It's new, but it has possibilities. LinkedIn earlier today announced Endorsements, a new feature that allows its users to recognize professionals for their expertise.  LinkedIn is of course a person-oriented site, pushing the expertise and prestige of its members - think of a social media guru like Chris Brogan, or startup chronicler Benn Parr (who last week sagely wrote about "The Facebookification of Twitter"). But it is also a business-oriented site, with entire pages and communities devoted to businesses and brands like IBM and Coca-Cola.

You will find Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. But for some reason, you will have a hard time finding Yahoo's new CEO Marissa Mayer (unless we're missing something), who has nearly a quarter-million Twitter followers. What it does reveal is a news item via BusinessInsider (LinkedIn is now a news aggregator) with a miffed-looking Mayer revealing her turnaround plans. Perhaps the CEO of Yahoo does not need a LinkedIn endorsement to stress her importance, but, the founder of a startup seeking angel funding does, hence, Endorsements.

LinkedIn stresses specific skills (like programming and project management). But as a social network, there is far more branding opportunity with LinkedIn than merely selling a skill; Steve Jobs, Marissa Mayer, Messrs. Brogan and Parr et. al., become more accessible on a social network.
Starting today, Endorsements launches in English across the US, India, New Zealand, and Australia, with plans to expand Endorsements in all languages to all members over the next few weeks.

How to promote your personalities/assets? Easily, says LinkedIn. "With just one click, you can now endorse your connections for a skill they've listed on their profile or recommend one they haven't added yet."  On the top of a connection's profile, you’ll see recommended endorsements for them. You can suggest additional skills as well.

• You can also endorse them from the new Skills & Expertise section that now showcases these endorsements.

If in turn you want to see who has endorsed you, Linkedin will notify you via email and on LinkedIn whenever you are endorsed. You may also scroll to the bottom of your profile page under "Skills and Expertise" to see the faces of people who have endorsed you. You can also accept any new skills recommended by your peers that you may not have thought to include on your profile. Or add a new skill by clicking on "add a skill" on your guru's profile page.