Showing posts with label Linkedin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Linkedin. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 November 2013
How to Make the Most of LinkedIn Groups
Are you a member of a LinkedIn group? Do you spend time networking in LinkedIn groups? LinkedIn groups are great way to build credibility and make new connections that can ultimately help grow your business.
You can join up to 50 LinkedIn groups. However, it’s difficult to gain traction in 50 groups as well as find the time to participate in that many. I recommend that you go ahead and join up to 50 groups, but select 5-10 groups to spend your time on in order to get the most benefit out of your participation.
With over 1.5 million LinkedIn Groups, it can be difficult to find relevant groups and determine which ones might be the best for you to join. It is also important to find groups that are well-managed. Unfortunately there are many LinkedIn groups that are not well-managed and that makes the experience within these groups less than optimal. Not to worry, I’m going to give you some insights on how to find the quality groups.
Below are 5 tips for maximizing your LinkedIn groups experience.
#1) Use LinkedIn Search to Find Relevant Groups to Join
In case you haven’t noticed, LinkedIn search has been significantly enhanced. This includes the ability to search for relevant groups (based on your network) and it also includes the ability to search for discussion topics within open groups!
To start with, search for groups using keywords that would be a natural fit for you based on your geographical location, industry, prospects, alumni, community/charity organizations, hobbies and interests. Try searching LinkedIn Groups with the keywords that actually describe your natural affinities. For example, type in the name of the college you attended to find potential alumni groups that exist on LinkedIn.
You can also take advantage of Boolean search operators for smarter searches on LinkedIn. (I recently discovered this Tip Sheet on Boolean Search from LinkedIn Corporate Solutions). To locate a LinkedIn Group that was in my geographical location and my industry, I searched LinkedIn Groups using the Boolean Search Operator “AND” for the keywords (social media AND Dallas). LinkedIn showed me 25 results of groups based in Dallas AND focused on social media!
Another interesting finding was when I typed the word “hiking” into LinkedIn Group search, I found a group with over 1000 members who share this passion. There is no better way to start relationships than connecting around a common passion or interest!
For each LinkedIn Group that is displayed in search results, you have the option to view members in your network who belong to the group as well as “similar groups”.
You can even reach out to your LinkedIn connections and ask them what they think about the groups that they belong to. This gives you a solid reason to reach out and connect with your network.
LinkedIn group search is extremely powerful for discovering the right groups to join.
#2) Review the “Groups You May Like” Suggestions from LinkedIn
The easiest way to navigate to the “Groups You May Like” feature is through your to navigation menu bar under “Groups”. There you will see these options. (The Groups Directory option is the primary search area for LinkedIn Groups)
When you click on the “Groups You May Like” feature, LinkedIn will list suggested groups for you to check out based on your network connections, profile information, skills and expertise, and existing group memberships. (You may also notice some groups (or subgroups) on this list that you already belong to.
#3) Evaluate the Quality of a LinkedIn Group
How do you know if the LinkedIn group you are interested in joining is going to be a well run, quality group?
In some cases, you may just have to join the group and spend some time there to make that determination. However, here are a few ways to evaluate the group for quality:
Is this LinkedIn Group a Quality Group?
-Who is the group manager, and are they engaged and visible?
-What are the group rules? (hint: if the group rules don’t exist or they are not well written, chances are the group is not well-managed)
-Do a good majority of the discussions involve questions and dialogue?
-Are there lots and lots of promotional links or an abundance of “self-promotion”?
-Are the top influencers in the group credible?
-Is the group manager among the top influencers?
In a well-managed group, you are going to most likely see a manager who is visible throughout the discussions and a strong set of rules.
The quantity of membership and the activity level of a group aren’t always correlated to whether or not the group a quality group. I’ve seen some very large groups that are very well-managed and some very small groups that aren’t managed at all!
Be sure to evaluate the stats of the LinkedIn group you are interested in as well. There you can learn more about member demographics, activity, how long the group has been around, and more.
#4) Consider Joining Corporate Sponsored Groups
There are a number of corporate sponsored groups popping up on LinkedIn. This is where LinkedIn has officially partnered with brands or corporations to help them build robust groups. Within each of these groups, the organization can drive member visits and discussion participation while also controlling the ad display space within the group site.
Examples of these corporate LinkedIn Groups include: Intuit (small business group), Citi (Professional women’s network), Staples (small business network), and Capital One (Business traveler network).
What I love about corporate sponsored groups on LinkedIn is that they are very well-managed. The discussions tend to be in-depth with rich dialogue amongst members. These brands/corporations have a vested interest in making their groups successful, and in every case there are dedicated group managers in place who facilitate the dialogue and keep the groups spam-free.
I have found as a member of several of the groups listed above that the discussion questions submitted weekly (and delivered via email) by these group managers are intriguing and enticing. They make you want to jump right in and give your own insights and opinions!
If you run your own LinkedIn group or you’re thinking about starting one, you could learn some terrific strategies as a member of these corporate sponsored groups.
#5) Adhere to LinkedIn Group Participation Best Practices
In order to make LinkedIn Groups serve as authentic forums for discussions and dialogue, we can all do our part to maintain the integrity of the groups we belong to. This will make the LinkedIn Group experience better for everyone.
Additionally LinkedIn is doing its part by helping group managers fight promotional posts. If you are thinking about posting a discussion that contains the words me, my, or I, don’t count on it showing up. Most likely it will end up under the “promotions” tab where it’s highly unlikely that anyone will see it.
In order to successfully build influence in LinkedIn groups, your best bet is to authentically engage in discussions and contribute value-added insights.
Below are some best practices to remember as you find the right groups to join and start engaging with members:
-don’t just drop into groups and promote your products or services
-don’t auto-post your blog articles into LinkedIn groups (Instead, provide links to reputable sources of information within the context of discussions that can help members. This can include your blog articles if they truly serve that purpose.)
-ask questions and provide thoughtful answers
-contribute to ongoing discussions and new discussions consistently
-share meaningful, helpful, interesting, and reputable content
-send invites to connect with mutual group members only after you’ve spent some time participating in the group (Ideally the best time to send the invitation is when you’ve interacted with members in a discussion!)
I hope that these tips will help you make the most of your LinkedIn groups experience. LinkedIn groups provide an amazing opportunity to position yourself as a thought leader and an influencer. If you lead by example with your participation, others will follow.
Are you spending time in LinkedIn groups? How do you find the right groups to join? What are your thoughts about the value of LinkedIn groups? Leave your comments below.
