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Is Age the Reason LinkedIn Lacks Sharing and Conversation?

by Ryan Shell on August 3, 2010

I’m on a LinkedIn kick right now – no doubt about it. From my post last week that highlighted a fundamental problem with the site (or groups to be more specific),

“In theory, LinkedIn groups are a great place to discuss various topics with like minded people. That happens on occasion, but it’s always as if the party is interrupted by someone pitching something or people that are trying to out “expert” each other.”

I’ve just about convinced myself that the problem I seem to have with the site is completely related to the age range of most of the users.

When I started thinking about this a bit more seriously I did the only logical thing – and that’s take the topic to Twitter. I simply asked if anyone knew the average age of a LinkedIn user and @MariJean quickly responded with what you can read below.

The link she shared sent me to a post on Brian Solis’s website titled “The Age of Social Networks.” The post highlights a study that Pingdom did and there’s a graphic worth sharing.

If I’m interpreting this correctly the graph highlights that nearly 75% of LinkedIn users are over the age of 35-years old, and just shy of 50% are 45-years old or older. And hey, if you’re in either of those demos please note that I’m about to make a general statement. I know you rock so this probably doesn’t apply to you.

Is it possible that a vast majority of the older demographic simply don’t understand the art of sharing and taking part in conversations (as opposed to constantly pushing products)? Again, I know you rock – just give it some thought for a minute.

I know a massive number of folks that got there social media start with LinkedIn (some have adapted, others haven’t) and I’m just not sure the site instilled the sharing value that is so important. It’s as if the “Sharing” lesson was skipped and they went straight to the “Push” lesson… and skipped the “Constantly pushing info is bad” chapter along the way.

If you think I’m blowing this issue out of proportion that’s ok, but do know I’ve discussed this topic with a ton of people of all different ages and the vast majority see the same issue that was highlighted at the beginning of this post.

I do think there’s an exception to this theory. For those in the demos previously mentioned that got their social start on Facebook or Twitter… they very likely learned a different culture and are more adept to sharing and taking part in conversations.

What’s your take? Is this ludicrous? Did LinkedIn prove to be a faulty starting ground?

Bonus: I saw this discussion starter in the daily digest for one of the LinkedIn groups I’m part of.

“If you believe in your business, why aren’t you spending more in AdWords? Is it too complex or do you not believe in your business?”

What makes this even more humorous is the fact that the person that started the thread works for a company that pushes AdWords. Imagine that… on LinkedIn.

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About the Author

Marketing & PR pro. Social media user, cyclist, inline speed skater, volunteer, blogger, public speaker. Founded Fashables. Work at Ketchum. And I’m goofy.

  • Gemma

    Interesting post, glad you dug into LinkedIn and the groups/forums a bit further.

    My thoughts are that most people, regardless of demographic, make mistakes with social media ‘etiquette’ early on. The stats and your comments suggest younger age groups start out with Myspace, Facebook, Bebo rather than LinkedIn; these channels are fairly confined to friend circles that are more forgiving, and users are more likely to be IM’ed by their buddy saying ‘dude, EVERYONE can see the reply you just sent to that girl, you should take it down’. By the time they get to LinkedIn, they’ve learnt what’s acceptable and what’s not.

    With a profession-based site like LinkedIn the crowd is different; more acquaintance-based and perhaps less likely to pull users up on errors in etiquette.

    I agree with you, I don’t think LinkedIn groups are a forum to spruik wares to groups of industry folk. The site is created in a way (for basic users, which I’m guessing the majority are) that you can’t send somebody a message unless you know them, or have an introduction through your contacts. People are there to make connections and grow their career or business, not be asked if they actually ‘believe in their business’ by a salesperson.

    Just my 2c! Cool post though, I like it.

