What's the best way to use LinkedIn?

Linkedin is probably the most valuable, from a marketing and sales perceptive, because LinkedIn gives me two levers to pull. One lever is the conversational lever because people use LinkedIn similar to a Facebook and Twitter, but in a business context. When I'm on LinkedIn, I am interested to hear a point of view that’s not about what's happening socially, but what's happening in a business context. If I'm a VAR CMO or CIO, I can post content on LinkedIn that is very much about a business context and have an interaction on that.

On the other side is the social selling side. How do I get to a customer or a prospect through a reference of somebody that they know and trust already, that knows and trusts me and my company?

Most selling and referrals are peer to peer … talking to people I know, talking to counterparts, companies like me, people with titles like (mine). Or If I find out that you have an interest in a certain area, I can put something in front of you on LinkedIn that intersects your interest with my interest and gives us a point to start a conversation.