Sunday, 3 March 2013
What Is Changing With Social Media In 2013?
Facebook has now reached 1 billion users and other Social Media sites are thriving. How can we use this as an advantage to creating customers?
1. With so many choices, how will we continue to use all
of these media outlets? Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube,
Instagram, Pinterest, Foursquare and Tumblr are the top 9 sites you need to be
on right now with complete profiles and solid, interesting compelling content.
You can post to many of these sites using aggregators like HooteSuite or
SocialOomph.
2. Who will be around in 5 years, and who will fade! Top
5 listed above will be around, others may fade and new ones will arrive.
3. How to create engaging content? Quality fun
photos, creative videos, well written blogs, articles and press releases.
4. What processes can we take to make the most out of our
social media campaigns? Hire someone to manage this for you or if
doing it yourself, plan on 15 to 20 hours per week. Create and control your
online brand, build a massive targeted following and tie it into a search
marketing campaign. Build a list and create a relationship to the list with
email or video sales funnels.
5. What's the future hold for SEO? Search Engine
Optimization is not going away but I feel it has lost some of its importance.
Social Media Sites, Articles, Videos and Blogs are getting ranked on Page One
of Google faster and staying longer.
6. How are the big players controlling the way we use
social media? The big players, meaning Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
Google+ and LinkedIn? They are all doing their best to make the user experience
better while including a way for businesses to reach new customers.
7. Community meets entertainment, what's the future hold
for our online experience? Online experience will become more like
television. More videos will be watched, added to websites, Social Media sites
and blog platforms. More videos will be watch on smart phones and tablets.
Vlogging is hot right now.
8. How being connected opens your influential reach? Love
this question. Brand yourself as a leader by creating excellent content and
building a massive following. You don't need to be a rockstar, athlete,
actor/actress and politician to be famous anymore. Create your own
industry/niche network.
9. What are some of the biggest misconceptions? That
it's easy and a teenager can do it. Social Media and Internet Marketing MUST
become part of your monthly marketing budget.
10. How to distinguish ourselves in Social Media, is it
for friends, is it for business, what impressions do we create online? Brand
yourself as a leader and expert in your industry. Then build a massive
following and email list. If this is done correctly, you will attract your
clients to you. Selling will be easy.
Thursday, 3 January 2013
How to Create a Visible & Engaging LinkedIn Profile
While the LinkedIn Profile change has impacted the design and user experience, it hasn’t necessarily impacted how you’re found on LinkedIn. For those of you who are new to LinkedIn, the importance of getting found by your target audience on LinkedIn is equally as important as it is to engage that person once they find your profile.
With more than 175 million users (many of whom are executives and decision makers), you would be hard-pressed to get their attention without actively doing something to get found and then engaged.
Here are the steps you need to take to make your profile visible and engaging so that qualified leads start flying into your LinkedIn Messages Box.
1. Define Your Personal Branding Goal
The first and most crucial step to driving qualified leads via LinkedIn marketing is for you to assess, define, and build out your market differentiators and value of you as a personal brand. To do so requires introspection on several levels.
You need to define your goals for being there:
- What are you trying to accomplish by being present and active on LinkedIn?
- Are you truly interested in being a business resource?
- Is your goal to become a thought-leader in your industry and captivate the inquisitive minds of business professionals who use LinkedIn as their main news source?
- Are you simply looking to use the social networking tool to augment and complement your other online marketing efforts in your sales efforts?
Defining your personal branding goal is the first action you need to take. Do it now. Write it out because this will set the tone for your new LinkedIn Profile.
2. Determine Your Personal Branding Keywords
Before you start to create or enhance your LinkedIn profile, you need to then determine, what I call, your personal branding keywords. These are the keyword phrases that brand you. They define:
- What you do.
- Who you do it for.
- Where you deliver your service (location).
- Where you add value.
- In what area you have a focused expertise.
You will want to come up with initially your top 10-20 personal keywords phrases. Then drill down to a solid 2-3 that line up with what you state in your headline, your summary, and what you substantiate throughout your work history and skills.
Primarily, the LinkedIn search engine is looking for these keywords in your title/headline, custom URL, your skills, and your work titles.
3. Highlight Your Experience, Skills and Expertise
At this point, you can then review what your current LinkedIn profile looks like and determine changes in your URL, headline, summary, work experience, and skills.
- Custom URL: Your LinkedIn custom URL is your brand statement.
- Headline: Your Headline reflects what it is you want to be known for (going back to Step 1 and defining your personal branding goals).
- Summary: Your Summary is important. It says hello to your audience in such a way that engages, but doesn't sell and provides direct examples of credentials, awards, experience. This is a great place to provide link addresses of supportive and contact information, such as your website, your blog (if hosted off-site), your e-mail address, reports/articles/whitepapers/books you have published, and links to video content.
- Skills & Expertise: Your Skills are truly areas where you have confirmed experience, and better yet, expertise. Your Skills should match the work experience you deliver throughout the profile, so that skill keywords are found in job titles and descriptions.
4. Develop a Written Target Market Definition and Strategy
Remember that your profile reads top to bottom and is your story of your personal brand – where you excel, how you add value – and addresses your specific target audience. It's important, then, in the exercise of making your LinkedIn profile more engaging, to develop a written target market definition and strategy.
List out what you will provide to said target (products/services/types/way of delivery) and create some real user paths, like we would say in web design user experience. Take it a step further and then relate customer/client needs/pain points to your solutions. The more you deliver a path of credibility in direct relation to your target’s specific needs, the more chance for qualified lead generation success.
Win LinkedIn Engagement
It isn't enough for you to drive visibility in the LinkedIn search engine. What about engaging your target when they aren’t necessarily looking for someone like you, but when they may be active in their Groups or looking for Answers?
These “personal brand impressions” (or so I call them) make all the difference between a cold and warm lead. You must be active in these areas for people to find your profile and find out all about you (and then Message you).
My next Search Engine Watch article later this month will provide an actionable way for you to win in LinkedIn engagement off the Profile. Happy New Year!
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
How To Develop a Successful Social Media Campaign
If you’re at the beginning of your social media journey, your first question should always be about success. Anyone can throw together a social media campaign, or a campaign that uses social media – but very few people can do it successfully. In order to create a social media campaign that works (i.e. that sells and promotes), you need to know where to begin. Courtesy of make1kadaywithimmacc.blogspot.com Here is the basic social media campaign formula:Establish Brand – Gather Community – Interact, Sell, Promote. It looks simple, but it isn’t. People have problems at each step of this basic 3 step process. If your brand identity is wrong, you won’t gain a community or sell stuff – for example. Here is the right process to use when establishing a successful social media campaign.
