So, have you started that blog? Not sure what to write about or how to keep that blog alive and interesting? Especially when you are thinking about your audience, what information they want and how to integrate all of this in with your Internet Marketing strategy!

Well, there are many points to remember and points to avoid. In this blog, I will provide the "things to do" in blogging in this post. For the next post, we'll focus on the "things to avoid" in blogging. So, as you think about blogging keep these points in mind:

• Do be respectful of your audience and ensure any humor-based messages do not come across as critical or annoying.
• Do provoke meaningful conversation in a professional, non-criticizing manner.
• Do write what you know and post your areas of expertise.
• Do have a monitoring process in place for comments on your blog posts.
• Do respond to all comments in an appropriate and professional manner.
• Do ensure that all content associated with you is consistent with your work and with your company's values and professional standards.
• Do be polite and respectful when posting comments on other people's blog posts.
• Do share content that is open-ended and invites response and encourages comments.
• Do create a content plan for your blog and ensure consistent frequency in your blog posts.
• Do use a tracking system for all links (ie, bit.ly.com)

So, what do you do with those business videos and business images that you have been taking for your products or services? Well, a great tool in creating an effective Internet Marketing strategy is use those videos on your website and in your Social Media Marketing portals. So, how do you do that?

• Do share appropriate business related videos and/or images on your company website, blog and the various video sites (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
• Do try and optimize any videos you upload with relevant keywords (title tags, video descriptions, etc.)
• Don't upload inappropriate pictures to your gallery or photo album
• Don't create a company video without a standard company branded title and end slide
• Don't use copyrighted material (videos or images) without the owners written permission

So, whether you have a profile or are looking to create a social media profile, it is always good to review a few key guidelines. So, from an Internet Marketing perspective, let's review the do's and don'ts of a good social media profile.

Let's start with the positives.

• Do use your company name in your profile name, or use your company domain name.
• Do have a company logo or professional photo for your profile picture and use a consistent picture across the social portals.
• Do provide a company biography on your porfile and list your industry or service expertise.
• Do use a branded profile design where possible.

Ok, now for the profile items to avoid.

• Don;t use multiple names across your social portals.
• Don't use the same profile for personal and business use, keep them separate.
• Don't use your personal contact details (ie, gmail) as this looks unprofessional. Use your company branded contact details instead.
• Don't detail your personal hobbies and religious or political beliefs on your company profile.

So, as that first step make certain you are establishing a profile that is appropriate and complete for your business and professional needs.

Ok, so go figure. I was attending a nice quiet social event last evening and the talk turned to social media and specifically "what is LinkedIn?" So, I had the opportunity to listen to another member of the group give an example of how this "online business network" can help on a professional basis. This individual is an executive in the banking industry and has been active as a LinkedIn member. He became aware that a particular bank was going to have a vacancy and would therefore have a need for an appropriate replacement. Now, this individual knew the name of the senior executive he needed to contact but did not know them in person.

So here's how he used LinkedIn to get that introduction to a specific individual. What he did is enter the name of his boss in to LinkedIn search. Once he found his boss, he was able to look at the 2nd connections and see who was connected to this third party bank. He found a mutual connection that could introduce him to a member that had a direct connection with the target executive, was able to get an introduction, then received the cellphone number of that executive and placed a timely and effective phone call. He now works that bank in a more lucrative and rewarding position.

So, now think of how this process can apply to your Internet Marketing strategy. Yep, start to look for and work the connections for your target market accounts. Not only can they find you, but you can find and market to them. Sometimes, the concept of Six Degrees of Separation are very powerful (if you work at it).

So, you can probably tell that I am a strong believer in the power of the LinkedIn network! If used properly, it can help you define and achieve measurable results in pursuing your Internet Marketing strategy. So, let me provide a little cheat sheet of actions you should take to get started on effectively using LinkedIn. Just remember, you need to not only establish a good LinkedIn profile, but you need to use it and keep it updated.

