So what better way to answer that question than to hear directly from our best Company Pages. Here’s what they had to say:

More the merrier

You can follow up to 2.8 million companies on LinkedIn, so why limit yourself to just one or two? Follow companies that span across more than 140 industries, from Bentley Motors to Treasury Wine Estates. Simply go to the search box at the top right of LinkedIn and type in the name of an industry, specialty, company size, or company location. Another way to find companies to follow is to look at what companies your colleagues, future customers, partners or  boss are following, so the next time you meet or end up in the elevator together, you have something other than the weather to talk about.

Stay in the know

So you’re following a company. Now what? Make sure to take a look at the people you know who are also following the company and use it as a way to set up a coffee date. This is a great way to keep in touch as well as seek out potential business or job opportunities. You can also check out active job openings the company has listed either for yourself or to share with your peers who may be looking to make a jump. And don’t forget to check out the news and product updates the company posts, as this information can be a great way to stay ahead of important trends impacting the industries you care about, and provide inside information about a company’s culture or new products in the works.

Sharing is caring
Now that you have access to all this great information about companies you care about, how can you use it to show off your expertise? Perhaps a company you follow just launched a brand new product that has huge impact on your sector or has just released a whitepaper about controversial research. These are great pieces of info to share with your network, so you can be seen as someone with expertise and interest in your chosen industries and topics. Or perhaps you’re just a huge fan of a company and their services. Tell your peers why you love the company and their products. Sharing great companies and products is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and knowledge, and it builds good will with your professional connections who value your opinion as a trusted resource.

We’re growing the number of companies you can follow on LinkedIn every day and we are always looking for more ways to help you find useful and relevant content from companies you care about.

So find some Companies to follow on LinkedIn – we’re confident you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the new jobs, information, insights and opportunities that you and your network will discover in the process. For those of you who are managing a LinkedIn Company Page, check out some tips and tricks.

These are great examples of how businesses and organizations are using their LinkedIn Company Page to showcase their brand and connect with their target audience in a meaningful way.

Ready to kick off 2013 with an amazing LinkedIn Company Page?

If you run an organization and are looking to build out a fantastic company presence on LinkedIn, here are 4 steps to get started:

1. Add an image that welcomes visitors to your page and showcases your brand.
2. Post status updates to start a conversation with your target audience.
3. Add your products or services so your target audience can learn about what you have to offer. And don’t forget to gather recommendations to bring your products and services to life!
4. Feature relevant groups to attract a broader audience and extend your reach.

Happy holidays from the LinkedIn Company Pages Team!

Note: The list of winners is comprised of member favorites from such categories as Enterprise, Small Business and International.

What makes an awesome page, you ask?  It should have great images, compelling content, and engaging status updates.

Tell us your favorite LinkedIn Company Page by December 7 on our LinkedIn Company Page or by tweeting to @LinkedIn with hashtag #bestofCP.

We will share the Best LinkedIn Company Pages of 2012 on December 12^th so be sure to check back to see who made the list!

Here’s a slideshow of companies that are making the most of their newly designed pages: