LinkedIn is the #1 choice in business-to-business social media. Over 250 million members use it for a number of purposes, such as:

• Post your resume
• Show your photo
• Use relevant keywords to attract the right people via Google and Linked in’s own search tools
• Get recommendations from peers and clients to show your reliability and specific talents
• Join Groups – this is a major benefit. Ask your peers questions, learn what matters in client industries
• Give away or get Resource Lists and other valuable documents

A few years ago, I needed to learn about a couple of business sectors so I joined some relevant business groups on Linked in. Then I asked a specific question and posted it so members could respond. Some of the groups gave me less than 10 responses and little interaction. A few of the groups picked it up and it generated comments and online conversations for over 5 weeks. I collected over 250 comments and learned a great deal. Ask the right crowd and get ready to learn.

You can create a personal Linked in profile, and one specifically for you business. Large organizations can be searched and you can identify the right individuals – want to find corporate counsel, HR specialists, IT managers, or almost any other title – they are on Linked in, and they are there in large numbers.

The Linked in Financial Planning Association has over 9,000 members; the Accounting Technology group has over 6,000 members; Elder Care & Estate Planning group has over 7,000 members. Look for something specific to your clients’ situation, join it and gain valuable insight. It’s like a conference that doesn’t stop.

One key pointer, don’t write your profile like a CV or resume, write it like a personal introduction to a person sitting at the next seat at a dinner table. Be personable, helpful and you will start to build your own online network of experts and guides.