Own a profile that truly represents YOU. List your current and past positions and all of your education. Make certain you identify the dates worked or attended for each (this helps the right people and opportunities find you). Remember to add that professional profile picture and a well written summary paragraph.

Ensure Your connections Represent Your “Real World” network.  Use the LinkedIn feature to import your contacts (you can select who you want to invite during the process) from your webmail, Outlook, Palm, ACT!, etc. Next search for and connect with colleagues and classmates that are already on LinkedIn.

Leverage the power of your LinkedIn network. Post a question on Answers and tap in to the community of experts, this is especially helpful for those tough questions. Lookup someone’s profile before you meet with them to learn their background and see who you may have in common. Search for Service Providers and make the best selection based on your trusted network.

So, you now have the basics setup with LinkedIn, or at least you have a better understanding of how you can use LinkedIn in a well planned Internet Marketing strategy or even in your professional pursuits. But how do you help LinkedIn make the connections and add value to your connections? Well, unlike Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn does not have many apps, but the apps they do have can be very helpful for positioning your profile and increasing your contact points. Here are a few to consider:

1. WordPress and Bloglink provide apps that allow you to send your blog posts automatically to your LinkedIn profile.
2. The Twitter app allows you to connect your Twitter updates to your LinkedIn status.
3. The Google Presentation and SlideShare apps let you embed PowerPoint presentations you have create in to your profile.
4. The Polls application can be used to attract a specific audience by carefully crafting the right poll questions.
5. If you travel frequently, the MyTravel app lets you know your network’s travel activity so you can see when your colleagues are in the same place, creating yet more opportunities to connect.
6. The Amazon reading List app lets you list books you’ve read, the books you are reading and those you would like to read and it connects you with others who are using the app.
7. Finally, LinkedIn provides a very nice elearning module. You can view the module at http://learn.linkedin.com/training.

Good luck, and remember it is best to have a well planned Internet Market strategy and specific and measurable goals as you work with LinkedIn.

Saying your LinkedIn profile picture should appear “professional” states the obvious. So, should you pay a professional photographer to take that picture or use your PC webcam? If you intend to use LinkedIn from an Internet Marketing perspective or a professional network, my recommendation is to invest in presenting your best qualities in that very important (albeit tiny) piece of cyber real estate, since one of the first things people will notice on your LinkedIn page is your photo. If you don’t get a professional photographer, then take your picture on a fairly neutral background with very good lighting.

So, would your friends recognize you from your picture? While you don’t need to update your picture every year, it should still match up pretty well with your “current” appearance. A good rule of thumb is; if people are going to meet you and be surprised by the difference, it’s time to get a new one.

The prime focus on LinkedIn is, first and foremost, this social portal is about individuals. Therefore it is recommended that your company spokesperson (the business owner, the company president, the Public Relations manager, etc.) should have a LinkedIn profile to represent your brand. As you begin to use LinkedIn, here are my top ten best practices.

1. Ask to Connect. Whenever you have interactions with people, ask them if they are on LinkedIn and if they would like to connect. Try sending LinkedIn requests shortly after receiving someone’s business card.
2. Complete as much of your profile as you can. The more information you put in, the more connections you’re making and by doing so, you’re creating more opportunities for people to find you.
3. Use Keywords That People Will Likely Be Using in Their Searches. As you put yourself in the mind of the people by whom you want to be found, think about what searches they might perform on LinkedIn in order to find you.
4. Don’t Hide. All your search engine optimization will go to waste if you hide your profile. The two things that people do when researching business associates is; Google them and search for their LinkedIn profile.
5. Recommend. Give and ask for recommendations. Recommend those you think are worthy before they ask you to recommend them. They will often return the favor. Recommendations are yet another way LinkedIn helps to establish trust and allows you to control which ones are displayed in your profile.
6. Update Your Status. Update your status regularly and strategically. Use your status update to remind your network what you do and what you know. You can also use your status update to share articles or news stories about your company with your network. If you share a link, use a tool like tinyurl.com or bit.ly.
7. Personalize Your URL. Change your LinkedIn profile URL from default gobblygook to your name. This helps people find you when they search your name within LinkedIn as well as in the search engines.
8. Join Industry Groups. Search for and join industry-related groups, even if there is no activity within them. The icons for those groups will show up on your profile which tells people at a glance that you are involved in your industry and presumably knowledgeable about it.
9. Ask and You Shall Receive. If you want to make connections with a specific type of person, you can use LinkedIn’s Answer feature to try and attract them by posting a question to your LinkedIn audience. Think about the type of person you want to reach and then formulate a question for which you think that person would have an opinion about they would like to share.
10. Spread the Love. Answers questions posed by others. This is an excellent way to demonstrate your competence in the subject. Just remember, if you use this tactic, don’t just do intellectual handstands, but actually answer the question.

