Do you have a program idea, but don't know who to contact at the appropriate network? You can search the network's web site, but that's not likely to have contact information about the specific people you need to pitch. You can send a blind inquiry to their mailbox, but you may not receive a response. LinkedIn can help you.
Linkedin is a professional social networking site: www.linkedin.com. Everyone who creates a profile can then link to people they know through the site. The beauty of linkedin is that it allows you to search by company and by name. For example, let's assume you have a show you'd like to pitch to Spike TV. You can search on Linkedin for people who work for Spike. You can view their profiles to see who works in programming. Once you've identified who you want to contact, you can also see if anyone you're linked to knows that person. Then you can ask your friend to send an introduction on line to the person you want to speak with. If they agree, you now have an introduction to the appropriate person.
Linkedin also has many groups that you can join to increase your connections and learn more about the media business. I'm a member of Media Professionals Worldwide and the International Television Experts Group, among others. These group sites often contain job leads and educational discussions. Remember to focus on specific goals while searching groups. It's easy to spend a lot of time surfing the discussions without advancing your projects and your career.
If you're not on linkedin, give it a try.
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