I would like to propose a theory that a stellar marketing campaign begins and ends with your network of connections. While some might argue that branding, advertising, or even timely product launches are more important when it comes to marketing your business, the truth is that who you know can make or break your marketing campaign. This is why social networking has become such a popular new venue for marketing. So assuming that the people you are connected to are THE essential element of marketing, it stands to reason that an application that helps to connect you to the right people should be high on your list of business priorities. And when it comes to professional connections, LinkedIn is the cream of the crop.

It’s tempting to tout Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, and any number of other apps in the mobile marketing arena as the key to implementing targeted marketing efforts and increasing business. But in all honesty, it’s your network of colleagues, peers, and other professionals that have the most power to move you forward. So how do you do it through your LinkedIn app? First you need to set up an account (if you haven’t done so already), create a profile, and start making connections. The way it works is something like six degrees of separation.

You have a list of connections, people that have accepted you as a business contact (or vice versa). Through LinkedIn you can gain access to their list of contacts (even if you don’t currently share them) via recommendations. If you have a friend who is connected to the CEO of Sony, for example, or the head tech writer at the Los Angeles Times, you could ask your friend to recommend you as a contact to those people. In short, it’s a tool to help you grow your professional network based on the trusted referrals of those who already know you. You’ll also have access to job listings, industry news, groups, messaging, and other tools to help you stay connected.

And the mobile app has an added feature that professionals in the field will appreciate; their “bump” function allows for mobile-to-mobile instant connection, so rather than trading business cards when you meet people that you’d like to keep as professional contacts, all you have to do is connect to them automatically with your LinkedIn app (so long as they have an existing account) in order to add them to your network. Plus you’ll get network updates on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and you can organize and prioritize them to suit your needs.

In terms of internet marketing, you might still be a little confused as to how this app will help you, but if you understand the power of networking there’s not much mystery involved. LinkedIn lets you share new developments with your network of contacts, who can in turn share it with their network, and so on. It’s simply a matter of getting relevant information to the right people. And when you need advice, investments, or the power of promotion that your contacts can offer, LinkedIn will make sure that you are either connected to the right people or that you can get connected. In the wide world of business marketing, the right list of contacts will help you to achieve all of your marketing and sales goals.

Editor’s Note

Post provided by Amit Hooja in partnership with Evan Fischer.

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