Whether you’re looking for a job, seeking a promotion at work, running for political office, joining a civic group, owning a business or just being a neighbor, people are Googling your name.

There’s no telling what they’ll find.

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You probably didn’t know that early ’90s rap star MC Hammer (remember those pants?) is actually a savvy marketer and entrepreneur. An avid Twitterer with over 134,000 followers, Hammer was recently interviewed on HubSpot TV and shared the following nuggets of wisdom:

• Social media is an extension of what we do naturally, just on a different platform.
• Use technology/the web to cut out the middle man and deliver your message directly to the customer, then let them decide if and when they want to consume it.
• On Twitter: forget trying to get new followers and don’t be concerned with the number. Just stay interesting.
• Even in a recession, companies have opportunities to be more creative to survive what the economy throws at them.

You can see videos of Hammer’s interview at the blog post from HubSpot.

Last night, I live-tweeted the Refresh Richmond meeting on Twitter and wanted to share the notes from this talk here on the blog. The topic was “Pro Blogging: A Panel Discussion” with John and Sherry Petersik of ThisYoungHouse.com, Arnold Kim of MacRumors.com and Jeff Kelley of Capital Results and Tobacco Avenue.

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I recently read an article on USA Today’s web site called “Bad news for workers is good news for LinkedIn” that stated that LinkedIn usage is catching fire as workers look for jobs through social networking.

Since early September — when recession started a domino effect of layoffs in the U.S. — LinkedIn has seen growth. Traffic (page views), invitations to connect and connections made is up almost 10% as workers tap into their social networks to find jobs.

I’ve used LinkedIn for years now, and can vouch for its power in finding work. I’ve found web projects from LinkedIn, and I’ve been contacted multiple times for management-level jobs by recruiters (I especially liked the last contact I had with a connection from a certain motorcycle manufacturer in Milwaukee).

Here are some ways to grow your LinkedIn network:

• Connect with past co-workers, bosses and contacts. In the business world, people move on to new positions and you can leverage those contacts later to help you find work.
• When you network, ask people if they are on LinkedIn. This one sounds simple, but it’s an easy way to make connections.
• Put social networking information on your business card. Including your LinkedIn profile address on that blank flip side — along with a personal note — can help grow your network.
• Work hard at growing your network of connections. The more people you’re connected to, the more visible you’ll be to recruiters and employers.

Here are some effective tips for using LinkedIn to find a job or develop business:

• Blast messages out to select connections. If you’re looking for a new job, you can send a mass message to connections that might be able to help you find work. Personally, I like to network with recruiters in case this whole “being in business” thing doesn’t work out.
• Join (and participate in) LinkedIn Groups that are job-related. If you live in a city of over 100,000 people, you can often find a local group that focuses on networking for job purposes, groups of recruiters or trade/skill/professional groups in your local area.
• Complete your LinkedIn profile. Take an hour or so to post your complete employment experience and tasks performed, using keywords that are specific to your industry. Also list your interests, a good photo, and write a compelling “elevator pitch” for your Summary. Don’t be shy about asking for recommendations from co-workers or past co-workers that are connected to you. Don’t forget to list your contact information. Completing your profile is important because recruiters and employers will often search for people that fit a profile, and you just might bubble up to the top of the list.
• Answer questions. Prove that you’re a thought leader by answering questions (the Q&A feature on LinkedIn) that others in your network or groups ask. It’s all about visibility, and answering questions in an intelligent manner will give you credibility.
• Ask for connections at a specific company. Want to work at a specific company? Use LinkedIn’s search feature to find people, then either use the “introductions” feature and your network to get introduced or send them a connection request with a detailed personal note. When asking for the connection (if you don’t know the person) introduce yourself and express your interest in their company, then ask for the connection.

I hope you’ll consider using LinkedIn for networking, business development and job seeking. You’ll find me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwhittington and I accept all connection requests, so what’s stopping you? You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

I couldn’t resist posting a link to an exhaustive blog post from fellow Virginian Robin from Interactive Insights Group. Her blog post is a superlist of what NOT to do in social media. Given that most people — especially in the corporate and business realm — are relatively new to social media, it’s a great read.