LinkedIn is probably the Web's most underrated goldmine of social networking power.
It's essentially the business version of Facebook.
Like Facebook, it allows you to create profiles, join groups, network, and get people to your site.
Also like Facebook, its membership is enormous.
At the time of writing there are over 150 million profiles, and in the year 2010 alone it got 2 billion web searches.
This number will only increase in the coming years.
It works in much the same way as other social media sites do.
You start by making a profile that's connected to your site.
This profile is your mini-site on LinkedIn.
You can think of it as a piece of marketing material that gets exposure and helps you brand your business.
This enables you to link and interact with like minded people within your own area of interest.
For best results, you should take time to complete your profile.
Make sure that you have a good professional looking picture.
This isn't Facebook, it's a business forum, so make yourself as professional as possible.
Spend some time preparing and writing a summary that shows your skills and personality.
This is at the top, right under your picture, and it's the first thing people see when they find you.
There are also settings that let you optimise your profile.
Once your profile is finished, you go about linking it to other professionals in your field and potential clients.
Each person has a "network" of other professionals that they know.
The idea is to grow your network to include as many people as possible.
You can start by searching for people you know through its contact search function.
You can also invite people you know to join LinkedIn.
Now that your profile is finished and you've got a network started, what do you do on LinkedIn to promote yourself? The whole goal of every activity should be to get out there and let people know who you are.
One of the best ways to do this is to join groups related to your field.
There are thousands of groups in almost every niche where people are discussing various related topics.
Get out there and participate in these discussions, remember every person is an individual and has a point of view.
Focus on letting your expertise help other members, and this will establish authority and credibility, which is essential for branding.
You can also start your own group that's unique to your niche or sub-niche.
LinkedIn Answers is another great tool for getting exposure.
Like Yahoo Answers and other answer sites, it allows users to ask and answer questions related to their fields.
Answering questions that have been posted by other users is a wonderful way to show your expertise.
You can also ask questions, and this will help to get people knowing who you are.
Another good tool is LinkedIn's recommendations.
You can ask clients that you have worked with or colleagues for recommendation.
This is a short testimonial that goes directly on to your profile and lets people know that your products or services are high quality.
Since it is a social network site your aim should always be to portray yourself in your true light.
Always be friendly, polite and respectful.
Using LinkedIn this way will get lots of new prospects for your online business.