You have heard that “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”  While not a very accurate blanket statement, it certainly has a certain ring of truth with regard to business and marketing.  Social media is a highly effective tool to use in networking, creating those connections which are the lifeblood of your business.  We’ve already looked at Facebook and how the Social Network can be used in your marketing efforts and in connecting and interacting with your customers and potential customers.

Another powerful social media tool is LinkedIn.  Whereas Facebook is mainly an every-day social media site, not specifically focused on business or marketing (though it can be used for both, as we’ve previously shown), LinkedIn is laser-focused on professional networking.  It’s 131+ million users are far fewer than Facebook, but those users are on LinkedIn for one reason and one reason alone:  To build business relationships.  In fact, the company’s slogan is “Relationships Matter.”  This makes the connections you make on LinkedIn high-value to you and your business. According to the website Spark Boutik, roughly one million new members join LinkedIn every week, at a rate equivalent to a professional joining the site faster than one member per second.  And all of that activity translates into millions of possible connections.

Some of the ways that others have leveraged LinkedIn’s unique power:

• Find a job
• Ask and answer questions
• Begin a professional group
• Market your business
• Generate leads
• Staff recruitment
• Search engine optimization
• and of course, create business connections.

Creating a LinkedIn profile starts you on the path of building a professional network, which can be leveraged into high-quality business contacts, which in turn positively increases your visibility.  LinkedIn Groups and Company profiles are additional ways to allow people to engage with you and your company.

LinkedIn… social media marketing for business at its best.