Okay maybe they aren't k.i.s.s.i.n.g., but LinkedIn announced today (via member emails) they are in fact integrating the popular microblogging service into their platform. Can I get an Amen?! Lots of LinkedIn lovers have been wondering for some time when they were going to take Facebook’s lead and enable users to push status updates from the platform onto Twitter and vice versa. Well that time has come. So why should you set this up and jump on the “loads of integration & fun” train?

Well for starters it’s a great way to start leveraging those relationships you have been spending months building on Twitter. You can actually start engaging with users on multiple platforms and bring the sincerity of the relationships you have built on Twitter and lace in the professional partnerships you have established on LinkedIn.

With that let’s also talk about real estate. You want to know how to make sure your face is front and center in a recruiter’s mind? Get on their radar. This means you need to be increasing your activity and by pushing your hourly updates from Twitter onto the LinkedIn platforms via your status update section. In doing this you are guaranteeing your profile some face time.

Discover crossover. By adding your twitter account to LinkedIn or adding the Tweets app you are enabling other LinkedIn users to also connect with you on Twitter. Many of us have listed our Twitter handles under our “sites” section but this is taking that a step further. Awesomeness all around. Just imagine being able to catch that hiring manager on Twitter and sending a less invasive and more informal “hello” there way. It may just be the edge job seekers are looking for!

Ultimately—however you choose to use it—this integration is surely a blessing. I think it will take a while for the LinkedIn users to jump on the bandwagon and start using this feature, but I can certainly see why LinkedIn decided to roll it out. It’s just another sign that the job search process is gaining more and more social momentum. You have to ask yourself… are you fighting it or embracing it?

So how do you do it?
Log in to your profile

You will see under “Edit My Profile” a new feature that says “Add Twitter Account.”

Once you hit that you will have to “Allow” Twitter access and then decide if you want all tweets to be integrated or if you want to just add the ones that have “#in” them.  (I would suggest the second option for reputation management purposes).

And that’s it! Yay.

Just keep in mind friends that LinkedIn may be diving into the social space but they are still considered a professional network. So I would advise against integrating all tweets and updating your professional network with this past weekend’s chaos!