Business executives and coaches constantly debate on the one asset that is needed to succeed in the business world. Some individuals say that charisma is essential, others note teamwork as indispensable. Still, a third group states that each individual situation calls for different leadership styles.

Above all else, success in the business world depends on your network. You can have charisma, the ability to lead a team, money, and heart but if you don’t have a network of connections that can help your business, you won’t make it very far.

Developing or growing your network is easy, especially with LinkedIn. Let’s take a look at how you can use LinkedIn Groups to form a helpful and formidable group of allies in your niche.

What are LinkedIn Groups?

LinkedIn Groups are communities of people with one particular interest or quality in common. There are a wide range of LinkedIn Groups, including groups for marketers, musicians, evangelists, and comic book fans. Whatever your niche or interest, there is probably a group. If there isn’t, you have the ability to create a group in order to build a community of like-minded individuals.

How do LinkedIn Groups operate?

LinkedIn Groups operate like message boards. Members can post topics, articles, or interesting facts and other members can comment appropriately. It’s a great way to spur on communication and to build rapport with people who are a similar mindset or interest.

LinkedIn recently revamped their Groups section and now users can “Like” other posts and a most popular posts feed displays when you first enter the group, giving it more of a Facebook-ish feel. Some Groups also have sections for job postings and promoting your work, which only increases the usefulness of the group.

How can I use a group to grow my network?

There are three ways that you can use a LinkedIn Group to grow your network. First, you can post various articles and opinionated questions in order to generate responses from others. Once members have responded, continue the conversation and build rapport. There is no point to post threads if you’re not going to respond to the insight other people have given.

Second, respond to postings that other members started. This will show that you are an outgoing person and that you don’t mind sharing your opinion. Just as if you were starting the thread, be sure to respond when someone else comments on your thoughts. Generating conversation builds trust and influence.

Finally, you can use the Members tab to see the members of the group and you can strike up private conversations with individuals. If you are looking for individuals in the Chicago area to meet and brainstorm marketing ideas, you might go through the members of various marketing groups and ask Chicago-based professionals if they would be interested in attending. If you go this route, make sure that you don’t come across as a spammer. No one likes people who spam and are only looking out for themselves.

Once you have found some interesting people, whether its through conversation or the membership list, send them an invitation to join your network. If they find that you would be a beneficial part of their circle, they’ll accept.

There you have it–growing your network through LinkedIn Groups.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by tychay

Believe it or not, most people don’t have an online reputation or if they do, it’s not a very good one. Your online reputation is critical to your amount of influence on other people, including clients, co-workers, and partners. If you have a solid reputation, individuals have a tendency to trust you more and open up to you. Without a solid track record, you are opening yourself up to ambiguity from your clients because of trust and security issues.

Trust is key in the online game and your reputation will help you immensely.

In order to help you with forming your online reputation, I’ve outlined five methods below. Let’s see how we can get you to become an online superstar…

1. Set up a blog – Without a doubt, this is the best way to create a online reputation for yourself. Why? Because everyone uses search engines to find information. If you are meeting with a new client, chances are they have searched the Internet for you to find out more information. If you make it freely available, people find you to be open, honest, and connected. Your blog doesn’t have to be much but it should exist so people can locate you and find out more information.

Tip – When registering for your blog, use your name or the name of your company in the URL. This will make you easily searchable and recognizable.

2. Go tweeting – Twitter has become extremely popular in a short period of time and it doesn’t look like it will be vanishing anytime soon. If you want to create an online reputation, begin using Twitter to share worthwhile information. Once you generate a list of followers, you will begin creating your sphere of influence. This will help you when you’re looking for clients and customers.

Tip – Make sure that you tweet about a variety of topics to show people you know how to “let your hair down.” This helps you become more trusting and approachable.

3. Share links – People crave information and if you happen to deliver the information they’re looking for, you have immediately garnered a reputation. Begin to set up accounts at delicious and Tumblr in order to share links and pages you find interesting. Your information sharing techniques will prove that you are reliable and that you are open to new ideas–two qualities that most people seek out in their relationships.

Tip – The same rules for tweeting apply for sharing links; share a variety of information.

