Corporate communicators will feel the benefit of joined-up network, experts say.

A tie-up between Twitter and LinkedIn should help to integrate companies’ social media channels.

The two social networks have announced a new partnership to bring tweets to LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals. Effective immediately, users of LinkedIn and Twitter can cross-file to each other’s services, by checking a box on either Twitter or LinkedIn.

The move is aimed at the growing base of business users who take advantage of social networking sites in their work.

The integration allows users of both networks to effectively synchronise their status updates between the two sites. As a result, users can also send updates to one or the other or both, depending upon the nature and context of the update visible to contacts from one or both accounts.

And according to online PR consultancy Punch Communications, the deal could be represent a substantial move forward in business communications.

“The Twitter-LinkedIn partnership could be key in the evolution of social media as a tool for conducting business,” said Pete Goold, MD of Punch Communications. “LinkedIn is the core online network for individuals in business who are looking to connect with one another, and so the participation of Twitter in these circles could accelerate its developments as a business communications medium.”

In the long term, Twitter will almost certainly be looking to offer real time updates on corporate movements on the LinkedIn network where this information is perhaps more valuable.

On the other hand, LinkedIn can provide the more consumer-oriented Twitter with exposure to a much more lucrative, corporate audience, potentially increasing its use in business communications.