When developing your social media marketing strategy, it's important to make sure you're putting your time where it counts. Social media can be a time vampire, and not all platforms perform well for every business.

If your business is consumer-oriented, or B2C, you probably spend a lot of time on Facebook. If your business is image-driven, you probably spend a lot of time on Pinterest and Instagram.

But where does LinkedIn fit in your digital marketing program? Should it be there at all? Isn't it just for corporate executives looking for a job? Does Microsoft's recent acquisition of LinkedIn change the equation?

For help in understanding where LinkedIn is today, I asked my good friend and social media expert Sandra Long. She owns Post Road Consulting.

Q: Where does LinkedIn fit in a small business marketing strategy?

A: First of all, the platform is not just for job seekers. That's a big misconception. LinkedIn is the best online site to build professional relationships. It is a great place to find and engage with customers and prospects. It's also a site to find or connect with candidates regarding open positions.

Q: Should I be focused on LinkedIn if I'm targeting the corporate market?

A: If you are targeting the corporate market, you should definitely be on LinkedIn. But its use has extended far beyond the corporate market. Every small business owner should consider having a LinkedIn personal profile, and a LinkedIn company page for the business. Potential customers look at LinkedIn pages to validate you — to see if you have the credibility you should have. In a recent survey, 65 percent of respondents said the impression they get from someone's online presence is just as important as the impression they get when they meet you in person. That's way different from 10 years ago.

Q: If I have a website for my small business, isn't that enough?

A: No. You are more likely to engage with prospects on LinkedIn than a website, especially as a new business or early-stage startup. Some professionals choose to have a LinkedIn profile but no website until they ramp up their business. The personal page provides a lot of power for small businesses and solo practitioners. They can display their professional and personal brand, connect with others to build a network, find prospects and be endorsed for specific skillsets. The small business owner can also create a free company page with links to personal pages for the owners and employees. If you are actively prospecting every day, look at upgrading to the premium service called Sales Navigator.

Q: What's the smartest thing I can do with a LinkedIn company page?

A: When you set up a LinkedIn company page for your business, you should ask your employees to create or upgrade their own personal profiles and link to the company page. That turns them into brand ambassadors for your company. Prospects who come to your employees' profiles will see your company logo and can directly click over to your company page and website.

Q: But if I do that, won't it be easier for competitors to recruit my employees?

A: Believe it or not, many of my clients are corporations that want me to optimize their employees' profiles to help the company recruit new people or sell more effectively. Employee profiles are a direct reflection on a company and brand. If you're losing employees to competitors on LinkedIn, it probably isn't LinkedIn's fault.

Q: What are the most important sections in a LinkedIn profile page?

A: Having a professional headshot photo is most important. After that are the headline and summary. Don't assume information isn't important — sometimes the mention of the latest article you wrote for a professional journal or the charity or community work you've done will be the tipping point that makes someone want to contact you. Fill in every applicable section.

LinkedIn offers quite a few additional ways to enhance your profile. If you have really good images or video clips, post them under the summary or experience sections. Take advantage of the background banner opportunity. The skills and endorsements section is extremely important. Be sure to list at least five skills you want to be recognized for.

Q: What about all of those invitations I get from total strangers to connect on LinkedIn? How do I separate the winners from the losers?

A: There are only three types of people you should connect with on LinkedIn: people you already know and respect, people who send you a personal invitation offering a valid reason to connect and people with whom you think it would be mutually beneficial to connect. I know it's time-consuming, but when someone you don't know asks you to connect, you should always check out their profile. Look for mutual connections or things you have in common. If people don't send you a personal invitation, feel free to ask them why they want to connect with you.

Q: Microsoft just acquired LinkedIn. Is that going to change anything?

A: Yes, and I think in a very positive way. The synergy between LinkedIn and some of Microsoft's products, especially Outlook, is extremely promising.

Sandra's latest book, "LinkedIn for Personal Branding: The Ultimate Guide" is a must read for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to know what LinkedIn can do for them. Do not wait to add it to your library.

Cliff Ennico ([email protected]) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series "Money Hunt." This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our webpage at www.creators.com.