4. Comment – One of the easiest ways to build a reputation is through commenting on articles, pages, and blogs. Most sites have some sort of community and if you can get into that community, your reputation and sphere of influence will begin to grow. Be precise with your comments and make sure that you are engaging and asking questions. This will spark side conversations, which lead to private messages, potential partnerships, and even clients.

Tip – Don’t make enemies on blogs because it WILL come back to haunt you. If someone doesn’t agree with your opinion, keep cool and let it go.

5. Recommend others – You can recommend others in two ways, using your blog or using LinkedIn. If you regularly maintain your blog, give a shout out every now and then to the people who you trust or know provide quality service. This will show your community and potential clients that you are able to give credit where it is due. LinkedIn allows users to recommend other people in various ways and your recommendation will appear on both your page and the page of the person you commended. If you network using LinkedIn, this is a great way to show you’re a team player.

Tip – Keep your recommendations short and sweet; the less fluff the better everyone looks.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Concrete Forms

Yesterday was the first day of summer and it’s already been a hot one. It was only five months ago that the East Coast was covered in 20+ inches of snow and now some people are craving the white stuff again. Summer heat can be relentless. Even simple tasks, like going to the grocery store, can make you sweat.

As you find relief from the heat in your comfortably air conditioned home or office, you should seriously consider taking part in a few of these activities. The five tasks I’ve highlighted below will keep you cool and productive while everyone else manages to get through another scorching day.

1. Upgrade to WordPress 3.0 – The newest version of the WordPress blogging platform is finally available and word on the street says that it’s awesome. We haven’t had the chance to upgrade our Folk Media backend yet but we’ll get there. Check out more information about WordPress 3.0 from the official WordPress site. If you’re new to the WordPress world and want an all-in-one guide for your learning pleasure, check out Aaron Brazell’s WordPress Bible.

2. Track BP and their failures – I feel bad for always knocking BP but they really aren’t doing anything to help themselves. Well, their lack of action is your gain. Using hashtags and Twitter keywords, you can track their ineptitude real-time. How awesome is that? Some things to look for on Twitter would be #BP #oilspill #GulfCoast or (my favorite) #BPFail. Honestly, there is a lot to learn from the oil spill and BP’s lack of response.

3. Create a Facebook fan page – Everyone is on Facebook now and even with the new privacy controversies, Facebook is still growing. If you haven’t considered making a Facebook fan page, I would seriously recommend making it one of your top priorities. Having a fan page on Facebook can increase your business exposure and it can re-educate current clients and customers.

4. Keep tabs on your favorite sports stars – Since summer is a time where baseball is in full swing and football is gearing up, you might want to follow a few of your favorite sports stars on Twitter. WeFollow has a comprehensive list of players who use Twitter. Check them out if you want to cool off with your favorite players this summer.

5. Update your LinkedIn profile – Even though it’s nice to often update you LinkedIn profile, we forget. Since it’s summer time and you likely have some vacation planned or are shipping the kids off for a weekend at grandma and grandpa’s, you might have some little extra time to sit down and update your qualifications. Don’t forget to recommend a few people; those are critical in the eyes of potential employers.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by bodgie

It’s true; leadership books sell.  Everyone, whether its a veteran leader or a wannabe leader, wants to know the secrets to leadership.  It could be for personal or professional gain.  Any way that you look at it, leadership is a topic that attracts interest and earns serious profits.

However, most leaderships books fall short of the desired objective.  Most books don’t give you information on becoming a better leader.  Instead, they tell you a few stories about how it’s been done in the past and they expect you to mock Sam Walton (Wal-Mart), Peter Drucker, or Warren Buffett.  I’m not knocking those great leadership pioneers but what worked for Sam, Peter, and Warren may not work for you, me, and our cubicle neighbor.

I’d like to introduce a short series: First Class Leadership.  Instead of sharing stories, I’m going to share concepts and ideas that will work for nearly everyone.  Whether you’re a leader with a title or a leader without a title, a veteran leader or a leader in progress, you’ll find this data to be helpful.  Today’s leaders need to be a cut above the rest and in this series, I’ll tell you how to be “that” guy or gal who everyone talks about.  My hope is that this series will transform all aspects of your life and will play a major role in your development and the progression of those around you.

Without further ado, let’s learn about First Class Leadership.

