LinkedIn, like many (if not all) social networks has the potential to drive tons of targeted leads to your website. LinkedIn is about networking with like-minded business professionals and provides a wonderful platform to connect with people you otherwise wouldn’t connect with. Due to the networking aspect of its set up and members, it’s the perfect platform to market your business, skills, talents, products, services, and so on.

LinkedIn is designed bring both professional individuals and businesses together. When you join, you should add as much information as possible about yourself and your business or skills to attract others you’d like to network with.

Because LinkedIn is mainly designed for businesses, you must approach the marketing aspect a little differently than say Facebook or Twitter. However, one of the main unique aspects of LinkedIn is it’s a network of authority figures. Whether they be business owners, professional entrepreneurs, investors, developers, the majority of members have some sort of power over the business they are in. Why is this important? Because you have the potential to connect with and network amongst people with real power and who can make executive decisions.

So, to effectively partake in LinkedIn marketing, start by joining the website, fill in your personal info and again, consider the types of business people who will be reading your profile. Make sure your company page is easily searchable (including on the search engines) and make what you have to offer attractive to your prospective associates.

Become active on LinkedIn and exchange with others to show you’re interested in what they have to say, offer recommendations where appropriate, show enthusiasm by participating in groups, and reach out to prospects.

Get to know the network. Read their FAQ and join groups that relate to your business and interests. Be active, participate, help, and share what your business has to offer. The leads are there, get prospecting!