  • http://www.marijeanjaggers.com Marijean Jaggers

    I get that you’re making generalizations — but I can’t help but think of all the exceptions, starting with my almost-40 self who absolutely believes in sharing and practices it with religious fervor. That alongside the 20-something dope who used LinkedIn to scrape contacts for cold calls for financial services. (I set him straight). The owner of the PR firm where I work said just yesterday that she KNOWS that it’s a culture of sharing but sometimes it’s just hard for her to adapt (she’s in her fifties.) Hey, I thought, at least she knows — which is miles ahead of others in her demographic. All that being said, yes, I think LinkedIn did not do the education on the front end but to be fair, it is older than all the other platforms (not just the demographic, the service!) Today’s social media culture didn’t exist when LinkedIn rolled out. It is possible, for people like you and me, to use it successfully and frequently within the guidelines of our belief system, but it is also possible for users to abuse it. (Same can be said of any platform. Hello @sexkitten you Twitter spammer, you)
    A great, thoughtful post — I am a LinkedIn fan as well and spend much time educating a wide range of ages in how to use it the right way.

  • Ryan Shell

    Gema, thanks for the comment. In regards to users calling each other out on LinkedIn… the guy that did the post in the “Bonus” got blasted by a couple group members yesterday. It was quite interesting to see their reactions.

    Marijean, it’s hard to say something such as this post without having some take it personal. You have more than 1,200 Twitter followers and 6,800 updates; I’d say you’ve definitely got the sharing/conversation skills under your belt. In addition to that “20 something dope” you also have seasoned sales folks that use the site to drive others absolutely insane. They use a response to a question as an invitation to bombard you with pitches. Again, that’s not everyone, but it happens a LOT. Thank you for the comment – I’d say we’re on the same page… after we get around the generalization. :)

  • http://www.skypulsemedia.com Howie at Sky Pulse Media

    Hi Ryan

    Great post. Especially that bonus part. I love bias in the industry. Like Mashable blindly cheering everything social and omitting key facts because if social crashes so does their business. Even though objective reporting would keep them in business.

    As for your premise I think LinkedIn has some inherent issues on the social front. First off many professionals connect on Twitter. Secondly its a business network vs a social network. Very stuffy and snooty are the profiles (not the people, just dry stuff). Also there is fear of being seen talking with places you might be seeking a job and thus being outed.

    I personally keep business and pleasure separate. I always have. I have only 3 or 4 business connections as Facebook friends and they have been carefully vetted. I have zero personal friends in my business Twitter network.

    As for the utility of groups I think there is merit to them, though I have not spent any time in any. Don;t forget everything is about time and opportunity cost. I tend to stalk blogs of interest and have discussions there.

    I think LinkedIn needs to break out such groups from the site (or make them anonymous) for the same reason I stated above. People are fearful of being seen talking with the enemy, colluding etc. What if IBM and HP execs were in a group that discussed how to keep margins up and then wound up in court for collusion. Lots of sticky issues with LinkedIn. And the older you are with the more invested in your career you are much more likely to be private.

    They should stick with co-competency which is a repository for your resume, a way to create a business network, and stick to business activities. But also remember a 50 year old seeking a job as Vice President of a firm will use a headhunter, not LinkedIn.

    I do see LinkedIn as a way to find vendors and customers somehow. I haven’t checked recently but a posting board would be a huge boon for them. Especially if they charged a fee.

  • http://hooplegroup.com Peter Kaufman

    Ryan,

    I was part of that ridiculous post situation yesterday with AdWords. I’m 50 and I hit back like a rabid dog. No matter what age we are on these sites, BS is BS and the quicker people call out others immediately, the better it will be for everyone. Like most conversations that take place online, there is a great deal of chest-puffing and look-how-smart-I-am. But those that like to share with no intent to ink a deal from a conversation, there is value here.

  • Ryan Shell

    Howie, thanks for the comment. Re: social networking, I’m mainly referring to the Group aspect of the site. I’ve actually never had the fear of responding to someone due to the fear you mentioned. That’s interesting – maybe it has to do with the collaboration mindset. Sure you don’t give secrets to the competition, but a healthy discussion is always a good thing.

