVE A SHOT FOR AN ADDED SUPPLEMENTAL VALUE.
Let’s explore some of the best social networking platforms that will help you get ahead in your career game.
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Top 10 LinkedIn Competitors and Alternatives
Competitors to LinkedIn? Is there any platform that matches the league of LinkedIn? Why on earth would you try other platforms when LinkedIn has so much to offer?
These are some of the thoughts popping into your mind, right?
For your ease, Marketingtutor.net has covered the top 10 platforms so you can get the best return on your investment of time.
Let’s find out!
Facebook Groups
- Founded:2004.
- Headquarters: Menlo Park, California.
With over 2.91 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the biggest and most famous social networking platforms.
Albeit it may come as a surprise to you, Facebook is now a top social site among freelancers and digital marketing agencies.
It’s more of a personal social networking site where people tend to share their personal development in life.
It’s all about hitting the right spot, and there you will find what you are seeking. So, if you are looking for a community, you can use the search bar to find groups that best serve your interest.
The platform has several communities that cater to numerous facets of digital marketing ranging from tactical expertise to running a digital business.
Bark
- Founded: 2014.
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.
Are you seeking professional’s assistance? With Bark, you can cut down on search time. The platform offers world-leading services and has over 5 million customers in more than 7 countries.
Whether you are looking for home and garden services, wedding services, and business services, Bark has got you covered.
The platform works by connecting professionals with people who are looking for their services. Bark will contact professionals on your behalf and get back to you with the quotes.
Even better, you can create your own profile on the platform and connect with clients who are looking for the services you provide.
What’s more, Bark was 6th in the Tech Track 100 awards in 2020.
Opportunity
- Founded: 2014.
- Headquarters: Newhall, California.
Are you seeking a deeper pool of connections? Opportunity can be your go-to platform as it helps you to up your networking game in ways that no other professional networking offers.
The platform focuses on professional matchmaking – a business network with a global reach in 190+ countries.
It allows users to network with the relevant people in their industry, apply for new jobs, and discover how they can generate leads.
The platform connects people based on their needs. For instance, members will be notified each time there is an opportunity in the market, and their services are in demand.
Moreover, with Opportunity, professionals can also search for other professionals based on the criteria they choose, such as personality, interests, gender, and age.
While most of the services on the platform are free to use, there is a subscription-based “pro” tier. With the “pro” tier, users can get access to advanced features such as Global search tools, advanced communication features, and VIP lead notifications.
- Founded: 2003.
- Headquarters: Hamburg.
Similar to LinkedIn, Xing is a professional-oriented social networking platform that allows users to network, share news, and look for employment.
It is one of the most used and famous networking platforms in Germany (with 17 million users), Austria (with 1.6 million users), and Switzerland (with 1.4 million users).
Albeit the platform is popular in the European marketplace, it is used by people in over 200 countries.
Through Xing, you can join groups of like-minded professionals, find information about hot trends, conventions, seminars, share ideas, and a lot more.
It’s an all-rounder that will help you stay on top of the latest developments in your specific industry.
Meetup
- Founded: 2002.
- Headquarters: New York City.
What’s your definition of professional networking? Is it seminars, conventions, or face-to-face meetups? Meetup is the platform that fits the need of your business or personal networking.
People use the platform to find and build local communities; it allows you to find and learn new things. You can register on the platform for free; once you sign up, you will be asked to mark your areas of interest.
The platform then notifies you of any meetups (as created) that might be of your interest. The meetups cover a various range of topics from business to hobbies to everything in between.
Also, if you can’t find a meetup of your interest or something that doesn’t fit your schedule, you can create your own, and the platform will invite anyone that has indicated your topic is of interest to them.
Slack
- Founded: 2013.
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California.
It’s a centralized collaboration hub, bringing the right professionals, people, to-date information, and the tools to get the job done “perfectly.”
Although Slack puts emphasis on creating a virtual workspace where employees and businesses collaborate on tasks, it’s a great choice for online networking.
It’s a messenger-based desktop and mobile app, where each group shares a mix of public posts and the choice to message anyone else in the group.
Nonetheless, if you easily get carried away by mobile/desktop notifications and LMS – Slack might not be a good option for you.
P.S YOU CAN ALTER THE NOTIFICATION SETTINGS TO MITIGATE THE DISTRACTION.
Also, if you are looking for a Slack group, you can run a quick search on Google “Enter Topic Here” + Slack Community – leading to several options. What’s more, you can build your own Slack community for free and invite your friends.
- Founded: 2005.
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California.
If you are someone who spends a lot of time exploring things online, you might be familiar with the platform “REDDIT.”
In terms of popularity, the platform is the seventh most famous networking site in the United States of America, according to Alexa.
Albeit the site has a reputation for being the home of many-a-memes, it is way beyond that.
Essentially, it’s a group of large forums where users can talk about almost anything, from technology to news to pop culture to literature and plenty more. There is something for all! Yes, Reddit fetched a whopping 168 billion views each year.
Also, the platform hosts a wide range of micro-communities, such as r/PPC for sponsored search and SEO.
What are you waiting for? Go ahead, and join the community of your interest.
Indeed.com
- Founded: 2004.
- Headquarters: Austin.
With over 250 million visitors every month, Indeed.com is one of the biggest online portals. It’s a powerful job board allowing you to find, monitor, and apply for jobs.
You can use the platform to create your profile either as a job seeker or an employer, so you can upload your CVs or jobs, respectively.
- The best thing? You can create your CV within the job board using their resume builder.
Indeed.com fosters a collaborative job board that strives to provide the best possible experience for job searchers.
Twitter Threads
- Founded: 2006.
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California.
With over 185 million users, Twitter, a social networking site, is one of the most famous social media platforms.
Its primary purpose is to bring people together and encourage them to share their ideas with a big audience.
Also, through Twitter communities, you can find some of the best business networking opportunities.
The best thing about these communities is that they are free, open to the public, active, and supportive.
People from all over the world are welcomed and are encouraged to talk about their struggles and achievements.
Plus, you can also make long-lasting connections on the platform that may lead to a spectrum of employment opportunities, including client referrals, speaking at conferences, and many more.
#SEOchat, #PPCchat, #FBadsChat, #Contentwritingchat, and #HootChat are just a handful of hashtags digital marketers can use to uncover relevant content.
Jobcase
- Founded: 2015.
- Headquarters: Massachusetts.
Jobcase is a social networking platform that focuses on the service industry and blue collared employment opportunities.
Jobcase’s self-stated aim is to empower the modern workspace by providing job seekers and employers with the tools they need to excel in their respective careers.
The company has a global presence and powers over 100 existing job-listing websites. As a result, users get access to a wealth of data concerning job opportunities they might be interested in.
It allows its users to display in-depth or highly elaborated profiles than LinkedIn, enabling them to build extensive portfolios showcasing educational details and work experience along with salary or whether they are up for relocation or not.
The Takeaway
LinkedIn is a name almost every professional knows, and by using the platform you aren’t only able to tap into industry-related news but also comes in very handy when you want to build your brand online.
However, there are plenty of business networking platforms that fill the gap LinkedIn has left. The platform has received criticism because of its user interface and experience, particularly from new-age users who prefer to engage with competitors offering mode features and opportunities.
Believe it or not, you are missing out on so much if even, in 2022, you aren’t trying new networking platforms that may help you fetch more meaningful connections.
Give any of these a shot; Happy networking!
