A while back, we did a few blog posts on how recruiters placing contractors are using social media to aid their recruiting efforts. Most of the recruiters we work with have found LinkedIn to be the most useful social media tool for recruiting.  With that in mind, we thought our readers might find the recent Fistful of Talent article, "Attention Recruiters" 10 Ways You Should Be Using LinkedIn," useful.

One of the points stressed in the article is that it is OK to pay for certain parts of LinkedIn.  The site can be utilitzed for free but has certain paid options that provide more features. The article also recommends paying for TopLinked, an open networking group in which members will accept any other members' connection invitations.  According to the article, you can pay for it for a few months just to build your network and then cancel.

Of course, there are plenty of free tools in LinkedIn that the article also recommends.  For example, recruiters can get a lot of value out of joining relevant industry groups.  There is also a free "save this search" feature. 

The article also urges readers to view their profile as a marketing tool.  Candidates will likely look at your profile to determine whether you are someone they will want to work with, so tweak your profile accordingly.

In light of this article, we are wondering, what tips do you have for growing your contract staffing business through LinkedIn?

Debbie Fledderjohann is the President of Top Echelon Contracting, Inc.