What do the 135 million people and more than seven million companies on LinkedIn know that you don't?
All too often I receive resistance when I suggest to a client that she utilize LinkedIn to build vendor, partner, and prospect relationships. But what might first feel like an intimidating pilgrimage into foreign land can result in a journey of growth, connection, and prosperity. All it takes is a little know-how—and the willingness to put yourself out there. 
With more than 135 million people and in excess of seven million companies on LinkedIn, we know that it has something to offer any business owner. "All businesses will benefit from a company blog as their primary social media marketing tool," says Barbara Rozgonyi ofWiredPRWorks. "And we recommend LinkedIn as the foundational social network. Whether or not LinkedIn is where you spend most of your social media time, it may be the most important in terms of corporate social equity."
In fact, according to a study released by Perfomics, nearly 60 percent of people said LinkedIn is the most important social network.
"From optimizing key profiles and outfitting a company page, LinkedIn is the social network that reflects your organization's pro-social side," Rozgonyi says. "Once you have your company's corporate communications foundation in place, you have an anchor strategy to apply throughout your social media marketing system," she adds.
If you question the value of time spent on LinkedIn, remember that it isn't just for sharing information and idle chitchat; it's a great place to check out your competition and find viable prospects. In fact, you can research other companies and set up a list of target companies to track and follow throughout the social media sphere. 
To research connections and target customers for business development on LinkedIn, Rozgonyi says that there a few basic things you must know.
LinkedIn's advance search lets you target people,...