With so many ways to socialize your business online today, many professionals wonder why marketing with LinkedIn should be such a vital part of their social media strategy. Regardless of your LinkedIn experience, it's important to understand LinkedIn's powerful purpose as a marketing tool.

Why LinkedIn Marketing?

In this age of rapidly advancing social media tools and strategies, few platforms have survived "the net" within the past few years. LinkedIn proved their value and necessity as a professional online platform by sustaining its relevancy among individuals. Then, by offering to companies an opportunity to exhibit a profile LinkedIn, many marketing professionals (especially B2B) quickly took advantage of the valuable resource to enhance their marketing efforts. So, how does LinkedIn actually help markerters and businesses?

1. LinkedIn can increase your visibility in the business world. Almost every professional or business has a LinkedIn profile. With access to 135+ million professionals all over the world, it makes sense to approach networking and marketing with LinkedIn as a tactic to connect with other professionals in your industry. While a LinkedIn account does not increase your visibility on Google; when people Google search your company, chances are your LinkedIn profile will show up on Page 1 of the search results.
2. LinkedIn is a great source of professional contacts. Did I mention the 135+ million professionals who have a LinkedIn profile? Needless to say, the potential for networking is profound, as you can make connections not only in your industry, but in many other industries, as well.
3. LinkedIn is a great tool to generate new business. A LinkedIn profile for your business increases brand awareness and educates your target audience about your brand. Marketing with LinkedIn, overall, will significantly facilitate any lead generation strategy.
4. LinkedIn can help you with marketing research. LinkedIn offers several apps, groups and tools that can be incorporated into profiles. Use these features to discover demographics and information about your target audience or begin a conversation with other professionals in the infamous Q&A section. Don't let go of a focus group or survey all together, but use LinkedIn features to enhance your market research in real-time.
5. LinkedIn gives you a place to learn about the competition. LinkedIn provides a passive, non-invasive forum where you can learn about your competition, take cues from their marketing strategies and get ideas for your own business, so you can stay on the competitive edge.
6. LinkedIn gives potential business partners a detailed look at your company. Clients and business partners alike can visit your LinkedIn profile and learn details about your company history and your current information.
7. LinkedIn can see what others are saying about your business. With LinkedIn, you can encourage people in your network and even in other social media forums, to recommend your services. You can also see who has recommended you and why.

In my opinion, marketing with LinkedIn is an essential piece to any plan or strategy, when used intelligently and professionaly. To learn about LinkedIn training and other social media tools, go to www.splashmediau.com.