    Peter, yes, I saw your comments in the group. Good job proving a little education to that individual. I agree with you that there is value to be found, but in many cases it can be hard to find amongst the clutter.

  • http://www.jargonwriter.com Melissa Breau

    I think this is an interesting perspective, but I have to say that I disagree. I think the group function works very well on other social networking sites (check out Brazen Careerist for example) but that one of the reasons it fails so miserably on Linkedin is because of how the site is built. It’s focus is on individual user profiles. It’s interface is not intuitive for those who are familiar with other social networking sites (although I think an earlier commentator’s point that it was first is important). The groups were an add-on feature.

    That said, they are still powerful tools. If you want to see someone who’s using them exceptionally well, check out Marian’s blog (http://marianlibrarian.com/) – she’s used linkedin to successfully gain a number of clients by offering free advice to show her value.

    After talking to her, she converted me, and I still find Linkedin a great place to find new clients, especially within that demographic (as you point out, the users on linked in are different that those on other social networking sites).

    But I think the primary flaw in the site is structural; it’s in how the site is designed. I’m going to think more about this… but I think it’s more than the demographic.

  • http://www.allarminda.com Arminda

    Great discussion, Ryan. I’m curious about the statistics you sited, though. Last week I was researching user demographics for LinkedIn and found the following information: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6147/LinkedIn-by-the-Numbers-Infographic.aspx

    This reference indicates that 51% of LinkedIn users fall between the ages of 25-34 and only 7% are 54+.

    Wherever the needle of truth actually lands on the age range – I think the answer to your question lies not necessarily in age differences (although I think that plays a HUGE role), but in how users approach their various forms of social media.

    I’m with Howie regarding the way users define and interact with the business networks versus the social networks. And truthfully, no matter how you slice up the age pie – the reality is there are a smattering of age demographics using a professional networking site for a variety of reasons, and those reasons are as varied as the users, themselves.

    Getting everyone on the same virtual page with “appropriate” usage will first require LinkedIn to continue to make some MAJOR improvements to the user interface. Let’s take away the band-aid solutions (how people use the site) and focus on the source (LinkedIn as a user-friendly platform).

  • Ryan Shell

    Melisa, my thought is that by sharing information (as the person you pointed out did) new clients will naturally come. I’m still a believer that the overall mentality of the user (and I’m speaking in general here) is more of a “get the sale” than “share helpful information.” I don’t necessarily agree that the structure is flawed. Group members goal and moderation play a part in the stated flaw.

    Arminda, great to hear from you! I’ll have to let the appropriate folks fight over which data set is correct. I have a VERY hard time believing only 7% are 54+.

    Curious. Does anyone have the opinion that LinkedIn is a bad place for discussions to take place? Should it be limited to connecting with others from a business (Hi, good to meet you.) standpoint?

  • http://www.semperexcelsius.net Michael Albert

    As noted, your post has evoke lots of thoughts. As for me, born in 1946, amongst the first of the Baby Boomer gen, I find no apologies are needed by you…whatsoever.
    I wonder if the % of us over-55 who are Linkedin members, are aware of the ‘conversation versus direct selling etiquette’ you allude to is any higher than within any other age group. My intuition says it is not, based upon a lifetime of off-line experience.
    I also wonder if ‘newbies’ of any age segment are aware of the freedom and power of social networking at all. Younger folks may have the edge because of previous and existing MySpace and FaceBook participation. While those more senior may lean toward online messaging outside of personal email as hardcore direct selling.
    Regardless, what might address the issue you raise is information, if not training. Training with lots of examples, maybe even testimonials. Required training to become a user who can submit posts.
    Without really knowing what is expected and what is not desired in social networking is a hit and miss proposition. Where unintentional ‘abuse’ can occur. Those who pound social networks with either direct, slight of hand, bait and switch gimmicks without contributing anything will eventually shoot themselves in the foot (and hopefully in the head). You have contributed Ryan, and the fact that I am at your blog and not at Linkedin proper doesn’t bug me at all. In fact, it’s what this scene is all about. Thanks again. Michael

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