#1: Research Until You ScreamAll great marketing campaigns are based on effective research. Know your target demographic intimately, what they want, need and are dying to learn about. Research your ideal budget, and investigate how much setting up a campaign is going to cost you. Figure out your time investment. Outline the supporting campaigns that will help fuel your social media marketing campaign – like Google Adwords. Before you begin, learn where you stand, and what’s on the horizon.
#2: Preparing Your Master PlanWhat makes your business different? How can you attract your target demographic and keep them interested? What should your brand identity be, or your writing tone? Use the research you have to answer as many pertinent questions as possible. Your master plan needs to clearly define your goals. This means knowing what you want to achieve, and then outlining a realistic plan to achieve it. Remember – failing to plan, is planning to fail! The most direct route to success is preparation, planning and research.
#3: Creating and Maintaining Awesome Content. The key to a successful social media campaign is getting the research and planning right, and then following through with consistent content creation and interaction. People respond to good content – that’s what you want! But the most important thing of course is sustainability. You need to grow your community and get them to interact. Any way you look at it, the more juicy content the better.
#4: Learning, Adapting, MonitoringThe battle is not over when you have your social media pages up and running. You need to learn all the time from the results that you get with your campaign. Use monitoring tools to track your progress, and review your campaign at the end of every month. The best campaigns are always evolving. As you learn more through application, your social media campaign will get better – especially if you’re a stickler for data analysis. Focus on developing closer relationships with your current community and others will follow. Don’t pour your efforts into growing your community just because you want to ‘look’ like a popular business. Every business is different. Yours might be perfect for Facebook, so focus your efforts there. Start with the basics – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, a blog and a Youtube channel. If you can only manage 1 properly, stick with that for awhile. In the end, when your community grows, they’ll be begging for more!
#1: Research Until You ScreamAll great marketing campaigns are based on effective research. Know your target demographic intimately, what they want, need and are dying to learn about. Research your ideal budget, and investigate how much setting up a campaign is going to cost you. Figure out your time investment. Outline the supporting campaigns that will help fuel your social media marketing campaign – like Google Adwords. Before you begin, learn where you stand, and what’s on the horizon.
#2: Preparing Your Master PlanWhat makes your business different? How can you attract your target demographic and keep them interested? What should your brand identity be, or your writing tone? Use the research you have to answer as many pertinent questions as possible. Your master plan needs to clearly define your goals. This means knowing what you want to achieve, and then outlining a realistic plan to achieve it. Remember – failing to plan, is planning to fail! The most direct route to success is preparation, planning and research.
#3: Creating and Maintaining Awesome Content. The key to a successful social media campaign is getting the research and planning right, and then following through with consistent content creation and interaction. People respond to good content – that’s what you want! But the most important thing of course is sustainability. You need to grow your community and get them to interact. Any way you look at it, the more juicy content the better.
#4: Learning, Adapting, MonitoringThe battle is not over when you have your social media pages up and running. You need to learn all the time from the results that you get with your campaign. Use monitoring tools to track your progress, and review your campaign at the end of every month. The best campaigns are always evolving. As you learn more through application, your social media campaign will get better – especially if you’re a stickler for data analysis. Focus on developing closer relationships with your current community and others will follow. Don’t pour your efforts into growing your community just because you want to ‘look’ like a popular business. Every business is different. Yours might be perfect for Facebook, so focus your efforts there. Start with the basics – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, a blog and a Youtube channel. If you can only manage 1 properly, stick with that for awhile. In the end, when your community grows, they’ll be begging for more!
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Linkedin Masterclass: Maximising Your Linkedin Profile
Maximising Your Linkedin Profile
Your Linkedin profile IS one of the most powerful tools available to any individual or business trying to network, market and do business online.
Here are the Top 10 Rules for maximising the potential of your profile:
1. 100% Completion:- Profiles that are 100% complete are more easily indexed by not only the Linkedin search engine but by all search engines.
2. Upload a good photo:- Uploading a Logo is a bad move. There are company pages and groups for you to add your logo so don't be shy and add a nice picture.
3. Have recommendations:- below are our top 5 Tips for this section
4. Personalise your Website and blog links:
"my company"
"my blog"
"my lack of imagination"
Yes, by naming the links "my company" etc you are telling the search engines what there links are BUT by selecting the drop down then "Other" you can have a bigger SEO impact and tell your profile visitors what they will find at the end of these links.
Summary":- Pack your Summary with "Keyword Rich" information to assist with your SEO. Another tip is to actually tell people who you want to connect with and who you want to do business with. Say something like "We are looking to connect with..." "We are ideally looking to assist..."
6. Integrate your Twitter account with your LinkedIn Profile. You can feed to your tweets to your LinkedIn account so that every time you tweet it updates your LinkedIn page. Believe me this is huge! According to LinkedIn:
" LinkedIn works with Twitter� to make your Twitter account visible on your Profile. To add your Twitter account(s) to your LinkedIn Profile take the following steps:
1. Click on 'Edit Profile' under 'Profile' from your home page.
2. Click on the 'Add your Twitter profile' link in the blue box of your LinkedIn Profile. This will take you to a Twitter page.
3. Enter your Twitter credentials and then click on 'Allow'. This process confirms your Twitter ID. If successful, you will receive a confirmation message that the Twitter ID was added to your LinkedIn account and then you'll be taken to your LinkedIn Twitter Settings.
4. Select the 'Twitter Settings' (affects visibility) of this Twitter ID on your Profile.
5.Click 'Save Changes'. You should receive a success message saying that your settings were saved.
7. Applications:- This section is one of the most powerful areas of your Linkedin Profile. It has the power to save you time in running your profile, showcasing your company skills, providing content and much more.
8. Don't use a work email as the primary linkedin address:- A client had signed up for Linkedin a year or so before using his work email account. the account lay dormant for a while and the client moved on to another employer. worse, he forgot his password for the account. Linkedin offers the following helpful tip for those who no longer have access to the primary email account " Well we did tell you to use more than one email when you set up" Basically its Game Over. You have to start all over again. You have lost that profie, the recommendations and all the content that goes with it.
9. Personalize your LinkedIn account by claiming your name in the URL, e.g. http://linkedin.com/in/itsrichardmoore
Here's how (via LinkedIn)
Click on "Edit Profile" from the "Profile" dropdown menu found in the top navigation bar of the home page.
