Another week has passed, and another group of people have started using new internet technology to connect with others and build business.  Hopefully, that group of people includes some lawyers.  Welcome to part six of our blog series on social media for attorneys.  As we continue to cover various networks that you can use to build relationships, promote your practice, and develop your online brand, we turn our attention to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is just as new to the social web as Twitter, but also just as important.  Created as the social network for professionals, LinkedIn is targeted toward the working world.  It developed ways to “Link” with people that you would want to develop a professional relationship with.  Starting out with friends, colleagues, and old classmates, you can build a series of connections with people across your industry and in your area.

When you signup, you are asked to add information about yourself and your professional background.  For many people, it is as simple as adding your resume.  From there, you can search for people that you know, or want to know, and connect to them.  In addition, more recently LinkedIn has been adding applications to the site that help you better connect to more people and use their services more conveniently.

The advantages of a profile on LinkedIn can be many.  One, you can use it to self promote in a way that is not as intrusive as other networks.  By adding your blog, website, and other professional contact information to your profile, you expose the information to anyone who searches for you.  Also, they have a question and answer service that allows you to ask or answer questions posted on the site.  For example, if someone in your network asks a question that you have the answer to, posting your answer will automatically give you credibility and access to anyone who sees it.

In addition, communicating with other people in your network is getting easier.  You can email your connections, post comments, and find personal contact information very easily.  And if you are looking to hire people for your practice, LinkedIn is one of the best new ways to find top talent.  Recommendations from other people within your network are easy to get and more reliable than other hiring or recommendation engines out there.

If you are not already on LinkedIn, I suggest heading over to http://www.linkedin.com/ and joining today.  If you are a member, you probably could be using it more.  Try spending some time on the site and learning a few new things.  If you do this once a week, you are sure to find a few features that you never knew about, and some that you can take advantage of very easily.  As is the case with many social networks, the more you use it, the more you will get out of it.

Past Installments of this Series:
Part One – Intro to Social Media for Attorneys
Part Two – Signing up for the Networks
Part Three – Using Blogs as an Information Source
Part Four – Start Blogging Today
Part Five – Introduction to Twitter