Barack Obama Joins the Business Crowd on LinkedIn

Authored by Scott Goldberg on September 10, 2007 - 10:33am.

One thing clearly established in Barack Obama’s run for the presidency is his interest in using new media tools to reach an audience. Among many recent moves in his campaign is the Illinois senator’s profile page on the business social networking site LinkedIn. Obama’s presence on LinkedIn was reported on CNBC this morning. Rudy Giuliani is the only other candidate, among front runners, to have a profile.

CNBC reported that 73% of LinkedIn’s users are over 29, and with the site’s business focus, it would stand to reason that a candidate would use the free platform to increase his reach.

LinkedIn has emerged in the last year as a major player in the online social networking space, and many consider a profile mandatory.

The site, though less social than its better known counterparts MySpace and Facebook, has carved out a niche for itself that rarely forces it to compete with others. It is highly common among businessmen and women to have a LinkedIn profile in addition to a profile on a competing site.

And although LinkedIn’s popularity is not in question, issues with its usefulness and purpose have been raised. For one it seems that the interaction with a user’s network rarely goes beyond the invitation. It’s highly common, in fact, to see colleagues with over 500 “connections” on their profile page (the site does not currently provide the exact number over 500), though the specific purpose and the value of those connections is not well known nor discussed.

Obama, on the other hand, seems to be taking his connections seriously. The Senator has, at the moment, 150 in his profile. One of the reasons he’s likely careful to add new connections is that everyone in a LinkedIn network can see who else is there, something Obama may be cautiously monitoring.

His summary section is also surprisingly short, if not efficient. Of his self-described specialties, Obama says:

I have worked to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how their tax dollars are spent.

On the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have fought to help veterans get the disability pay they were promised.

Recognizing the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, I traveled to Russia to begin a new generation of securing weapons worldwide.

Most of all, I am proud to be husband to my wife, Michelle, and father to my two daughters, Malia and Sasha.