The LinkedIn Endorsement Smackdown
My question is: Does having 68 endorsements for a skill make me more of an expert than, say, the guy who only has 12 endorsements for that same skill?
To answer this question, I clicked on the "Skills & Expertise" section of LinkedIn (found within the "More" drop down menu). I typed in "direct marketing," and the first "expert" who popped up, Bill Glazer, had only 9 endorsements for direct marketing. In fact, after reading his profile, I'd say that Direct Marketing is not his area of expertise (although he has plenty of marketing expertise).
The second guy, Bob Bly, had 99-plus endorsements for Direct Marketing ... (I know Bob and he deserves 99-plus endorsements). The third guy had 44 folks endorsing him, and the fourth guy has 58 endorsements, so the algorithm can't use the number of endorsements as its only search criteria. In fact, after peering into the top 15 folks LinkedIn suggested as having direct marketing skills, I have to wonder about the usefulness of this search tool as the skill sets of these folks were all over the map.
So I have to ask LinkedIn: What's the point of the endorsement tool? If it's not being used to rank order skills for those who are searching for that kind of help/expertise, then why offer it? And, if any of your connections can endorse you for a skill, doesn't that make the idea of endorsements disingenuous?
A blog that challenges B-to-B marketers to learn, share, question, and focus on getting it right—the first time. Carolyn Goodman is President/Creative Director of Goodman Marketing Partners. An award-winning creative director, writer and in-demand speaker, Carolyn has spent her 30-year career helping both B-to-B and B-to-C clients cut through business challenges in order to deliver strategically sound, creatively brilliant marketing solutions that deliver on program objectives. To keep her mind sharp, Carolyn can be found most evenings in the boxing ring, practicing various combinations. You can find her at the Goodman Marketing website, on LinkedIn, or on Twitter @CarolynGoodman.
