LinkedIn.com floated on the stock exchange today. The latest news is that LinkedIn’s share price has rocketed on its first day of trading. A sure sign that if the tech bubble did once burst it has now been repaired and is expanding again.
It is expected that Facebook will be floating on the stock exchange next year which could well see that largest tech IPO (initial public offering) of all time.
When people talk of the social web the first thoughts are always Facebook, Twitter and Google and its not yet fully released social platform. Nobody thinks of LinkedIn. Why? Well, most people who comment on “the web” are to some extent involved in SEO and website marketing, and the open, visible platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are where all the action is.
While Twitter and Facebook are a bit like the school playground, LinkedIn is more like the exclusive members only club where all the really juicy deals take place. Business deals used to be made on golf courses, now they are made on LinkedIn.
Another major difference is that LinkedIn charges you to be a member. OK, there is a free membership package, but you cannot contact anyone you like and the Business Plus and Executive members will not take you seriously, so you may as well not be there.
LinkedIn is starting to suffer a little from its success though. There is certainly more spam appearing on its pages and in the discussions, but generally it remains a cleaner networking site than the others.
Today LinkedIn.com doubled in value. Will it remain that high? Who knows. The bubble may burst again, but with Facebook IPO looming ever closer and Google making moves into the social networking arena, the tech bubble may have a lot of room for growth yet.
