LinkedIn has rolled out targeted status updates to help marketers guide their social content to the right audiences.

Companies using LinkedIn as part of a social media marketing campaign can now ensure their content is seen by the right users with the announcement of targeted status updates. According to a release from the company, more than 2 million companies are active on the site, and the targeted updates stand to benefit both professionals and businesses on the network.

While LinkedIn started with a different purposes than most social networks, for both professionals and businesses, there are still some posts not relevant to every contact a user or business has. Moreover, a marketer may only want to share certain updates with specific LinkedIn contacts, such as existing clients or partners. Enabling users and companies to specify who will see their shared content can ensure they maximize the value of their social presence.

Linkedin rolled out targeted updates to some partners to fine-tune the system prior to the complete launch. In the earliest stages, the company said that Philips, the electronics manufacturer, used the feature and saw a 106 percent increase in engagement by targeting content at the right contacts.

As a secondary part of the announcement, LinkedIn reported that it has launched some insights tools to allow companies to track their social content in terms of consumption and engagement. According to the company, the goal is to make social media marketing campaigns more actionable for marketers.

LinkedIn has been relatively quiet in recent months despite growing adoption of the site for social marketing. Brafton recently reported that LinkedIn’s Company Pages have been integrated into HootSuite’s dashboard to make it easier for marketers to manage their LinkedIn presence.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.