Just the same as with any activity, the more you reap, the more you sow. If you are satisfied with making a few connections, then you’ll most likely find LinkedIn to be more entertainment than a viable business assistant. Accountants who progressively build their online networks add to their credibility – and position themselves as qualified individuals who are helpful, knowledgeable and savvy.

Here are several key steps to achieve success through LinkedIn:
1. Increase your visibility. By adding connections, you increase the likelihood that prospects or referral sources will see your profile first when they’re searching for someone in accounting services. People would much rather work with people who their friends know and trust.

2. Improve your connectability. Most new users only put their current firm or company in their profile. By doing so, they severely limit the ability to exponentially increase their connections. You should fill out your profile like it’s an executive bio, so include past companies, education, affiliations and activities. You can also include a link to your profile as part of your Outlook or e-mail signature.

3. Improve your Google PageRank. LinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index. Since LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high PageRank in Google, this is a good way to influence what people see when they search for you. To do this, create a public profile and select “Full View.” Also, instead of using the default URL, customize your public profile’s URL to be your actual name. To strengthen the visibility of this page in search engines, use this link in various places on the Web. For example, when you comment in a blog, include a link to your profile.

4. Ask for advice and answer questions. LinkedIn Answers allows you to broadcast your business-related questions to your network and the greater LinkedIn universe, while answering a question someone else has asked gives you an “expert” status.

5. Use advanced search. Prospect for new business by searching industries, professions and businesses. Suppose you have a tax niche working with restaurants and food service. Search “restaurants” in your local area and the results will include a variety of connections, in and out of your network. Use quotation marks and “and” in your search to receive more specific results. Then, search your shared connections to those people and begin making connections.

One other thought. Many accountants want to know if upgrading a LinkedIn account is worth the money. For example, a basic “Business” account is $24.95/month, a “Business Plus” account is $49.95/month and the high-end $499/month. Each level builds on benefits and offers distinctive advantages.

However, the investment depends on how deeply the firm and its accountants want to use LinkedIn as a networking and business-building tool compared to other ways to connect.

Remember that LinkedIn is only one tool in an entire portfolio of methods to network with others. Firms should review all of the ways to reach potential clients and referral sources before deciding to spend more money.

Hugh Duffy MBA

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Hugh Duffy is co-founder and chief marketing officer for Build Your Firm, a leading practice development firm dedicated to the accounting industry.  Based in Madison, Conn., Build Your Firm works with small accounting firms providing accounting marketing, practice management and Web site development services. 

Prior to co-founding Build Your Firm in 2003, Hugh was a Vice President of Internet Marketing for Business & Legal Reports (BLR), a business-to-business publisher for small and medium sized businesses.  Prior to BLR, Hugh was a Director with a publicly traded global internet media company, 24/7 Real Media responsible for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships.  The foundation of Hugh’s marketing background is fourteen years of consumer packaged goods marketing with Schick, Nabisco, Clorox and Coca-Cola. 

Hugh has 25 years of marketing experience, an MBA degree in marketing from the University of Rochester and a B.S. in finance from the University of Maryland.  While at Maryland, Hugh was on a golf scholarship and his coach was Fred Funk, PGA Tour player.  Today, Hugh’s golf game suffers and he is content watching his two kids play college lacrosse.