I don't often write about LinkedIn because it's considered a business-to-business social network and my educational focus is helping entrepreneurs connect directly with consumers. That said, today I'm going to share how you could use this network to your advantage.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a professional social network. The goal of this network is to allow you to maintain your curriculum vitae and connect with those you've worked with throughout your career. You can conn...
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I'm sitting on a regional jet right now as I write this. I'm heading back to New Jersey after three days with the RJO in St. Louis, Missouri. For me, it was a weekend of discussions about e-commerce, online local marketing, and social networking.

I was very impressed with all the jewelers I spoke to this weekend and I'm starting to think that the need for social media is starting to be understood as a necessity for marketing, even though the results can't be tracked. Many jewelers told me...
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The final item to talk about is Status updates. Yes, LinkedIn has status updates just like on Facebook, and just like updates to Twitter.

Your first thought is probably one of, "Oh great; another things I have to waste time on," but you shouldn't look at it like that.

Status updates on LinkedIn do not have to be once an hour, once a day or even once a week. They only need to be when you have something relevant and exciting to share with your connections.

An easy example would be "I've been hired to create a custom championship ring for a sports team." It doesn't have to be that exciting, either; you could simply say, "I've been hired to create a custom pendant for a 25th wedding anniversary."

The...
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