Social networking giants Twitter and LinkedIn have joined forces, with users now able to integrate profiles by updating different accounts on both sites at the same time, the two companies announced overnight.
The move comes after several third-party applications have developed tools of their own that allow Facebook users to update their Twitter accounts simultaneously.
LinkedIn, the professional social network which counts about 50 million members around the world, announced the changes in a blog post yesterday. Users now have the ability to update their “status” box on both sites with one message simultaneously.
“The idea is simple: When you set your status on LinkedIn you can now tweet it as well, amplifying it to your followers and real-time search services like Twitter Search and Bing. And when you tweet, you can send that message to your LinkedIn connections as well, from any Twitter service or tool,” LinkedIn co-founder Allen Blue wrote in a post.
The site is a haven for business professionals looking to network, share resumes and search for new jobs. But a number of LinkedIn users are beginning to use Twitter accounts in order to communicate with peers and market their own businesses.
Blue also said users taking advantage of the new features will be able to engage with a larger audience on Twitter which searches for “tweets” based on keywords and location.
“Showing your stream in places off of Twitter.com will connect you to even more people. Shared interest in tips, news, leaders and perspectives can thrust conversations into virtual brainstorms and even business opportunities,” Twitter posted.
The company said it “wants to take advantage of the strong identity in LinkedIn to make those professional tweeters more successful.”
However, some analysts have warned LinkedIn users to be careful when updating both sites, as both have two distinct audiences that could require a more thoughtful approach. While Twitter users are mostly younger and more tech-savvy, LinkedIn is a specifically designed network with a more professional tone.
But both businesses said the opportunities for integration will allow users to engage a greater audience while cutting down on the amount of posting required for two separate sites.
The changes are expected to roll out over the next few days for all users.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
