What comes to mind when you think of LinkedIn?

Probably two things: a huge social network, and a great place for recruiting or finding a job.

True enough. LinkedIn these days is, in fact, 225 million members strong. And 70 percent of Brandz's Top 100 advertises jobs on LinkedIn. But I'm going to suggest that this answer doesn't go far enough. Something's missing: it's that LinkedIn is also a fantastic marketing platform. In fact, while most of us have been busy posting our resumes and contacting old friends, some of the world's top brands have learned to leverage their employees as brand ambassadors, as well as to maximize customer evangelists to grow brand awareness, and ultimately drive business.

So, let's explore from this different perspective just what it is that LinkedIn provides.