Social Networking Facts: Getting the Most out of LinkedIn

10 Steps to Getting Started on LinkedIn-Fast

1. Fill out your profile Make sure that you add as much information as you can. The more information you have in your profile, the easier it is for people to find you. Having your entire career history also makes you appear more authentic. Someone that you want to connect with may not remember your name right away, but seeing the name of the company you both worked at will go a long way to jogging their memory.
2. Find people to connect with LinkedIn makes this easy by being able to import most email address books. It will then find people who are also on LinkedIn that you've emailed. But don't worry--they won't automatically send requests to everyone in your address book if you don't want them to. You'll be able to pick and choose who you want to connect with.
3. After connecting with someone, check their connections This is another one of the most effective ways to quickly connect to people you know. You may be surprised how many people you know that are on LinkedIn.
4. Update your status at least once a week The people in your network will get automatic updates sent to their email inbox whenever you post a status update. For great status update ideas, see our list below.
5. Join LinkedIn Groups Joining and contributing to groups is a very effective way you can increase your visibility. Contributing to groups regularly will make it easy to gain new connections.
6. Ask and answer questions Using LinkedIn Answers is another great way to connect with others. Answer questions that relate to you and your industry. It will help to increase your visibility and it will help you build your personal brand.
7. Connect with others you meet online If converse with others on Facebook, Twitter or elsewhere, ask them if they're on LinkedIn and connect with them.
8. Research people Have an appointment or an interview? Now you can check out someone's LinkedIn profile and glean some information about them. It's a good way to break the ice with new contacts and it's a good way to start a meeting.
9. Check your profile regularly Don't go weeks without signing in to LinkedIn.By keeping your profile updated and by continually adding contacts, you can keep yourself and everyone else up-to-date.
10. Remember to be selective with your connections Quality counts, not quantity. You should actually know every connection you have in LinkedIn.

10 Ways to Use Your Status Updates More Effectively

Make your status updates matter with these LinkedIn strategies

1. Link to your blog post Have a blog? Then include a link to your latest blog post. You can have the link to your blog post by using URL shortener like bit.ly or ow.ly.
2. Link to other blog posts Want to let others know about a blog post you really liked? Then let others know about it by including a link to it. Again, use URL shorteners to save space.
3. Link to important news stories If you've read some news that's important to your industry, then let others know. If they find it valuable, you've probably got someone who will check your LinkedIn page frequently for more information.
4. Add a "quote of the day" Meaningful quotes can be inspiring and enlightening. They'll also assure that people will check your page frequently. For good, short quotes, search Twitter using the #quote hashtag.
5. Add a short piece of advice Have something important to share but can't find a news story or blog about it? Then say it yourself. This will help you brand yourself as an expert in your field.
6. Link to a YouTube video Remember, LinkedIn is a bit more serious than other social networks. Leave the videos with skateboarding dogs for Facebook. Try to link to videos that are related to your industry or area of specialty.
7. Tell people to follow you on Twitter A simple "Follow me on Twitter @youtname" message can gain you more followers on Twitter.
8. Broadcast news about you or your company Rolling out new products or services? Then let your LinkedIn network know.
9. Add a link to an article where you were quoted If you've ever been interviewed and quoted in an article, don't be shy about it. Provide a link to it.
10. Let people know what you're doing at work Did you just finish a big project? Land a new client? Going to a conference? Be sure to broadcast any good news.