LinkedIn doesn't get enough attention. It's one network that almost every business person uses, but nobody ever talks about. It's also a network that really can turn simple posts and comments into paying gigs or into new clients. If you post the right stuff, that is.

The question is: how do you know if what you're posting on LinkedIn is actually paying off? How can you be sure that your posts are being read at all? Or, which posts do people prefer to read? Each of these questions can now be simply answered. LinkedIn has just rolled out analytics for company pages.

Using Company Analytics on LinkedIn

Analytics for LinkedIn? What a great idea! How do you use them? Here's a simple way to get started:

1. Head to the top of your company page.
2. Find the 'Analytics' tab.
3. Click on said tab.
4. Sort and filter the analytics according to your preferences. You can filter by date or time.
5. You will see all kinds of analytics to analyze.

At the top of an analytics page search, you will see the following information: date, audience, sponsored, impressions, clicks, interactions, followers acquired, and engagement. Underneath each of these categories are numbers that you can run by your SEO team or just analyze for yourself.

How can you use these numbers?

Using Analytics Numbers

If you see that one post on a Friday gained 3000 clicks, that's pretty decent. If you see that a post directly after that popular post gained only 5 clicks, that's not so decent. By looking at this information, you can determine what kinds of subject matter people like to read on your company page. From there, you can post similar posts or create something that's entirely unique.

LinkedIn also includes some handy charts that allow you to clearly see what periods were most effective. LinkedIn also includes something the company is calling 'follower analytics.' These details include demographics about your core followers - age, location, and other details. You can use this information to better target your products, and that's priceless data.

Competitor Details Too

Not only will you get all kinds of amazing data from the new LinkedIn analytics tool, but you will also clearly see how you stack up against your competition - the LinkedIn video says that you will get a "sneak peak," so I'm guessing that you will have to upgrade your account to see more of these competition details. Still, LinkedIn brings analytics to a whole different place than other companies that offer social analytics.

If you use LinkedIn to network or to spread word about your company, the new analytics tool is really going to be useful. Plus, it will help SEO specialists find out what's really happening with LinkedIn. The new feature should be widely available today, though it is only available to companies (not individuals). Using the feature is simple, and it will prove to be very helpful for all that use it. Check out the new feature today, and let me know what you think.