LinkedIn is a professional oriented social media platform that everyone should be on, even if you are not a “professional”.

Over the weekend I Googled myself using the “incognito” mode of Chrome, and Safari, (which I never use anymore) and the results where the same.

My LinkedIn profile is on the first page of Google Search Engine Results.  It is the first listing for Scott Howard that pertains to me.  It has been a few months since I checked, and now also appearing on the first page for Scott Howard is this website, and my Twitter account @ScLoHo.

But let’s focus today on LinkedIn.  One of the really cool features is the ability to write and receive recommendations for and from your contacts and add these to your public profile.

So my recommendation for all of us is to write recommendations for those who we know that we can recommend.

Do it on a regular basis.  Once a week is my goal for 2013, even though that will be the average since I plan on doing 4 or 5 once a month.

LinkedIn has changed their layout recently so here’s where I had to go in the help section to find out how to make recommendations = http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/97

Last year LinkedIn added another feature, Endorsements which don’t take as much effort, so they probably don’t carry as much weight but they are valuable too.

Want to know more about LinkedIn?

While I’ve authored several articles in the past, my recommendation is to follow my friend Anthony Juliano who has started a website featuring a continuing series on LinkedIn Best Practices.

A couple of hat tips for the inspiration for this article go to Robby Slaughter who posted on Facebook last week,

2013 Creative Pay-It-Forward:­ The first five people to comment on this status will receive from me, sometime in the next calendar year. A gift – perhaps a book, or baked goods, or a candle, flowers, or a surprise (hint hint)! There will likely be no warning (except to comply with local and federal law) and it will happen whenever the mood strikes me (but I won’t be too creepy). The catch? Those five people must make the same offer in their FB status. Who’s in? (Feel free to modify this post.)

And to Kevin Mullett who started his own Twitter campaign for 2013 which he has hashtaged: #ItsAboutOthers