linkedin

Well I generally try to weasel out of that question by telling them I'd use both LinkedIn AND Twitter, the truth is if I had to pick just one, LinkedIn would win, hands down. Let me tell you why.

Instead, LinkedIn tends to sit there quietly, waiting for you to realize that it's more than just another place to "add your friends." That it's actually one of the world's best networking tools. That it's "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" translated into the business world. That it's your ticket to building your business.

When I first joined LinkedIn a few years back, I spent an hour or two adding all my friends from my contact list and exploring friend's contact lists to see if I'd missed anyone. I updated my profile, ran a quick search for past co-workers and then moved on my merry way. I'd get a handful of LinkedIn friend requests after conferences, but beyond that, I pretty much ignored it. Par for the course with most of the small business types I've spoken to.

But, forgetting to revisit and make use of LinkedIn is a big mistake if you run the type of business that relies on making contacts.