Growing up, we all probably played the game follow the leader.  You know, the game where you had to mimic the designated leader.  If they walked, you walked.  If they turned the corner, you turned, too.

It’s a simple concept but what do you do when you get a bunch of leaders together?  What happens?  There is no longer one leader to follow so who mimics whom?

In today’s society, too many companies have leaders following one head honcho.  Supervisors follow the lead of their managers.  The managers follow in the footsteps of the coordinator or director.  But, in a First Class Leadership world, leaders break the rules and follow no one.

Instead of following along like a caravan of traveling vacationers, a leader needs to step up and break the mold.  They need to reinvent the way things are done and they need to show the other leaders how to succeed.

In some cases, “leaders” have been in leadership positions for some time and have been wondering along idlely.  They’ve grabbed at straws, had a success here and there, and maybe even made Employee of the Month.  However, this doesn’t define a leader.

A leader is the guy who is willing to stick his neck out for his team when no one else will.  A leader is the woman who buys her team lunch from her personal checking account instead of the corporate expense account.  A leader, above all, is the guy who shows appreciation for everyone he touches by having a generous and outgoing attitude – a person who will serve you, and break the mold, in a heartbeat.

Once you have broken the rules, you’ll start a series of chain reactions that won’t be easily halted.  First, your team will genuinely appreciate you and your efforts.  Therefore, they’ll work harder and in a more cohesive fashion.  Next, other “leaders” will look at you and become jealous.  They will want your success and will begin to imitate you by breaking the rules.  Finally, you’ll feel more alive and passionate about what you do because you know that you have made a substantial impact on the lives of the people you interact with each day.

Nothing shows leadership more than breaking the rules.  If you are willing to stand up, do the opposite of everyone else, and stick around for the tough consequences and conversations that follow, you’re a leader.  Title or no title, you’re a leader.

The first sign of a First Class Leader is their ability to break the rules.  So, here are a few things I’d like to challenge you to do:

• Compliment a few of your Facebook friends or Twitter followers today.  Yes, it’s not a #FollowFriday but that’s breaking the rules, eh?
• Recommend one or two LinkedIn connections.  Don’t wait for them to recommend you first.
• Do something for a coworker or friend today that you normally wouldn’t do.  Stick around for their reaction, too.
• Make a list of the rules present in your company and think of ways you can break them, both subtly and obviously.
• Make one day a week your rule-breaking day.  This is a day, once a week, that you’ll break the rules – buy someone lunch, compliment someone, reinvent a standard process, do more work than everyone else, and so on.

Being a First Class Leader and breaking the rules isn’t hard, it just requires a little more effort than you’d normally give.  Be “that” person.  Go above and beyond and take a step to becoming a true First Class Leader.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by dlritter

If you scroll through any social media or marketing how-to website, you’ll most likely find an article about why conversation is important in building relationships.  In fact, we have quite a few of those articles on this website.  It’s true – conversation generates connections and connections lead to great opportunities.  However, conversation only opens a small amount of doors.  And, it can also hurt your push for greatness.

If conversation and connection isn’t the key, what is?

Action.

Without action, our conversations, connections, and attempts at networking are useless.  Yes, conversation is needed to establish rapport but it can’t be the only thing you use to establish your relationships with others.  You don’t have a relationship with the security officer in your building who you happen to greet each morning.  You’ve done nothing to establish a rapport; you’ve only allowed pleasantries to roll off your tongue.  Kindness and smooth talking can only get you so far.  Actions help to build relationships and increase your chances of success.

So, now that you know relationships aren’t built on conversation alone, what can you do to develop the connections you’ve made?

Gratitude

It’s a simple step that individuals often avoid – showing gratitude.  Why?  It makes us feel uncomfortable.  Gratitude requires giving up your selfish interests and doing something for others.  Although it can weird us out, showing gratitude toward others is an instant relationship builder.  Receiving a selfless act of kindness is one of the best feelings and can often compel people to return the favor.

Here’s an example:

Throughout the week, we talk to many people through the Folk Media account.  Whether it’s via @replies or direct messages, we engage in conversation.  It spreads the word about Folk Media but it also allows for us to plant the seeds of relationships in others.  However, we know this isn’t the key to relationships.

