In May 2003, LinkedIn was launched.

What has become one of Silicon Valley’s biggest and most prolific companies? The business-related social network now has more than half a billion users; these 500 million members come from more than 200 countries. More than 10 million active jobs are live on LinkedIn, as well as the profiles of more than nine million companies.

Given the prolific growth, the ubiquitous esteem and the rampant usage of the world’s biggest online professional network, Disruptor Media felt compelled to explore why LinkedIn is important for both individuals and businesses.

An imperative tool for B2B marketing

The Social Media Marketing Industry report of 2015 revealed that LinkedIn had surpassed Facebook as the ‘number one most important social platform for B2B marketers.’ Research shows that a staggering 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn and an even more staggering 94% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content.

Savvy businesses and B2B marketers are using LinkedIn as a platform to publish motivating content, accompanied with compelling visuals, as a means of generating leads, engaging with target audiences, building connections and increasing online presence.

Make important business announcements

With half a billion users on LinkedIn, this professional social networking site is a key place to promote exciting events, announce new product launches, celebrate recent achievements, and generally shout about how business is going.

In fact, a poll compiled by Regalix showed LinkedIn has become the number one platform amongst B2B businesses for product launches. A huge 81% of B2B businesses admit to announcing product launches and other exciting company news on LinkedIn. This compares to 71% on Twitter and 54% on Facebook.

Find the right talent

A business is only as good as its employees. This age-old saying holds eternal truth and finding the right talent is a challenge almost every business, regardless of size or industry, faces.

LinkedIn helps to match employers with appropriate candidates and fill important roles with the right talent. As well as searching through the millions of active jobs posted on LinkedIn, job-seekers can carry out research on employers, network with companies they may be interested in working for and make connections that can prove invaluable in finding them work.

Similarly, employers can search through the profiles of professionals and find and reach out to suitable professionals to help the bridge skills gaps and fill in vital roles.

LinkedIn Recruiter asserts itself as the world’s largest talent pool and is designed specifically to help employers find and engage with qualified candidates. With powerful search tools at their disposal, companies can hone in on the perfect hire quickly and efficiently.

As the LinkedIn blog informs:

“More than 30,000 companies worldwide use LinkedIn to recruit and many of them rely on LinkedIn Recruiter to find the best candidates.”

Happy networking!

Networking is a vital attribute for every business, professional and job-seeker. For businesses, networking with potential clients, suppliers, freelancers, professionals and even competitors, helps secure connections which can aid business growth. Likewise, suppliers, freelancers, professionals and job-seekers should exploit networking to make connections, enhance their professionalism and ultimately find more work.

With LinkedIn, users and businesses can network to their heart’s content from the convenience of their own sofa!

To conclude, creating and maintaining a profile on LinkedIn is something no business should overlook. In today’s digital era where we’re becoming increasingly connected online, being active on LinkedIn is a shrewd yet convenient way to help grow any business venture.

That’s why LinkedIn is important.

If you would like assistance with a LinkedIn marketing campaign or any type of social media marketing, get in touch with Disruptor Media; specialists in creating digital strategies designed to work.