Using LinkedIn as a marketing tool.

• Author: Hershberger, Tara
• Position: SOCIAL MEDIA

LINKEDIN IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST ONLINE PROFESSIONAL NETWORK and the fourth largest social network in terms of monthly visits, yet many financial institutions have not even claimed their free profile. From a risk and reputation management perspective, every financial institution (FI) should at the bare minimum claim its profile, since anyone with an email from your company can claim the account.

While recruitment and job seekers may be the first thing to come to mind when people think about LinkedIn, you should understand that LinkedIn can play an important role in your integrated social media strategy for your FI. Keep in mind that LinkedIn boasts the highest average income of all social sites, so it is a great place to reach a more affluent audience.

Currently, more than 2 million companies have LinkedIn Company...