Click on "Edit" next to the "Public Profile" area.
Click on "Edit" next to the "Your Public Profile URL" area at the top of the page.
Enter your new custom URL. Most custom URLs must start with http://www.linkedin.com/in/ and must contain 5-30 alphanumeric characters.
Click on "Set Address".
Once you've completed your custom URL it's important to publicize it in your other online accounts such as your website, blog, or Facebook Page, as well as on your business card and in your email signature.
10. Improve your connectability.
Most new users put only their current company in their profile. By doing so, they severely limit their ability to connect with people. You should fill out your profile like it's an executive bio, so include past companies, education, affiliations, and activities.
You can also include a link to your profile as part of an email signature. The added benefit is that the link enables people to see all your credentials, which would be awkward if not downright strange, as an attachment.
Your Linkedin profile IS one of the most powerful tools available to any individual or business trying to network, market and do business online.
Here are the Top 10 Rules for maximising the potential of your profile:
1. 100% Completion:- Profiles that are 100% complete are more easily indexed by not only the Linkedin search engine but by all search engines.
2. Upload a good photo:- Uploading a Logo is a bad move. There are company pages and groups for you to add your logo so don't be shy and add a nice picture.
3. Have recommendations:- below are our top 5 Tips for this section
4. Personalise your Website and blog links:
"my company"
"my blog"
"my lack of imagination"
Yes, by naming the links "my company" etc you are telling the search engines what there links are BUT by selecting the drop down then "Other" you can have a bigger SEO impact and tell your profile visitors what they will find at the end of these links.
Summary":- Pack your Summary with "Keyword Rich" information to assist with your SEO. Another tip is to actually tell people who you want to connect with and who you want to do business with. Say something like "We are looking to connect with..." "We are ideally looking to assist..."
6. Integrate your Twitter account with your LinkedIn Profile. You can feed to your tweets to your LinkedIn account so that every time you tweet it updates your LinkedIn page. Believe me this is huge! According to LinkedIn:
" LinkedIn works with Twitter� to make your Twitter account visible on your Profile. To add your Twitter account(s) to your LinkedIn Profile take the following steps:
1. Click on 'Edit Profile' under 'Profile' from your home page.
2. Click on the 'Add your Twitter profile' link in the blue box of your LinkedIn Profile. This will take you to a Twitter page.
3. Enter your Twitter credentials and then click on 'Allow'. This process confirms your Twitter ID. If successful, you will receive a confirmation message that the Twitter ID was added to your LinkedIn account and then you'll be taken to your LinkedIn Twitter Settings.
4. Select the 'Twitter Settings' (affects visibility) of this Twitter ID on your Profile.
5.Click 'Save Changes'. You should receive a success message saying that your settings were saved.
7. Applications:- This section is one of the most powerful areas of your Linkedin Profile. It has the power to save you time in running your profile, showcasing your company skills, providing content and much more.
8. Don't use a work email as the primary linkedin address:- A client had signed up for Linkedin a year or so before using his work email account. the account lay dormant for a while and the client moved on to another employer. worse, he forgot his password for the account. Linkedin offers the following helpful tip for those who no longer have access to the primary email account " Well we did tell you to use more than one email when you set up" Basically its Game Over. You have to start all over again. You have lost that profie, the recommendations and all the content that goes with it.
9. Personalize your LinkedIn account by claiming your name in the URL, e.g. http://linkedin.com/in/itsrichardmoore
Here's how (via LinkedIn)
Click on "Edit Profile" from the "Profile" dropdown menu found in the top navigation bar of the home page.
Click on "Edit" next to the "Public Profile" area.
Click on "Edit" next to the "Your Public Profile URL" area at the top of the page.
Enter your new custom URL. Most custom URLs must start with http://www.linkedin.com/in/ and must contain 5-30 alphanumeric characters.
Click on "Set Address".
Once you've completed your custom URL it's important to publicize it in your other online accounts such as your website, blog, or Facebook Page, as well as on your business card and in your email signature.
10. Improve your connectability.
Most new users put only their current company in their profile. By doing so, they severely limit their ability to connect with people. You should fill out your profile like it's an executive bio, so include past companies, education, affiliations, and activities.
You can also include a link to your profile as part of an email signature. The added benefit is that the link enables people to see all your credentials, which would be awkward if not downright strange, as an attachment.
Sunday, 15 April 2012
What Exactly is Social Media Marketing?
"SMM combines the goals of internet marketing with social media sites such as Digg, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube and many others. The SMM goals will be different for every business or organization, however most will involve some form of viral marketing to build idea or brand awareness, increase visibility, and possibly sell a product or service. SMM may also include online reputation management. Most online communities don't welcome traditional direct or hard sell techniques so an effective SMM campaign will require more finesse to execute properly. SMM campaigns must be targeted to the community you want to reach with a message that appeals to them. Some common ways of achieving this are with authoritative information, entertainment, humor or controversy."
- Wikipedia 2007
Social media marketing can be thought of an indirect method of marketing your business. It is a powerful process which utilizes the principles of traditional marketing to programs with social ends that ultimately promotes your business through social media channels. Social media marketing is the new wave of online marketing and might be considered an indirect method of marketing. Traditional marketing focuses on immediate sales and gets right to the point. This is who we are, this is what we do, this is why you should buy our product or service, now buy it. The length of traditional sales cycles vary within industries but the goal is always the same - close that sale.
Social media marketing has the same goal but the means to the end are very different. It is generally frowned upon to try to do sell your product or service on industry forum sites, for example. Those forums are in place for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and networking. Most forums have a separate advertising section where businesses can pay for advertising. The idea behind participating in forums is to establish yourself as your industry expert. Sharing your knowledge and learning from those in the same industry or your target market results in exposure for you and your business.
If you provide helpful information, make constructive comments and ask appropriate questions, you will be offering value to potential customers and they will, eventually, come to look for more value from you. Naturally, your ultimate value is in the product or service you are trying to sell. The inherent problem with social media marketing is that it takes a lot of time and effort to achieve the eventual desired result - that being the sale. Many business owners either don't have the time to devote to something that does not provide immediate desired results (the delayed gratification theory) or they are resisting utilizing the powerful social media marketing available options specifically because of its indirect approach to sales and the time it takes to see results.
Social media marketing is really no different than social networking off the internet. When you attend a trade show or a company event, you are networking in a social environment with the desired result being to increase your customer base. Companies that sponsor golf outings, company picnics and other social events, often invite employees, customers and potential customers. What do these three groups of people do at these events? They socialize and network. Although some may develop friendships at such events, the main reason for and ultimate goal of such events is to increase the bottom line - meaning the company's profits.
