LinkedIn is a social network for professionals, enabling you to present yourself in a way that allows you to connect with others in your field. LinkedIn can bring great value to your business, but like any other social media marketing campaign, it takes effort to be successful. Here are some things that make LinkedIn an important asset for you and your business:

LinkedIn can contribute to your SEO efforts. Why? Search engines like LinkedIn, and properly done profiles will rank high on Google search pages. In a lot of cases, people who are thinking about doing business with you will "Google" you before, and look for a LinkedIn profile. There, you can add up to three URLs that you can use to promote your blog and your website. Adding links to a LinkedIn profile will allow you to build valuable backlinks, bringing your site up in results pages and gradually increasing traffic.

Through your profile and the Q&A section, you can promote your site or blog, and present yourself as an expert in your field. In the Q&A section, you can answer other people's questions and gain respect and credibility. Another good thing is that you can add links to your answers- further helping you with SEO and bringing more visitors to your site.

You can use LinkedIn to generate leads, searching for prospects or finding them within your own professional network. Various statistics show that if you connect to someone via the site, you have almost a thirty times higher chance of getting a response when compared to other methods such as a phone call or a letter.

Here are some other ways that LinkedIn can be important to your business:

Polls can provide you with more knowledge and enable you to do market research

You can share those survey/poll results with your business contacts

Use the Q&A section to get an idea of what your customers or potential employees want, or what they think about your business

The site allows you to post your LinkedIn URL on business cards, e-newsletters, websites, and promotional materials, allowing prospects to learn more about what you can offer

It lets you join associations and groups that are related to your industry and your business, and gain knowledge through them. It also lets you learn about your prospects before contacting them further

LinkedIn is important to your business, because it allows you to establish both a personal and a professional presence online, and it allows you to expand your knowledge, as well as your professional network and your social circle.