You probably have a LinkedIn profile if you currently have a job or are actively seeking employment. Although things weren’t always so. It wasn’t easy to stay in touch with former coworkers for the purpose of referrals and recommendations. LinkedIn altered this and is now utilising its strengths to fuel expansion.
To test the waters of business networking, LinkedIn initially concentrated on a field it was familiar with (technology) in a region it was familiar with (Silicon Valley). As soon as it proved successful, the company branched out into new markets and eventually gained nearly global reach.
LinkedIn also analysed its growth drivers to better replicate their successes. They realised that homepage optimization would be more effective at generating new users than sending out invitations via email, and so they concentrated on that.
The next step was for LinkedIn to start charging for its premium features and services, such as inbox forwarding (InMail) and a more robust search engine, which were perceived as essential to the success of the platform.