The Internet offers massive sources for networking through blogs, forums, communities and of course the immense number of social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo, Dzone, Gather, Ryze, Squidoo, Tagged, Xing and many, many more. The networking concept is the same; the platforms are exponentially greater and different. The vast number of sites can be overwhelming (http://traffikd.com/social-media-websites/), so it is a good idea to focus your social networking on sites that are specific to your industry as well as some of the larger, widely used generic sites like Facebook, Plaxo, Linkedin, etc. I prefer to use the sites that are more business-oriented like Linkedin and Plaxo - but that is a personal preference. To me, my Facebook profile has information and photos that are more appropriate for friends and family than business associates, but there are those who don't agree. Again, that is a matter of personal preference.
For discussion purposes, let's consider traditional (or direct) marketing to be a one way communication channel and social media marketing to be a two-way communication channel. In traditional marketing, a business might send you a direct mailer, an email, or you might see an advertisement in a magazine. These types of marketing campaigns cost the business a whole lot of money and don't always result in large volumes of sales. Now consider participating in two-way conversations on forums, blogs and other social networking sites. You, as a representative of your business, are engaging in "conversations" with your prospective clients and hopefully providing valuable content (content is King in social media marketing). Over time, you and your business will become more visible (as you increase your online presence), your reputation and value will increase and in time, your prospective clients will know who you are, the value in what you are selling and where to find you.
I always like to put myself in the other person's shoes to understand where they are coming from. I don't purchase anything before going on the Internet to find everything I can about the product or service I am considering buying. I read the reviews as well as what is being said about the competitive product or service. This being said, why would I expect anyone else to not do the same? If you think about social media marketing in these terms, its value, albeit a time-consuming process, may become more apparent to you.
It is important to keep in mind that social networks consist of loyal and engaging large audiences. Social media marketing can greatly benefit any business as it compliments your brand (an incredibly important topic in its own right), business and online profile. However, social media marketing takes time and serious dedication but the ultimate return you will receive will be well worth the time spent.
Whether or not a business owner embraces the value of social media marketing, there is no escaping the fact that the Internet is the new frontier for marketing. Social media has taken on a life of its own and if you have not jumped on the bandwagon, you are missing the boat. Social media marketing can greatly benefit any business as it compliments your brand, business and online profile.
Julie Weishaar is a creative and highly qualified Marketing professional with a broad-based background encompassing exceptional work ethic, proven creative marketing techniques and commitment to corporate objectives. Proactive manager, team builder and tactical planner with the ability to attract and secure key players in building strong and lasting business relationships.
- Wikipedia 2007
Social media marketing can be thought of an indirect method of marketing your business. It is a powerful process which utilizes the principles of traditional marketing to programs with social ends that ultimately promotes your business through social media channels. Social media marketing is the new wave of online marketing and might be considered an indirect method of marketing. Traditional marketing focuses on immediate sales and gets right to the point. This is who we are, this is what we do, this is why you should buy our product or service, now buy it. The length of traditional sales cycles vary within industries but the goal is always the same - close that sale.
Social media marketing has the same goal but the means to the end are very different. It is generally frowned upon to try to do sell your product or service on industry forum sites, for example. Those forums are in place for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and networking. Most forums have a separate advertising section where businesses can pay for advertising. The idea behind participating in forums is to establish yourself as your industry expert. Sharing your knowledge and learning from those in the same industry or your target market results in exposure for you and your business.
If you provide helpful information, make constructive comments and ask appropriate questions, you will be offering value to potential customers and they will, eventually, come to look for more value from you. Naturally, your ultimate value is in the product or service you are trying to sell. The inherent problem with social media marketing is that it takes a lot of time and effort to achieve the eventual desired result - that being the sale. Many business owners either don't have the time to devote to something that does not provide immediate desired results (the delayed gratification theory) or they are resisting utilizing the powerful social media marketing available options specifically because of its indirect approach to sales and the time it takes to see results.
Social media marketing is really no different than social networking off the internet. When you attend a trade show or a company event, you are networking in a social environment with the desired result being to increase your customer base. Companies that sponsor golf outings, company picnics and other social events, often invite employees, customers and potential customers. What do these three groups of people do at these events? They socialize and network. Although some may develop friendships at such events, the main reason for and ultimate goal of such events is to increase the bottom line - meaning the company's profits.
The Internet offers massive sources for networking through blogs, forums, communities and of course the immense number of social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo, Dzone, Gather, Ryze, Squidoo, Tagged, Xing and many, many more. The networking concept is the same; the platforms are exponentially greater and different. The vast number of sites can be overwhelming (http://traffikd.com/social-media-websites/), so it is a good idea to focus your social networking on sites that are specific to your industry as well as some of the larger, widely used generic sites like Facebook, Plaxo, Linkedin, etc. I prefer to use the sites that are more business-oriented like Linkedin and Plaxo - but that is a personal preference. To me, my Facebook profile has information and photos that are more appropriate for friends and family than business associates, but there are those who don't agree. Again, that is a matter of personal preference.
For discussion purposes, let's consider traditional (or direct) marketing to be a one way communication channel and social media marketing to be a two-way communication channel. In traditional marketing, a business might send you a direct mailer, an email, or you might see an advertisement in a magazine. These types of marketing campaigns cost the business a whole lot of money and don't always result in large volumes of sales. Now consider participating in two-way conversations on forums, blogs and other social networking sites. You, as a representative of your business, are engaging in "conversations" with your prospective clients and hopefully providing valuable content (content is King in social media marketing). Over time, you and your business will become more visible (as you increase your online presence), your reputation and value will increase and in time, your prospective clients will know who you are, the value in what you are selling and where to find you.
I always like to put myself in the other person's shoes to understand where they are coming from. I don't purchase anything before going on the Internet to find everything I can about the product or service I am considering buying. I read the reviews as well as what is being said about the competitive product or service. This being said, why would I expect anyone else to not do the same? If you think about social media marketing in these terms, its value, albeit a time-consuming process, may become more apparent to you.
It is important to keep in mind that social networks consist of loyal and engaging large audiences. Social media marketing can greatly benefit any business as it compliments your brand (an incredibly important topic in its own right), business and online profile. However, social media marketing takes time and serious dedication but the ultimate return you will receive will be well worth the time spent.