Every Friday, we go through the past week of Twitter conversations and we #FollowFriday everyone that has talked with us.  We don’t just list everyone in a single tweet and call it a day.  We take the time to highlight the good aspects of each person – great conversationalist, good website, knowledgeable about social media, etc.  Giving Twitter props is a great way to show gratitude and it helps us get more exposure because most people return the favor.

Yes, it’s simple and doesn’t require much effort but in the end, most actions of gratitude don’t require much on your part.  Show some gratitude and you’ll begin to see your network and relationships grow.

Preemptive Action

It’s a no-brainer but preemptive action is really the best way to start off a relationship.  Not only does it make a great first impression, but it also shows the other person that you’re interested in helping them out and that you want to partner with them.  When people feel like someone cares about them, they begin to think of better ideas, create more informative content, and achieve more.  So, why wouldn’t you meet the needs of another person?

A great way to do this is just by asking “What can I do for you?”  Your new aquiaintance might be hesitant at first but after a few minutes, they will begin talking about how you can help them.  I often put this question to work when I connect with someone I don’t know on LinkedIn.  I send them a personalized introductory message and ask what I can do for them.  Some people respond and others don’t but it’s all about the effort.  The relationships that can be built with preemptive action are amazing.  Put yourself out there and serve another person before you need something from them.  At the end of the day, people are going to remember more what you did for them than what they did for you.

Make a good impression and stick in their mind.  You never know what a simple preemptive action might do to your career, home life, or retirement fund.

Conversation is great and it can lead to some excellent opportunities but it’s only the first step in relationship building.

So many people rely on conversation alone to get them through job changes, family issues, and personal problems.  However, actions have more influence than simple conversation.  Actions can show you really care about the relationship and will help create a network based on trust, not simply words.

I challenge you to take action in one relationship each day this week.  Do something for another person and mean it.  You never know how you will be repaid…

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by flaivoloka

We’ll show you how to connect all your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and your blog and cut your time in half.

Join us for a free teleseminar to learn the exact steps you can take to connect all your social media accounts.

[The live teleseminar is over - register below to download the slides and audio]

Have you ever felt frustrated trying to manage multiple social media accounts? Would you like to get more results from your social media activity without having to put in more time?

If you are like me, there are never enough hours in the day.  When you are faced with managing multiple social media accounts, there are days when it can all seem overwhelming.  But, it doesn’t have to be like this.  In fact, social media should HELP you achieve your personal and business goals, not eat up your valuable time that should be reserved for working on your business and enjoying your time with family and friends!

The key is implementing a system to easily manage your social media marketing.  And, there are plenty of tools out there to help you with this.

Here are just a few things we’ll be covering on the call:

• Understand why every individual and business needs to own their online identity and that there are a few key social platforms you must be on.
• Discover that there is a process to setting up your social accounts to ensure your longterm success.
• Learn how to “Connect” all of your social accounts to ensure you are consistent with your messaging across multiple platforms.
• Learn how to syndicate your content across multiple platforms to maximize your reach with the least amount of effort.
• Manage your time efficiently with social media management tools to ensure you are working smarter, not harder.

In this teleconference, Trevor Turnbull is my special guest. He’s a social media consultant and founder of Social Connect Blueprint.

Trevor is an online entrepreneur with extensive experience as a business owner, business development professional and social media consultant. He’s the founder of Social Connect Blueprint, a social media training website that provides live, interactive training and educational webinars with thought leaders in the social media world.

Trevor is also an avid sports fan and the co-founder of Sport Fan Connect, a consulting company that works with sports teams, brands and events to help improve the connection between and add value for clients, their fans and sponsors.

I’m excited to have him on the call as our guest.

What we’re going to focus on is a fast-start version of connecting your social media accounts to make your time more efficient.

On this call we have only 100 spots and expect to fill up fast. It is critical that you register for this free teleseminar now

After you register, leave your most important questions in the comments section below. We’ll answer them right here on the post.

*Photo By canvascanoe

This article was written by Chris Tompkins

I often notice individuals jumping headfirst into online marketing, whether it be social networks, blogs, micro-blogs (like Twitter) and other online channels. The main issue with this strategy is that many times their shared communications seem canned, the tone is a bit off, the message is not cohesive and the approach, at times, can be rather aggressive.

