LinkedIn, with its near 100 million members, is arguably the most popular and unique professional social networking site worldwide. With the ability to create profiles, post resumes, develop relationships, find jobs, and join communities of like-minded professionals, LinkedIn is now a must for any working professional or business.<br><br>In "Windmill Networking-Understanding, Leveraging and Maximizing LinkedIn: An Unofficial, Step-by-Step Guide to Creating & Implementing Your LinkedIn Brand," social media strategist and popular blogger Neal Schaffer provides and easy-to-use guide for maximizing the effectiveness of LinkedIn as well as to better understanding the benefits of social networking online for both professional and business uses.<br><br>As Schaffer attests, while a plethora of written materials exist on career management, information available on how to best utilize LinkedIn is startling insufficient. "The benefits of LinkedIn for professionals and businesses are just tremendous," Schaffer said. "I wanted to provide not only a comprehensive and up-to-date book on LinkedIn's many features, but I also wanted to get people to understand it within the context of the Social Web. I created the concept of Windmill Networking and teach it in this book in order to achieve this objective."<br><br>Maximizing LinkedIn is applicable to both professionals for their career management, as well as to sales and business development executives and small business owners looking to optimize their social media marketing. Schaffer said: "Understanding the mechanics of LinkedIn without understanding social media and social networking only enables you to gain a fraction of the potential value that LinkedIn has to offer."<br><br>Some of the tips and topics discussed in Maximizing LinkedIn include:<br><br>* Fundamental social networking concepts and how to apply them to LinkedIn<br>* How to create and confirm your objective for using LinkedIn as well as how to develop and implement your personal "LinkedIn Brand"<br>* Windmill Networking and how it can enrich your social media presence for long-term success<br>* Engaging with others on LinkedIn through Windmill Networking and expanding your network globally<br>* Leveraging & maximizing your LinkedIn presence through thoroughly utilizing Applications, Groups & Answers<br>* Finding the best company and most fulfilling job on LinkedIn<br><br>The idea of Windmill Networking stemmed from Schaffer's successful blog on social media strategy "Windmill Networking" and shows how to best use all aspects of LinkedIn. From the basics to advanced techniques, Maximizing LinkedIn is the first place to look…for the last word on online networking and what LinkedIn can do for you.