Whether or not a business owner embraces the value of social media marketing, there is no escaping the fact that the Internet is the new frontier for marketing. Social media has taken on a life of its own and if you have not jumped on the bandwagon, you are missing the boat. Social media marketing can greatly benefit any business as it compliments your brand, business and online profile.
Julie Weishaar is a creative and highly qualified Marketing professional with a broad-based background encompassing exceptional work ethic, proven creative marketing techniques and commitment to corporate objectives. Proactive manager, team builder and tactical planner with the ability to attract and secure key players in building strong and lasting business relationships.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Is LinkedIn the Most Important Social Media Tool for Professionals?
Without a doubt LinkedIn is one of the most important sites a professional service firm should focus on from the outset and YES you should be using it to the absolute limit of its potential.
However it is not the only site to really focus on: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other video upload sites,your blog, online Directories, relevant forums, article sites and social book marking sites, they all have an important part to play in your social media marketing strategy and whilst LinkedIn is very important you must develop a strategy and see it in the long term perspective.
Its easy to use, its free, it's well established and liked and it's powerful for both the individual and firm alike. Do not see LinkedIn, just in the personal context alone see it as a really powerful professional networking tool at the level of the firm itself.
LinkedIn, had an Alexia ranking, July 2010, of 29; this means it has the 29th highest combination of visitors and page views in the world.
LinkedIn has over 70 million users and is perfect because all those users solely focus on using the site for business purposes.
When you join, LinkedIn, you create a profile that summarizes your professional expertise and accomplishments. You can then form enduring connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you.
Your network consists of your connections, your connections' connections, and the people they know; all in all linking you to a vast number of qualified professionals and experts.
As is the case with any social network, it's important that you take a little time and get to know the culture and appreciate the accepted norms; take it steady.
LinkedIn, is the online version of offline business networking. As such it's the world's largest professional network and is growing rapidly as a marketing tool for professionals because of its power to find and share opportunities and to support to build relationships:
•It's a networking tool to find prospects and new clients, network partners industry experts, associates, vendors and business partners.
•It allows registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. • Many individuals openly promote relationships and deals that they are in the market for.
•You can use it to build a sense of occasion for specific happenings around your organization.
•LinkedIn, provides a perfect vehicle for getting feedback and undertaking research by simply asking questions.
Through your LinkedIn, network you can:
•manage the information that's publicly available about you and your firm;
•find, as well as get introduced to, potential clients, service providers, and subject experts, all of whom will come recommended; that's the glory of LinkedIn;
•create and collaborate on projects, gather data, share files and solve problems;
•be found for business opportunities and find potential partners;
•gain new insights from discussions with like- minded professionals; • discover inside connections that can help you to source contracts and close deals; and
•post and distribute job listings to find the best talent for your company.
LinkedIn is growing at one new member every second.and whilst many seeLinkedIn as a career development tool for professional firm business owners it's primary purpose will be all about making connections.
By the way your contacts in LinkedIn are called connections.
Never forget that first and foremost LinkedIn is a 'friend of friends' networking tool that enables you to make connections, build rapport and gain insights.
So, what are the keys to success when using LinkedIn?
As a starter all your key players within the firm need to have there own profile on LinkedIn
As ever the key is to set out your profile with the client in mind, and to get over the essence, in meaningful ways, from the prospects perspective, why & how you're special.
The key is to ensure that it's unmistakably clear:
•to whom you provide a service;
•what you can do for them, expressed in terms of benefits they can relate to;
•that you have a clear understanding of the problems/issues/concerns or needs they have and the results you'll be helping them to achieve; and most importantly; and
•why you're special in this context.
Make the most of your profile.
Use Your LinkedIn profile to best effect don't waste it; ensure that it is informative and well optimised for search.
Also make sure that you:
•Add your photo: this personalises like almost nothing else;
•Use links to your blog using Anchor text using the "other" tab;
•Use the "Summary" to tell your story or whatever else is compelling way;
•Use well focused keywords in the "specialty" section.
Keep your LinkedIn site active:
LinkedIn has a status update feature that you should update on a regular basis.
Place links to your LinkedIn,profile in your email signature and elsewhere online.
Make the most of the LinkedIn, Question & Answer facility by answering questions in substance and with style you can demonstrate your insights and expertise while potentially engaging contacts that are drawn to your knowledge. LinkedIn, has a rating system to reward people who give the best answers with some added exposure.
You can also ask thoughtful questions gaining insights and the basis for starting conversations, with like-minded connections.
Present information selectively. LinkedIn site was originally set up as a career development tool therefore you must be selective in how you use it in terms of the information you present under the headings offered. See the headings in a loose context and write as you see best given your business development and relationship development objectives for the use of the site. For example in the specialities section provide a list of your services and the benefits those services bring.
When using LinkedIn the first priority is to make quality connections. Then having made a connection the secondary goal is to get those connections [and in turn their connections] to go to your website, a blog or a video where you can really start to build meaningful rapport.
The primary purpose should not be to sell a service on LinkedIn site; there are many options elsewhere for this to be done; LinkedIn is for building relationships. Full stop. Only when you have built a relationship and established trust will it be time to sell.
Having established a new relationship then here is where the power of videos come into their own to establish a relationship and in this context its easy to see how important the development of a tactical plan of action is in terms of your 1st finding prospects; then connecting with them then getting them to take action and to view, say a video, or to visit your blog or sign up for your emails.
The key is to the most effective use of LinkedIn is to find connections using the search function and by using your contacts with whom you are connected.
Obviously the more direct connections you've established, the more opportunities you'll be afforded to make new contacts and build evermore connections; without the contacts and connections with them you'll be hard pressed to enjoy any benefits.
To effect a good mix of contacts use the LinkedIn toolbar for Outlook which you can use to invite your Outlook contacts and those on your email list to connect to you.
3 critically important maxims when using LinkedIN and the social media.
Firstly, 'go for quality' not quantity when building connections. Whilst the focus is on building a large network list, the priority is quality not quantity.
My advice is to use LinkedIn's "Trusted Partner Networking" and to avoid the "Open Networking" option where you can build thousands quite quickly but the quality of those people in terms of your service or your ability to communicate with them is low;
I prefer to use Trusted Partner Networking, because you only connect to people you already know and trust.
The second maxim is, as ever with the social media, to make commitment to what you're doing and to undertaking consistent activity over time.
This is where the third maxim comes in.
It will only be by dedicating significant time to working ON your business and not in it that you will achieve your objective of taking the firm to the next level using the social media and services such as LinkedIn and avoiding the feast and famine scenario experienced by so many firms.