You know who they are.  When you encounter someone like this, you say things like: “Why are you just barging into my universe?” “Stop selling to me!” “Spammer!”

It isn’t just you. A lot of people feel the same way.  And, in the online world, they shout it so everyone can hear. Loudly.

First things first: the wonderful world of online marketing is different than the wonderful world of traditional marketing. Although they have many things in common (target markets, messages, distribute collateral, market research), the approach is vastly different.

The difference is that social networks and online communications are not just pushing the message through the channel.  Instead, they are about building relationships and having conversations. Read that sentence again. Relationships and conversations.

With that in mind, here are two steps you need to follow to stay in the game. If you have been entrenched in social media marketing for quite some time, then these tips will keep you fresh. Brand new and desperate to see what everyone is talking about? These two resolutions should help you enter the online marketplace with more ease.

Step 1:  Listen, Watch and Monitor the Activity Before Joining the Discussion

The mistake many of us make is that we don’t listen before we leap. Our gut instinct is to stick to the same communication style as our email blasts, corporate website or our “business speak.”

I’m not saying its a bad way to go, but if you are going to talk that way then you better make make sure everyone else is speaking your language.

Go to sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and look around. Go into the groups section on LinkedIn and Facebook and use the search function to find groups relevant to your professional interests. Look at the discussion topics, how people are conversing in each topic, and check the level of activity. Anyone providing links to video or audio? Click, watch and listen.

Also, LinkedIn and Facebook have a main micro-blog wall (they call it “Status Updates”). See how people are interacting, watch how they speak.

Twitter is more tricky; my tip is to download TweetDeck. It is a third party platform that helps you listen in a fast and efficient way. You can search for people talking about relevant topics to your business, your company and even you! Before you send out your first “tweet”, check out TweetDeck and size up the playing field.

Step 2: Plan Before You Dive

If you are going to begin engaging with the global online audience, it’s important to get your act together first. Stop and think for a minute. Would you execute a branding or PR initiative without at least a plan outline?

Sit down and identify what you want to get out of this. This can be the hardest step. Without full knowledge about what you can expect, it is hard to identify what your goals should even be. My advice is to be realistic, honest and take into consideration what the medium is all about. If you are thinking about SEO, direct response advertising or pay-per-click Google ads, then you will think in terms of hits to your online point-of-sale. The social media market has elements of this, but the purpose is to position yourself as an expert, increase visibility to you and your brand, build relationships that will in turn build your business and more.

Think about your purpose, your field of expertise and what value you can offer to others. Once you pinpoint that, you can identify the sites you want to focus on, the methods you want to employ and targets you want to hit.

Wrap it up

I really can’t stress how important it is to take the time to check out the playing field before you jump in headfirst. I think the real point here is that you wouldn’t sink $100,000 in a direct marketing initiative without making sure of the integrity of the mailing list. You would never spend $15,000 a week on an English speaking call center who is calling a Spanish speaking market.

At the end of the day it is Marketing 101. Learn where your market is, what they are saying and then plan how you are going to join the conversation. Then start talking.

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Chris is the CEO of Go! Media International, LLC – an integrated marketing firm specializing in cutting edge social media strategy and online marketing campaigns. Chris is a fundamental supporter of education in the online marketing technology sector (for companies and individuals) and speaks at national and international conferences alike. If you’d like to find out more, visit his blog or follow him on Twitter.

*Photo by Watje11

Ah yes, LinkedIn.  The word (or is it a phrase?) sends shivers down the spines of many, including people who use it often.  Some say LinkedIn is too complicated and others say it doesn’t yield results.  I’d say both types of people are wrong.

I’m going to give you seven surefire (and easy!) methods to building your network through LinkedIn.  How do I know they’re surefire?  I’ve used them and they worked.

There is no need to be afraid of LinkedIn once you know it’s possible to grow your network and circle of influence.  If I’m giving you the secrets…why not give them a try?

1.  Join a group.

This is probably the easiest way to grow your network on LinkedIn.  There is a group for everything imaginable – Toastmasters, Los Angeles, Harry Potter, Google Buzz.  You name it, there is a group for it on LinkedIn.  If there isn’t a group, create one!  When you’re part of a group, you will meet people with similar interests and your network will grow automatically.  Cool deal, huh?

