Digitial Media Wire reports that LinkedIn just scored $53 million in a new round of funding that places the company’s value at a billion bucks.

LinkedIn claims 23 million members, but how many of those are active members, as in accessing the site at least once a week? (As opposed to the millions who undoubtedly created an account and never went to the site again.) Let’s say 40 percent, which I think is very generous.

That would mean 9.2 million active members, which in turn would mean each member is worth about $109. That’s not too bad.

If LinkedIn can take themselves to the next level with a real vision, for example by developing some exclusive partnerships with premium brands like Harvard Business Review for editorial and the Ladders for job hunting, then they really might become the ultimate business destination.

(And when you figure that 12 months of HBR and Ladders runs about $260 combined, that $109 is looking pretty good.)

If they’re gonna use that $53 million to keep the site pretty much as is, albeit with a few tweaks, and focus on shoving ads into the existing structure of the site … well, they might as well call it a day.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 6:00 am and is filed under Internet Stuff, Marketing Stuff, Social Media.