LinkedIn is a social networking website that is geared specifically towards business members. It enables users to build up a network of existing and new business contacts (called connections). However, it goes a step further than this. When you add a new connection, their connections and the connections of those connections will also be added to your network. This provides the professional business person with incredible scope to amass an impressive network of business contacts.

Facts And Figures

According to Wikipedia, LinkedIn has more than 20 million registered users and attracts over 3.2 million visitors every month in a total of more than 150 different industries. LinkedIn is more closely matched to offline business networking than virtually any other social networking website. It can be used to keep contact details while building a strong network but other users predominantly use it to make contacts and secure future employment. Conversely, many employers and agencies use their network to find suitable candidates for work.

The Money Is In The List

For businesses looking to promote their own service, the money is literally in the list. By building a large and relevant network of connections, a business can greatly improve their profile within that community. Using a powerful portfolio page also ensures that those connections that are interested in using the services of that business will be more inclined to do so. Everything is essentially in place to help the business owner or professional to generate new leads.

Testimonials

Another beneficial feature of the LinkedIn service is the testimonials. When you provide a service to another member of the community, or your network, they can leave a testimonial of how you performed. Testimonials are an important part of service provider selection and not only help persuade the unsure, but can turn a contact's opinion of you around.

LinkedIn Answers

A more recent feature to the LinkedIn site is LinkedIn Answers. This feature is very similar to Google Answers. Users can ask and answer questions, gaining the information they require and providing a useful response. This can help your business to network because useful answers will usually be rewarded with an invitation to join that member's list of connections.

Fortune 500 Represented Companies

LinkedIn is not only popular with small and medium sized businesses. Every one of the Fortune 500 companies is represented on the site, and when last checked, 499 of those companies were represented at director level or above. Whether you're looking for small, managable projects, or you want to take your business to the next level the LinkedIn community has the members to facilitate your plan.

Why LinkedIn Should Be On Your Business Agenda

While there are other sites that offer similar services, and few of the LinkedIn features are actually unique to the site, no other business networking website can boast the popularity that LinkedIn offers. The combination of powerful features and a large network means that many businesses want to be represented on the LinkedIn website. You can join simply by registering, or ask a member that you already know to send you an invite to their list of connections.