This was a view from my hotel room at a recent speaking engagement. A little more engaging than posting on LinkedIn “I’m speaking at a conference in Mexico“, right?
Many of the professionals I train are resistant to social media because they think it’s simply a way for people to waste time. They think social media consists of updates on what people had for lunch and random pictures of themselves and their kids and their friends and their pets.
And the problem is, they aren’t completely wrong. Pretty much everyone has a camera in their pocket on their phone; and sites like Facebook and Twitter (not to mention Pinterest and Instagram) have made it easy to post those photos online. In other words, it’s easy to take a lot of photos and it’s easy to share them…with everyone.
Sharing Visuals is Powerful!
LinkedIn has muddied the waters by allowing you to attach a file to a status update, and that file can be a photo. But if LinkedIn acts as our “business” meeting place online, are photos appropriate and relevant?
Absolutely! Pictures are powerful because people are visual – we like to see things. There’s a reason the cliche “A picture is worth a thousand words” is a cliche. So now you can harness the power of visual communication to interact with your LinkedIn connections. You can use it to share information, build you brand, and keep your connections up-t0-date.
The trick is to keep your photos engaging, relevant, and appropriate. (And as a small but important side note, if there are other people in the photo, ask their permission). Here are some ideas you can use:
A photo of you or your team doing something professional
Post a photo of you and/or your co-workers at an event. It could be a trade show booth, a networking meeting, an internal training day.- Are you attending a conference or annual meeting? Post a photo of the main conference room or of you with some of your colleagues.
- If you are visiting one of your favorite/best customers, take a photo. Or grab a photo opp when they visit your office.
- If you or someone on your team wins an award, this is a no-brainer. Post a photo of the recipient proudly showing it off! Brag a bit!
Photos can also be a great place to be profersonal™!
- Show you and your coworkers enjoying the annual company picnic or holiday party (remember to keep it tasteful).
Some people really get into decorating for holidays. Display your 4th of July patriotism or your spooky Halloween office.- Does your crew help out in the community, maybe with a Habitat for Humanity project, community clean-up, or food drive? Let people know!
- When your organization sponsors an industry event or a Little League team, don’t just tell us. Snap a shot of the banner or the team photo.
Have fun with this new feature. Experiment a bit. And ask yourself: