So you’re ready to get started networking on LinkedIn and converting those contacts to leads and partnerships. But what’s the best way to go about it?

Think of LinkedIn as your online resume. It’s a spot for potential employers/clients to find out more about you. Make sure to completely fill out your profile (including an appropriate photo) and keep it updated. (The more complete the better – LinkedIn profiles adds to your overall SEO power.) Don’t forget to ‘tag’ your profile with the appropriate keywords, as it will help others find you.

Get the custom URL by clicking the “Public Profile” link in your edit tab.

Add LinkedIn to your email signature. This encourages everyone you come in contact with to link to your profile.

Import your existing contacts.  This couldn’t be easier. Just let LinkedIn import your contacts. Once it does, you can customize a list of connections.

Get connected with anyone you meet professionally. This is a cornerstone of relationship building. That company might not look like a client today, but could be a perfect fit tomorrow. And they have lots of connections you don’t.

Use the LinkedIn Browser or Outlook toolbars. These toolbars make it easy to see LinkedIn summaries of other members and allows you to invite new connections straight from your Outlook or Gmail.

Don’t invite people you don’t know or have never met or corresponded with. LinkedIn keeps an eye on how many people mark you as “don’t know” after a request. Remember, by connecting you are associating yourself with this person and their reputation – be sure you want to. (Same goes for accepting folks on your page.)

Some final thoughts:

Reciprocate recommendations. If someone takes the time to write one for you, do the same for them. It’s just plain smart and good etiquette.

Request introductions. Don’t hesitate to ask a connection to introduce you to a new connection. All they can say is no. And they hardly ever do.

What else would you add?