LinkedIn in has become one of the Big Three in social media (along with Twitter and Facebook), but until now there has been little to no reason for brands to give much thought to their presence there. While the professional networking tools for individuals have been fantastic, the tools for companies to build a presence there have been lacking.

Until now.

LinkedIn Companies, now in beta, has just become a vital component of your social media strategy. The new company profiles allow brands to list services, publish videos, create promotions and most importantly, get endorsements from their customers.

This is a big deal. I'm not sure if LinkedIn realizes how big—at least while it's still in beta, they've has tucked away the Companies tab under the "More" catchall area of their navigation. But, virtually every company out there now needs to think strategically about how they will present themselves on LinkedIn.

For starters, companies should consider their business objectives for a presence on LinkedIn, what will be the primary description and video assets they will use, what if any promotions they will run, what services they will promote and how they will incentivize customers to recommend them.

Two years ago, brands really only had one digital presence to manage—their website. Now, they must also consider how those websites are delivered on mobile devices. For a great many of those brands, having a secondary presence on Facebook and Twitter has become a critical channel for communication. When it comes to business, LinkedIn is far more relevant and possibly even more ubiquitous.

Many marketers are now making plans for 2011. Make sure LinkedIn Companies is in them.

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