They are: Headline – Keep it brief and use it to communicate basic information or arouse interest. Add more details - Provide background and explanatory information. Tell people why you think this information is important. I spend a lot of time in LinkedIn groups and have learned a bit about maximizing their potential as conversation-starters. Here are 15 of my favorite tips. Please add your own as comments. Ask Questions. The best way to provoke discussion on LinkedIn is to ask questions. Rather than sharing a link to an article, use it to kick off a discussion. MORE >>

Back in the early days of my career, I made a point to go on frequent informational interviews. I’ve always advised young career-seekers to get as many informational interviews as they can. Over the past 20 years, the informational interview has been replaced by "networking.&# think today's "networkers” should steal a few tips from informational interviews. The fact that it’s so easy to find background information on almost anyone today makes it all the more astounding that so many people don't. Today, the shoe is on the other foot. Have an agenda. MORE >>

Today, State Farm is all over Facebook, with pages for the corporation , careers , Latino customers , the Bayou Classic football event and an innovative youth-oriented forum called State Farm Nation  (right), where people can “discuss life’s challenges and opportunities, connect with others facing life-shaping decisions [and] find helpful tips and information.&# I was privileged to be on a panel with some outstanding social media practitioners from the insurance industry at the 2011 Social Media Conference for Financial Services put on by LOMA LIMRA this morning. With 1.3 MORE >>

Today, the people who can quickly find, organize and interpret information are among the most valuable in the workforce. This is about the finding new ways of doing business with a customer base that’s empowered with information. The information-empowered customer will impact every business at every level. The disconnect between CIOs and the emerging world of social business became clear to me at a conference I attended about two years ago. entered the room late, but figured I could quickly catch up on the proceedings by checking the Twitter stream of attendees. MORE >>

Each company matches its offer to its goal, whether it’s a free trial, information or downloadable assets like ringtones. Most small businesses are terrible at marketing in general and online marketing in particular. That’s understandable: The founders are usually more passionate about what they do than about promoting themselves. But with Facebook becoming the place you just have to be for businesses of all sizes, a little marketing know-how comes in handy. However, “Most small businesses are doing Facebook without knowing why they’re doing it.”. Tip #3: Keep it simple. MORE >>