So how do you use LinkedIn to find new clients & keep in touch with old ones?
For most professional firms their geographic target market is well defined as are the niches in which they work and the type of prospects they are wanting to get to know. LinkedIn is brilliant for professional firms, in this regard as it:
•allows your search to be highly targeted; especially when searching other people's listings of contacts; and
•you can follow up by asking the connection [contact] on whose list you found someone you'd like to get to know better if they will effect an initial contact on your behalf... et voila.
You should make maximum use of the testimonials facility.
It really is important that for each of the professional service areas where you offer a service that you present reputable and relevant testimonials in support, which should be complemented by video presentation testimonials.
This is really powerful if someone is in two minds as to whether they want to connect with you.
A great way to get client recommendations is to give them a testimonial first; reciprocation is then only natural.
This works great on LinkedIn as your client, the one to whom you're giving the testimonial, has the chance to vet what you've said before it goes live on their LinkedIn page and at the same time they're asked automatically if they'd like to reciprocate with a testimonial to you; which, normally they do.
You can build both rapport and status using LinkedIn Groups. If you're really up for building contacts then an idea is to join one of the many special interest Groups on LinkedIn. Here you can keep up to date on matters relating to your niche and contribute via postings in the very places where your prospects and clients hang out.
I suggest just going for one or two in the first instance as there are so many and it can become a little daunting if you want to play a meaningful role in each. The more you contribute the better.
This is where you really can add value; the more you contribute the stronger will be your reputation; although this said I caution whether you'll actually gain any new clients directly as a result of this; but, again, this said if as a result of your contribution you can then get people to go to a video series or to your website where other factors come into play then this is quite another matter.
You can also post questions and answers in the LinkedIn Q&A section; this is another useful way to build credibility.
Now to a few important specifics
Don't underestimate the importance of your professional headline: as this is the first thing people see when they find you after doing a search or a follow up after you've made contact. As such the professional headline is very important; aim to get it really well focused and absolutely spot-on.. What they see is a box with your name, photo, and this "headline.
If you're on the ball this doesn't just give your position but rather sets out what you offer. This heading is filled in by default unless you manually change it in the 'edit my profile' section. By using the right header this immediately indicates to a connection whether or not you might be of interest to them.
My headline, simple and to the point,, which is much better than just giving my job title, is: Helping professional service firm business owners to get more clients and build trust using social media and online video
Use Status Updates to keep in front of prospects
You should use Status Updates to open up and maintain a communication. This is an excellent way of simply keeping in front of people.
Everyone on LinkedIn receives update emails detailing the status of their contacts; they can also see these updates on their LinkedIn homepage.
The key is to ensure that your status updates have something interesting in them.
LinkedIn can also be used to enhance your profile by allowing you to add content. This is best done using the 'Blog link' app, which displays your latest blog posts on your profile.
Some other important should 'dos':
•You can ping other social networks when you add an update, such as Facebook & Twitter so as to have a broader impact;
•When you see a previously valued contact update their status, and with whom you haven't been in contact for some time, this is a good opportunity to get back in touch;anything to restart the conversation; a good ploy is to send them to a blog post that you know will be of interest or to a video, which links them into a further series of videos that they haven't yet seen;
•a great relationship builder is to put your connections into contact with each other; the key here is to be constantly looking for ways to add value in regard to all your connections, whether or not they are past or present clients because you just never know when a chance piece of support will lead to something transformational; and don't forget
•And whenever you've just met a prospect or a prospective partner for the first time check them out on LinkedIn; you'll be surprised at the extraordinary insights you'll gain.
However it is not the only site to really focus on: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other video upload sites,your blog, online Directories, relevant forums, article sites and social book marking sites, they all have an important part to play in your social media marketing strategy and whilst LinkedIn is very important you must develop a strategy and see it in the long term perspective.
Its easy to use, its free, it's well established and liked and it's powerful for both the individual and firm alike. Do not see LinkedIn, just in the personal context alone see it as a really powerful professional networking tool at the level of the firm itself.
LinkedIn, had an Alexia ranking, July 2010, of 29; this means it has the 29th highest combination of visitors and page views in the world.
LinkedIn has over 70 million users and is perfect because all those users solely focus on using the site for business purposes.
When you join, LinkedIn, you create a profile that summarizes your professional expertise and accomplishments. You can then form enduring connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you.
Your network consists of your connections, your connections' connections, and the people they know; all in all linking you to a vast number of qualified professionals and experts.
As is the case with any social network, it's important that you take a little time and get to know the culture and appreciate the accepted norms; take it steady.
LinkedIn, is the online version of offline business networking. As such it's the world's largest professional network and is growing rapidly as a marketing tool for professionals because of its power to find and share opportunities and to support to build relationships:
•It's a networking tool to find prospects and new clients, network partners industry experts, associates, vendors and business partners.
•It allows registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. • Many individuals openly promote relationships and deals that they are in the market for.
•You can use it to build a sense of occasion for specific happenings around your organization.
•LinkedIn, provides a perfect vehicle for getting feedback and undertaking research by simply asking questions.
Through your LinkedIn, network you can:
•manage the information that's publicly available about you and your firm;
•find, as well as get introduced to, potential clients, service providers, and subject experts, all of whom will come recommended; that's the glory of LinkedIn;
•create and collaborate on projects, gather data, share files and solve problems;
•be found for business opportunities and find potential partners;
•gain new insights from discussions with like- minded professionals; • discover inside connections that can help you to source contracts and close deals; and
•post and distribute job listings to find the best talent for your company.
LinkedIn is growing at one new member every second.and whilst many seeLinkedIn as a career development tool for professional firm business owners it's primary purpose will be all about making connections.
By the way your contacts in LinkedIn are called connections.
Never forget that first and foremost LinkedIn is a 'friend of friends' networking tool that enables you to make connections, build rapport and gain insights.
So, what are the keys to success when using LinkedIn?
As a starter all your key players within the firm need to have there own profile on LinkedIn
As ever the key is to set out your profile with the client in mind, and to get over the essence, in meaningful ways, from the prospects perspective, why & how you're special.
The key is to ensure that it's unmistakably clear:
•to whom you provide a service;
•what you can do for them, expressed in terms of benefits they can relate to;
•that you have a clear understanding of the problems/issues/concerns or needs they have and the results you'll be helping them to achieve; and most importantly; and
•why you're special in this context.
Make the most of your profile.
