CNBC gets LinkedIn

September 4, 2008 (Computerworld) CNBC and LinkedIn are teaming up to share content to be broadcast on the business network and posted on the social networking site for professionals.

The agreement, announced yesterday, calls for broad distribution of CNBC content on LinkedIn, integration of LinkedIn functionality into CNBC.com, and joint development of products and content. In addition, CNBC will offer text, articles, blogs, financial data and video content to LinkedIn users, while user-generated content from LinkedIn, such as survey results, will be broadcast on CNBC.

"LinkedIn and CNBC's partnership will present LinkedIn members with up-to-the-minute business intelligence and the ability to engage with other professionals in and around CNBC's on-air business coverage," said Dan Nye, CEO of LinkedIn, in a statement. "Moreover, we will be able to draw out insights from LinkedIn's global user base to generate fascinating new types of business content for CNBC to broadcast."

Michael Learmonth, a blogger at Silicon Alley Insider, noted that while other TV networks have made forays into social networking, CNBC and LinkedIn had been conspicuously absent from such maneuvering.

"Today, they're announcing a partnership that actually makes some sense," he noted. "LinkedIn is the social network for careerists. Presumably, a larger percentage of LinkedIn's 27 million users are interested in business news than, say, Facebook, MySpace or Bebo users, and the two share higher-income demographics."

Nye asked for feedback and suggestions from LinkedIn users around the new deal. One user, "Shari G" welcomed the partnership, noting that she would love to get useful news throughout the day on the social network.

"Markets, trends, mergers, etc., are always important to those of us who connect with managers and executives on a daily basis using the site," she added. "I think the partnership is a great opportunity to stay 'on-site' and learn all you can about emerging markets, daily news concerns and what is affecting our world, as we see it."

LinkedIn user "Robert S" suggested that the ideas and content of the LinkedIn users be "bubbled up" to the broader CNBC audience.

"CNBC can do that through columns or video interviews taken from 'best of answers' of the Q&A. Highlights or interviews with groups might be considered," he noted. "The objective is to create vehicles to tap into the large number of professionals who can speak in-depth on current events and future developments of interest and importance."