2.  Post a thread to a group.

Once you’ve joined your group, strike up a conversation.  Make sure that you create a conversation with useful and valuable content.  Don’t just say, “Hey, what’s up?”  No one will respond.  If someone does, they probably aren’t worth having in your network.  If someone comments on your post, make sure you reply to them.  Conversation builds rapport and solid rapport can lead to a great professional relationship.

3.  Respond to a post by someone else.

Can’t think of anything to post as a new topic thread?  Easy enough.  Respond to an existing thread.  Once again, make sure you’re posting useful information.  Don’t simply agree with a statement that has been made.  If you agree, explain why.  If you don’t, state your opinion.  You begin to show you care about others when you weigh in on their topic of conversation.  When people know you care, you build your network and your trust.

4.  Search for people.

Searching for people is a great way to connect because it put you in the driver’s seat.  First, decide who you want to find.  How about current co-workers?  Maybe your boss from your last job?  How about people in your local area?  There is pretty much an endless scope of people you could locate on LinkedIn.  Find someone you know (or would like to know) and dive right in.

5.  Import your email contacts.

The ability to import email contacts into LinkedIn is awesome.  If you use your email address book a lot, this is a nice way to connect with people who you already email regularly.  LinkedIn will locate your contacts, find the people who have active LinkedIn accounts, and will allow you to invite others to join the site.  It’s a quick and easy way to grow your network.

6.  Advertise on other social networking profiles.

Whether you’ve been a LinkedIn member for five minutes or five months, it’s still good to advertise your LinkedIn existence on your other social networking profiles.  I know that there are a lot of friends on my Facebook page that I wouldn’t mind creating a “professional connection” with on LinkedIn.  Don’t just find others; have them find you.

7.  Spread the verbal word.

I know, it’s old school but it still works.  I drop the “L” word (or is a phrase?) in conversation a few times a week to see who uses LinkedIn and who doesn’t.  This method has actually led me establish quite a few connections and the results continue to grow.  At times, nothing beats good ol’ fashion yapping.

Now that you know seven ways to build your LinkedIn network, you should begin to establish connections on a regular basis.  Make sure that your connections are valuable; don’t just connect with people to raise the number displayed in your profile.  In social networking, and especially LinkedIn, it’s not the quantity of your connections, it’s the quality of your connections.

If you’d like, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by juliaf

by Deborah Richmond

LinkedIn for B2Bs: Fish from the Right Pond

Some B2B (Business to Business) companies are reticent to adopt social media for business.  To them it seems unproductive and silly.  They don’t see where the business benefit is in putting themselves out there on display.  If you are one of these doubters, you are likely missing out on some great opportunities to connect to people who can help you and your business thrive.
LinkedIn is a great place to get your feet wet with online networking, particularly if you are a B2B.  This network was designed for professionals.  It’s more than just a place to put your resume’.  LinkedIn is a place to meet business people in your industry. It’s a place to share ideas, be recommended by people who have worked with you, and build relationships with other businesses who might be in need of your products or services.

If you’re someone who networks in your community, LinkedIn can make your networking time more valuable. When I attend a networking event, I come back to the office, pull out the business cards I’ve been given, and look up the people I just met at the luncheon or mixer.  If they are on LinkedIn, I ask them to connect to me. This accomplished two things at once. It is a follow-up greeting to new acquaintances, letting them know, yes, I’m interested in you and your company.  The second thing this accomplishes is that it grows my online network.

No More Cold Calls

When someone connects to you, take the time to look through their connections. With LinkedIn, you can focus on exactly the target audience you want. First invite friends, colleagues and existing customers to connect to you . You might also find people who could be a great contact for you. For instance, when I look through other people’s connections, I sometimes find they know the marketing directors of local companies. If there comes a time when I’m looking to connect with local companies, I can ask my friend for an introduction.  There is no doubt that a personal introduction is better than a cold call any day.

Get Started

If you’re ready to get your feet wet in social media, create an account on LinkedIn, start to fill out your profile. Remember, you don’t have to stick to resume’ language.  People want to get to know you. Be sure to include interesting information about yourself. For instance, in the summary section, don’t just put your title. Use this area to describe what you do in a way that is interesting to the people you would like to influence.  Include a photo in your profile. This allows people to get a better sense of who you are.

