LinkedIn Insider Knowledge: Interview with Giovanni Iachello | Head of International and Data Products

Last week, LinkedIn opened its hugely popular publishing platform in the US to the German-speaking market. On this occasion, Giovanni Iachello, Head of International and Data Products, introduced Austrian journalists to the benefits of LinkedIn as a research tool.

Before the workshop, I had the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive interview with Giovanni about the history, present, and future of LinkedIn – including best practices, statistics, facts, and insider tips.

Still, only a few Austrian companies realize that besides the big “beer tent” Facebook, there’s a vast network where you won’t find cat photos or breakfast updates. LinkedIn focuses entirely on good old business. Or, as Giovanni Iachello puts it: We create a global, digital representation of existing business relationships.

The platform’s operators realized years ago that the future of B2B social networking lies in a smart combination of content marketing and communication tools. In 2015, having your own corporate page is a must, the targeting possibilities of LinkedIn Ads virtually eliminate scatter loss from the advertising equation, and HR managers find the ideal recruiting environment.

If you use LinkedIn primarily for self-marketing, a free account and 15 minutes a day are enough to keep up, says Giovanni. Those who start using groups, blog posts, and research tools more intensively will soon find that a quarter of an hour is no longer sufficient – and I know from personal experience that this time spent on social media is indeed a superb investment.