At first I was afraid, I was petrified...

Once upon a time I signed up for LinkedIn and Twitter. And then I let the profiles sit and wait...I said that it was because Social Media was just a fad and I told myself that it probably didn't matter that much anyway. Mostly I was just afraid of messing up, a little shy and confused by the jargon. One of the things that has helped me out of the shell is applying practical applications to each of the Social Media Tools. Practical Applications lead to Measurable Results (i.e. the quantity of connections or the quality of a new connection). These little wins each day encourage me to stretch my neck outside my comfort zone each day...Measurable Results lead to further experimentation and bigger wins. Before you know it...you are Social Media. You are no longer a lurker. Here are some Practical Applications for LinkedIn:

• After each business meeting I send a follow-up note to connect on LinkedIn: something to follow-up with and a new way to connect.  
• LinkedIn provides constant updates about my connections. If a prospect gets a promotion, for example, I act on it by sending a handwritten (to stand out but email will work) note of congratulations. Social Media offers a ton of passive avenues to gather information about my network.
• Connect your Personal Life to your Business Life. LinkedIn is the easiest way to marry your personal and work life in order to create new business opportunities. For example, you should connect with the coach of your son's baseball team or the members who sit on an association board with you. This allows you to share with your personal connection "what you do for a living" without pitching them for services. It's seamless. 
• In the same way that LinkedIn allows you to learn more about the activity of the contacts in your network, it allows you to share information about your world. Speaking at a conference? Publish an article? Share it! People will connect with you because they want to know more about you. You no longer have to wonder whether or not it's worth sharing or if you are bothering clients with an email or phone call