For many professionals working in the fields of finance and technology, particularly those who are pursuing entrepreneurial goals, managing profiles on platforms such as AngelList, CrunchBase, and LinkedIn should not be seen simply as the cost of doing business. Those who make a living raising capital and starting new ventures are basically expected to present stories that are compelling and consistent across the three platforms, particularly if they have successful events to report.
If we decide to be completely pragmatic and even crass about this topic, the sole reason professional online profiles exist is to increase the potential of future earnings, but it is unreasonable to think a LinkedIn profile by itself will land someone a lucrative job. In the case of CrunchBase, there is more of a branding angle, and it is not for everyone. CrunchBase started off as a repository of information about tech startups that received news coverage on TechCrunch.com; these days, just about anyone can submit a profile for review and acceptance by the community of moderators, but it is not a good fit for all professionals or companies.
Local business providers are better off with profiles on Google My Business. The technology sector is better served by CrunchBase, but professionals who work in finance should also think about keeping profiles in this platform. The same goes for companies that operate in the digital media, e-commerce, and consulting services.
The verification process is one of the strengths of CrunchBase; unlike LinkedIn, which relies on business connections for vetting new profiles, the CrunchBase method involves more of a human touch. Creating a new account for yourself or your business is free, but it must be evaluated before it is displayed. Similar to LinkedIn, there are personal and business listings that can be connected. Let’s say you are a mergers and acquisitions consultant who operates a private consulting firm; in this case, you can create one profile for your company in addition to a personal profile so that they can be connected.
There are no limits with regard to how much information you can provide on CrunchBase. If you are a company founder, be sure to include this on your profile. If board members are already listed on CrunchBase, don’t forget to connect them. Events, press references, and key employees should also be listed. Finally, you can also link a verified Twitter account so that your social media activity can be displayed on the profile.
As for search engine optimization, Google tends to like CrunchBase even though links generated therein are the “nofollow” kind. Aside from SEO, the branding strength of CrunchBase can be found in the News and Activity section. As you can see in this Crunchbase profile, related news articles are chronologically listed in descending order, and this is not just for the benefit of the Google search engine crawler; business journalists are constantly searching CrunchBase for research purposes, and this can go a long way in terms of branding.
In the end, a CrunchBase profile is not a replacement for LinkedIn, but it is highly recommended for individuals and companies operating in the financial and technology sectors in 2020.
