I spend a lot of time in LinkedIn groups and have learned a bit about maximizing their potential as conversation-starters. The best way to provoke discussion on LinkedIn is to ask questions. Make it Personal. LinkedIn is the only major social network that doesn’t permit brands to interact as members. With that in mind, make sure your posts have a personal tone. Corporate speak doesn’t work in social channels because you communicate there as a person, not as an institution. There Are Three Parts Of Any LinkedIn Post. Ask Questions. MORE >>

LinkedIn has decided to purchase SlideShare for $119 million in cash and stock. If you’re scratching your head on just why LinkedIn would spend all that dough on SlideShare, let me offer five big reasons. It Makes LinkedIn More Engaging. While LinkedIn started out essentially as the combo of an online resume and rolodex, it’s tried a variety of tactics to make the site itself more sticky by getting people to share content. LinkedIn would love nothing more than to have its members treat it like the Facebook of career-related content. The C-Level Loves It. MORE >>

One of the great things about LinkedIn is the ability to start a group around an organization or topic. In managing this group and looking at successful examples as the Event Planning and Management  group founded by Julius Solaris , whom I’ve met virtually and one day will meet in person, I have these five simple tips for managing your LinkedIn group: Set Up Email Templates: There is an option to set up automatic email responses to people seeking to join the group and when they are approved. This is a great way to add a personal touch while saving you time. MORE >>

LinkedIn isn’t just the world’s largest professional networking website–it’s an empire with over 200 million members at last count. Today, I’ve decided to focus on sharing tried-and-true tactics for writing a personal LinkedIn profile that can’t be ignored by your prospects or future connections. If you haven’t claimed your custom LinkedIn URL yet, your profile will be much more difficult to find, especially in Google. You can link to up to three websites from your LinkedIn profile, all of which contribute to positive SEO for the websites you own. MORE >>

From my perspective, LinkedIn has some interesting opportunities. Here's Here's my look at  LinkedIn in the brave new world of media pitching: Make Connections : LinkedIn's core purpose is to make connections - either with people you know or people you want to know. If you're seeking to connect with a journalist, you can request a "linkedin" connection to make an introduction. Research Media : I was recently searching for a reporter to create a briefing sheet and found the reporter's LinkedIn page. LinkedIn is rich with information about a person's background. MORE >>