Ten Ways to Get Into the Right Clique for Networking

When Michelle Tepper and Jen Turoff decided to open a law firm specializing in real estate, one of the first things Tepper did was update her Facebook account and join LinkedIn.

While she hasn't scored any new clients as of yet, she says it has, with a minimum amount of work, publicized her firm to those she needed to reach out to -- real estate agents, mortgage brokers and other attorneys.

"I feel like it's a good networking method," says Tepper. "Word of mouth is our best way of getting clients, so when people see that they know me and what I am doing now, I feel like I have a bit more credibility right off the bat for them to feel good about referring me."

Whether you tap into mainstream social networking Web sites (like Facebook or MySpace.com ) or those more geared toward businesses (like LinkedIn, Fastpitchnetworking.com, or Ecademy.com), here are 10 points to keep in mind:...