Use Your LinkedIn profile to best effect don't waste it; ensure that it is informative and well optimised for search.
Also make sure that you:
•Add your photo: this personalises like almost nothing else;
•Use links to your blog using Anchor text using the "other" tab;
•Use the "Summary" to tell your story or whatever else is compelling way;
•Use well focused keywords in the "specialty" section.
Keep your LinkedIn site active:
LinkedIn has a status update feature that you should update on a regular basis.
Place links to your LinkedIn,profile in your email signature and elsewhere online.
Make the most of the LinkedIn, Question & Answer facility by answering questions in substance and with style you can demonstrate your insights and expertise while potentially engaging contacts that are drawn to your knowledge. LinkedIn, has a rating system to reward people who give the best answers with some added exposure.
You can also ask thoughtful questions gaining insights and the basis for starting conversations, with like-minded connections.
Present information selectively. LinkedIn site was originally set up as a career development tool therefore you must be selective in how you use it in terms of the information you present under the headings offered. See the headings in a loose context and write as you see best given your business development and relationship development objectives for the use of the site. For example in the specialities section provide a list of your services and the benefits those services bring.
When using LinkedIn the first priority is to make quality connections. Then having made a connection the secondary goal is to get those connections [and in turn their connections] to go to your website, a blog or a video where you can really start to build meaningful rapport.
The primary purpose should not be to sell a service on LinkedIn site; there are many options elsewhere for this to be done; LinkedIn is for building relationships. Full stop. Only when you have built a relationship and established trust will it be time to sell.
Having established a new relationship then here is where the power of videos come into their own to establish a relationship and in this context its easy to see how important the development of a tactical plan of action is in terms of your 1st finding prospects; then connecting with them then getting them to take action and to view, say a video, or to visit your blog or sign up for your emails.
The key is to the most effective use of LinkedIn is to find connections using the search function and by using your contacts with whom you are connected.
Obviously the more direct connections you've established, the more opportunities you'll be afforded to make new contacts and build evermore connections; without the contacts and connections with them you'll be hard pressed to enjoy any benefits.
To effect a good mix of contacts use the LinkedIn toolbar for Outlook which you can use to invite your Outlook contacts and those on your email list to connect to you.
3 critically important maxims when using LinkedIN and the social media.
Firstly, 'go for quality' not quantity when building connections. Whilst the focus is on building a large network list, the priority is quality not quantity.
My advice is to use LinkedIn's "Trusted Partner Networking" and to avoid the "Open Networking" option where you can build thousands quite quickly but the quality of those people in terms of your service or your ability to communicate with them is low;
I prefer to use Trusted Partner Networking, because you only connect to people you already know and trust.
The second maxim is, as ever with the social media, to make commitment to what you're doing and to undertaking consistent activity over time.
This is where the third maxim comes in.
It will only be by dedicating significant time to working ON your business and not in it that you will achieve your objective of taking the firm to the next level using the social media and services such as LinkedIn and avoiding the feast and famine scenario experienced by so many firms.
So how do you use LinkedIn to find new clients & keep in touch with old ones?
For most professional firms their geographic target market is well defined as are the niches in which they work and the type of prospects they are wanting to get to know. LinkedIn is brilliant for professional firms, in this regard as it:
•allows your search to be highly targeted; especially when searching other people's listings of contacts; and
•you can follow up by asking the connection [contact] on whose list you found someone you'd like to get to know better if they will effect an initial contact on your behalf... et voila.
You should make maximum use of the testimonials facility.
It really is important that for each of the professional service areas where you offer a service that you present reputable and relevant testimonials in support, which should be complemented by video presentation testimonials.
This is really powerful if someone is in two minds as to whether they want to connect with you.
A great way to get client recommendations is to give them a testimonial first; reciprocation is then only natural.
This works great on LinkedIn as your client, the one to whom you're giving the testimonial, has the chance to vet what you've said before it goes live on their LinkedIn page and at the same time they're asked automatically if they'd like to reciprocate with a testimonial to you; which, normally they do.
You can build both rapport and status using LinkedIn Groups. If you're really up for building contacts then an idea is to join one of the many special interest Groups on LinkedIn. Here you can keep up to date on matters relating to your niche and contribute via postings in the very places where your prospects and clients hang out.
I suggest just going for one or two in the first instance as there are so many and it can become a little daunting if you want to play a meaningful role in each. The more you contribute the better.
This is where you really can add value; the more you contribute the stronger will be your reputation; although this said I caution whether you'll actually gain any new clients directly as a result of this; but, again, this said if as a result of your contribution you can then get people to go to a video series or to your website where other factors come into play then this is quite another matter.
You can also post questions and answers in the LinkedIn Q&A section; this is another useful way to build credibility.
Now to a few important specifics
Don't underestimate the importance of your professional headline: as this is the first thing people see when they find you after doing a search or a follow up after you've made contact. As such the professional headline is very important; aim to get it really well focused and absolutely spot-on.. What they see is a box with your name, photo, and this "headline.
If you're on the ball this doesn't just give your position but rather sets out what you offer. This heading is filled in by default unless you manually change it in the 'edit my profile' section. By using the right header this immediately indicates to a connection whether or not you might be of interest to them.
My headline, simple and to the point,, which is much better than just giving my job title, is: Helping professional service firm business owners to get more clients and build trust using social media and online video
Use Status Updates to keep in front of prospects
You should use Status Updates to open up and maintain a communication. This is an excellent way of simply keeping in front of people.
Everyone on LinkedIn receives update emails detailing the status of their contacts; they can also see these updates on their LinkedIn homepage.
The key is to ensure that your status updates have something interesting in them.
LinkedIn can also be used to enhance your profile by allowing you to add content. This is best done using the 'Blog link' app, which displays your latest blog posts on your profile.
Some other important should 'dos':
•You can ping other social networks when you add an update, such as Facebook & Twitter so as to have a broader impact;
•When you see a previously valued contact update their status, and with whom you haven't been in contact for some time, this is a good opportunity to get back in touch;anything to restart the conversation; a good ploy is to send them to a blog post that you know will be of interest or to a video, which links them into a further series of videos that they haven't yet seen;
•a great relationship builder is to put your connections into contact with each other; the key here is to be constantly looking for ways to add value in regard to all your connections, whether or not they are past or present clients because you just never know when a chance piece of support will lead to something transformational; and don't forget
•And whenever you've just met a prospect or a prospective partner for the first time check them out on LinkedIn; you'll be surprised at the extraordinary insights you'll gain.
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