So you’ve probably heard of LinkedIn, but you thought it was for job hunting and a place for your resume. To some degree you’d be correct. The platform is definitely business focused. Which makes it a great meeting place for professionals. Even a small business or someone looking to do local business, can find terrific marketing opportunities there.

So now of course the question you’re asking is, “How?”

Create an effective profile. You want your info to be professional, informative and current.

Build  your network. Connect with current customers and people who already care about your business. This will keep your business atop their minds, and it also opens the door to referrals and recommendations.

Build your industry network. You can search for LinkedIn groups that have other people in your industry. There are also location specific groups as well. You can find other professionals in your area and locate events that your connections and prospective customers will be attending.

Demonstrate your expertise. Answering questions posed by your connections or in groups, helps you become a go-to expert and a reliable resource. You can also post your own content from your blog articles or white papers. Prospective customers will find your information and answers. It’s like a subtle way to pitch your skills.

You can also use LinkedIn for your own information. You can get advice from other professionals. You might also find vendors or outsourcing partners. It’s a great place to set up mutual referral services too.

These are 5 great ways to use LinkedIn beyond the typical resume profile. I’m sure there are many more. Are you ready to get started? Or if you already use it, let us know how you find it useful in the comments below.