Take Action

Once on LinkedIn, join a couple groups. The discussion areas are a great place to meet new people who have interesting ideas and similar interests.  LinkedIn members are eager to converse in these areas. When I leave a comment in a discussion, I often receive requests from other commenters to join their connections.   Your LinkedIn strategy can be as simple as showing up a few times a week and commenting on a discussion or two while you are there.  This allows you to build your connections and to further relationships with people in your target audience.

Bottom Line

You already know the value of networking. Every day more business people are joining these online networks. These are your potential customers and they’re waiting for you. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect.

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Deborah Richmond is a owner of Tekkbuzz and author of Pump Up Your Profits with Social Marketing. For free information on how to use social media to market your business, check out Deborah’s free advice on the Tekkbuzz Blog.

*Photo by fcd

LinkdIn is a great resource for professional networking.  The site includes standard social networking features, such as status updates, biography information, and groups, but it also has a unique component – the ability to give and receive recommendations.  When you connect with colleagues or friends on LinkedIn, you have the chance to put in a good word for someone who has proven themselves to be a hard worker.  Your recommendation is displayed on the user’s profile for others to see.

This type of feature is very beneficial when you are attempting to build up a professional portfolio.  Each recommendation gives insight into your work ethic, personality, and ability to complete a task.  If you are intending to change jobs any time soon, this would be a great feature to utilize and display in case potential employers stumble upon your profile.

Once a person has grasped the power of the recommendation feature on LinkedIn, they tend to request recommendations from every one of their connections.  Their hope is to build a profile that is bursting at the seams with praise, adoration, and respect in order to make themselves look good.  Unfortunately, this probably isn’t going to happen.  There is no Recommendations Race.  In fact, recommendations on LinkedIn are genuine sentiments reflecting outstanding work ethic, not another notch on a belt.

After realizing the real purpose for recommendations, it is time to explore the feature further.  Let’s start by recommending one of your connections.  In order to do this, follow the following steps:

• Log in to LinkedIn
• Input the name of the person you would like to recommend in the search box near the top of the page
• Select “Recommend this person” on the right side of the page
• Choose your type of relationship with that person and click “Go”
• Select the appropriate responses to the questions in the “Relationship” section
• Write your recommendation in the text box near the bottom of the page

Wow, that was pretty easy – or was it?

The point-and-click navigation to complete a written recommendation is quite simple but the process of writing the recommendation can be difficult.  What tense do you write it in?  What do you say?  How long should it be?

When you write a LinkedIn recommendation, speak as if you were bragging about the person you’re recommending not as if you’re talking to them.  For example, I wouldn’t write directly to my connection by saying “You are a hard worker.”  I would brag about him and say “Jim is a hard worker.”  Remember, other people will be reading these recommendations so, technically, you are bragging.

As far as content is concerned, there are no restrictions or limitations.  Be professional and be truthful.  If Jim only outperformed the other members of the sales task force by $2,000, don’t say it was $20,000.  The person you are recommending will be displaying your reference on their profile and they probably don’t want to tell lies to potential employers.

If possible, keep your recommendation short and to the point.  Don’t explain the task your contact was working on, just explain that they worked diligently.  It is safe to say that your recommendation should be no longer than five or six sentences.

If you would like to request a connection to write a recommendation for you, walk through the following steps:

• Roll over the “Profile” option on the top menu
• Select “Recommendations”
• Locate the position you’d like to be recommended for and click “Ask to be endorsed”
• Type the names of the people you’d like to receive recommendations from in the “Your connections:” box
• Compose your message to your connections (LinkedIn displays a template message you can use if you’d like)
• Click “Send”

Once your contacts have recommended you, an email will be sent to your inbox alerting you.  At that point, you can choose to accept or deny the recommendation and if you’d like the recommendation displayed on your profile.

LinkedIn recommendations are a great way to share positive experiences for workers that go above and beyond what is expected of them.  Be sure to recommend colleagues or friends that have exhibited a great work ethic.  Who knows, they might recommend you in return!

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by soopahtoe