So how do you, a smart business person, use LinkedIn to leverage your company business? The answer, as you might expect, is a longer one than normal. So, let’s start examining how you might use LinkedIn to promote your business.

Connect with other members from your company. Do a search for your colleagues on LinkedIn and invite them to become a part of your community. Also, try conducting a search for members, partners or affiliates of your company and send them an invitation to connect with you.

Join Groups. Find and join communities of professionals based on common interests, experience, affiliation, and goals. Stay in touch with organizations, schools, and companies that you are and were a part of and build your connections. Groups are also ideal for networking with professionals with similar interests and goals, and allows for collaboration in a professional community online. Try doing a general keyword search for groups related to your company’s core product or service offering and also for industries that relate to your company.

Create your own group. You may also want to consider creating your own group to generate connections directly related to your company. If you are creating groups remember to always provide value. Never sell your products or services. Simply showcase your expertise by posting useful information and generating discussion by asking questions.

Answer Questions. By answering questions put out by members of your groups or members of a group you belong to, you will start to gain credibility and showcase your expertise in your field. So if you think you have some valuable information to add to a question, be sure to take the time to share your thoughts. Make certain that you do not hard sell your products or services when answering questions, as this will only lower your credibility with the group. Your strategy is to openly share your expertise with other members. This way they will remember you when they need your products or services in the future.

Use LinkedIn’s Direct Advertising. The advertising channel with LinkedIn allows you to find the perfect audience for your company with highly-targeted advertising. Depending upon your company, LinkedIn members may make an appropriate target audience if your products or services cater to professionals.

Integrate LinkedIn into your marketing. This tactic is applicable for all social media profiles, but is specifically important for LinkedIn if your target audience is the business professional. Take the time to integrate your profile url on your business cards, on your marketing collateral with your contact information and your email signature.

Now have some patience, as this will take a few posts but let’s take some time to examine the social portal known as LinkedIn. First, what is LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking website mainly used for professional networking. LinkedIn has over 60 million members in more than 200 countries and territories throughout the world. In fact, a new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second and about 50% of the membership comes from outside the United States. LinkedIn recognizes members from every size and type of company, as an example executives from all Fortune 500 companies are members.

The purpose of this social portal is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called “connections”. This list of connections can then be used in a number of ways:

• To gain an introduction to someone you wish to know through a mutual, trusted contact.
• To find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in your contact network.
• To list jobs and search for potential candidates.
• To review a person’s profile before entering into a business relationship with them.

The “gated-access approach” that LinkedIn uses (where contact with any professional requires either a pre-existing relationship or the intervention of a contact of theirs) has built trust among the members and is one of the reasons it has become the preferred social portal for professionals. LinkedIn is a superb Internet Marketing tool for creating, developing, and maintaining business relationships. It can be used to create awareness of yourself among those who do not know you, but whom you would like to know, and to demonstrate your company’s competence and expertise in order to establish the trust upon which business relationships depend.

Take a moment to view this video for a good overview of the LinkedIn portal.