How to get the most out of LinkedIn

Anne Pryor is a LinkedIn evangelist. The online branding strategist and career coach teaches seminars and offers coaching sessions for people who want to maximize their presence on the networking site. Here are some of her suggestions:

• To get the most of Linked­In, be engaged on a regular, even daily, basis. "Be more active, post, comment and share. Add a skill, update a promotion or endorse a colleague," she advised. "That immediately increases hits and viewability, the foundation for your grid."

• Find out who has looked at your profile — they did it for a reason. Shoot them an e-mail to thank them.

• In all your communications, keep your tone professional. "Adopt a spirit of humble self-promotion," she said.

• Save whimsical personal photos for other social media platforms. Remember, recruiters and hiring managers are looking.

• Hang out on the site. "The more you play, the more you will understand LinkedIn and see the magic in it," she said.

Kevyn Burger