As LinkedIn has grown from a mere experiment into a business social network consisting of close to 200 million members, countless businesses and websites have sought to utilize the network to the best of their abilities. Due to the nature of the platform, many individuals and businesses unfortunately have not managed to completely take advantage of all the tweaks and features the system offers; many simply use the basic interaction and networking options available to expand their clout and social circles. If you are wanting to maximize the effect you can gain from LinkedIn, then you will want to implement the following advice as you continue to navigate all that the social network has to offer.

Expanding Your Presence

There are several options you can use to get more bang for your buck in terms of exposure – many of which are neglected by the average LinkedIn user. First, claim your own vanity URL so that you can provide potential clients and business partners with your personalized LinkedIn address. This can be done through the ‘Customize Your Public Profile URL’ option. You should also create a custom badge that you can place on any blogs or websites you own, which will link directly to your LinkedIn profile. If you want to be pinging search engines with a particular subject that is associated with your profile, then consider adding keywords to your headline, summary and other parts of your profile.

Networking With Professionals

There are a variety of tools that can be used to increase your exposure and allow you to network with other professionals. One of the most popular is the OpenLink platform; available to premium members, this feature allows you to be contacted (and to contact) other individuals who have agreed to be a part of the OpenLink solution. By default, you cannot contact individuals on LinkedIn with whom you do not have a direct connection, so this feature allows for a greater chance of networking with like-minded people that you might not find in any other instance.

Market Your Brand

Whether it is you as an individual or an entire enterprise that you are seeking to expand, LinkedIn can help you market your brand to other interested parties. The new company page design lets users add a cover image, outline their company’s mission while also displaying products, services and recent posts by members of the company. This aspect of LinkedIn functions very much like an internal blog – giving interested parties more information about your company and the reassurance that you are a legitimate force in your particular industry.

Find Endorsements

If you have already been on LinkedIn for some time, then you will probably already know at least a few individuals who can vouch for your credentials and expertise. LinkedIn offers an endorsement system that allows people to recommend you as an expert on any and all subjects; simply input the categories for which you want to be considered and have your connections verify your skill. While many may be pinging search engines in order to find valuable clients, the recommendation feature can work just as well within the confines of LinkedIn.