I tend to write about social media and social connection, and today, I will not fail you. Last week Marcia, in our office, discovered a new social media tool called Viadeo, a Paris based professional networking website with members who are looking to increase their business opportunities, enhance their visibility and online reputation and develop their network of professional contacts, according to their CrunchBase profile. It looks very similar to LinkedIn but I signed up, created a profile, and did some searching to see what it’s all about. Because time is of the essence for independent recruiters, I’ve included some information about Viadeo below. According to my minimal research, here is what I know:
Viadeo, founded in 2004 is a professional social network with over 35 million registered users worldwide in 2010. Members include business owners, entrepreneurs and managers. The site is available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. A report in 2009 tagged Viadeo with being “too Franco-French” focusing on Europe and emerging countries. In 2011 Viadeo opened its first U.S. office in San Francisco hoping to “offer the U.S. market a gate of entry to the emerging countries Viadeo services” according to Viadeo’s CEO, Dan Serfaty.
Demographically, there is a big difference in the United States between Viadeo and LinkedIn. LinkedIn boasts over 6 million users in the U.S. while Viadeo has a tiny comparison of a little over 100,000 U.S. members. LinkedIn is an international service with 60% of its members abroad; Viadeo is European centered with mostly local and multi-local strategies. In total, LinkedIn has 150 million+ users and Viadeo about 35 million users.
In my opinion, if you are an international recruiter trying to break in to the European market, it pays to be a member of both social networks. There are pros and cons to each that you can determine as you go along, but I thought it was important to put this tool in front of our readership; especially if you are recruiting internationally or part of a global recruiter network.
If you are already using Viadeo, what is your opinion?