ok...I have to beg...LinkedIn

(EDIT: This is solved, now thanks! Please use the "social media" links at the bottom of any page, to connect with taxprotalk)

I was trying to set up a business page for TaxProTalk in LinkedIn and hit full stop when it told me I wasn't allowed to because my profile doesn't have enough mojo to merit being good enough for LinkedIn's business pages.

If you guys/gals that are LinkedIn users would be so kind as to:

1. Make sure you are logged into LinkedIn first, otherwise this will probably fail.

2. Request a connection to me on this new account: Search LinkedIn for Chris at TaxProTalk

Once you are logged into LinkedIn and you go to that link, it should show you a search result with just me/taxprotalk -- and you can use the "connect" button to request a connection. I would very much appreciate this.

I feel like a kid asking for friends on facebook...ugh.

Thanks

(EDIT and PS): I will *not* reach out to your connections so please don't worry about that. All I need are some folks to be my first-level connection; much appreciation and 'thank you' to the people who have done this so far.

What did it say the problem was?

If it is just links, I could probably create one.

It's a complex algorithm. It tests to see if you have a certain number of connections within LinkedIn (it won't tell you how many), it needs to see that your profile has "strength" and I think it also waits to see if you are around for awhile (again, no idea how long). When I try to create a business page for taxprotalk it simply says "unable to do this at this time".

I'm getting ready to release a major redesign of the layout of taxprotalk.com and one of the things I want to integrate is social media networking so this will be part of that.

Okie, dokie, I just did it. I rarely go into LinkedIn.

Done

I'm getting ready to release a major redesign of the layout of taxprotalk.com and one of the things I want to integrate is social media networking so this will be part of that.

There are a number of Facebook groups set up for tax professionals. All of them are essentially identical. There is some discussion about tax issues. Answers to questions posed are variously incomplete, kinda sorta correct, or totally wrong. Opinions without substantiation or basis are rampant. Cites are rare. Occasionally there is a well thought out response that is useful and educational.

Being "social" media, postings to these FB groups focus on emotional gushings, idle chit-chat, complaining, and what-I'm-going-to-do-this-weekend. Some folks thrive on that sort of interaction. Exchange of knowledge is secondary - by a wide margin.

TPT is totally different. Topics are intriguing, discussion thoughtful and on point, answers are good, many citations, opinions presented are reasoned. At least in my case, the scope and depth of topics is generally above my level of experience. The thoughtfulness of discussions here is what makes this site valuable and sets it far above anything else.

It's not clear how "social media" can integrate with intelligent tax discussion. To the extent that good discussion gets polluted with air head chatter, it can't be a good thing.

There are several groups on Linked In, including the "The Official NAEA Group" and "Enrolled Agents of America" that keep the chit chat to a minimum. Sometimes I see questions bounced around there that are similar to those posted here.

no...I'm not talking about diluting the conversations here by trying to 'spread' our conversations here out across social media.

I'm setting the stage for other content at this site. I've basically integrated Wordpress (with some modifications I made) as a CMS (content management system) here. So say someone here would love to write an article about a compelling tax topic. They could publish it here, I would of course modify the T's and C's first so my rights are non-exclusive and they retain their intellectual property, they would get the honor of being a published author here and an instant audience -- which I could reach by posting the event on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

That's just one example of what I'm thinking. I do not want to use FB or LinkedIn as a proxy for tax Q&A -- that belongs in one place - here.

I joined Linked in a couple years ago, and have never looked at it. Not even sure what it does, but Occasionally get clients ask me to link so I accept. Like I said, not sure what it does or even why it exists, but i linked you! Congrats!! lol

Thanks Jim! Actually at this point I've got enough "street cred" with LinkedIn that they did allow me to create a business page for TPT - so the best bet is to now use the "social media" links down at the bottom of the new page layout, in the footer.