Burns & McDonnell

Linked In: Runner-up

Campaign: LinkedIn company campaign

The Kansas City. Mo.-based engineering and construction company isn't exactly a household name, but that hasn't stopped it from amassing an eye-popping 9,500 LinkedIn followers. Burns & McDonnell uses LinkedIn not only for branding and recruiting but also as a means to enable employees to connect with customers and prospects. Last year, the company embarked upon an ambitious effort to train more than 1,200 employees in social media engagement to raise brand awareness and generate new business.

V3 Integrated Marketing was engaged to train employees from assistants to senior managers. Graduates joined relevant groups on LinkedIn and engaged in conversations that might yield prospects. V3 monitored LinkedIn conversations continuously to flag opportunities.

By the end of the year, Burns & McDonnell boasted 2,700 employee profiles on LinkedIn and 2,000 monthly visits to its company page. It's been a sought-after source of media quotations about the importance of social marketing in its highly specialized industry.