Dig your well before you're thirsty

On twitter, I follow Mark Ragan, CEO of ragan.com - one of my new favorite web pages. Ragan.com is a website for communicators of any shape or form. There are videos, articles, links to blogs - everything a PR student could ask for all in one place. I always find his tweets interesting and relevant to the current PR environment.

This time around, I found an interview that Mark Ragan did with Chuck Hester, a communicator and LinkedIn expert.

There are many really helpful hints that Chuck points out on how to maximize your LinkedIn account - here are a few that stood out for me.

- Community and connecting is what social media is all about. LinkedIn starts these connections and conversations. Use your current connections to help others and they may in turn come back and help you (Hello? NYC internship?).

- The old media relations rules still apply for LinkedIn - don't expect coverage from your conversations. It's about being a source not a nuisance.

- Connect with connectors. This couldn't be more true in my case. Through LinkedIn, my connection with the CEO at The Children's Museum has lead me to a conversation with someone who may be able to help me find my coveted internship... You better believe I'm going to keep up this conversation!

- Chuck explains that you should use LinkedIn to work like an information interview. Don't use LinkedIn like a job bank - sure it can help you connect with employers, but remember it's more about starting conversations than seeming needy. "Dig your well before you're thirsty"

Check out the full video HERE and see what useful information you can use from this interview!