Networking in the 21st Century...on LinkedIn: Why Your Network Sucks and What to Do About It is out now! You can get it here. If any of my work has helped you in the past, here’s an easy way to return the favor. Every single mention or download of the book on the launch day helps this new book find its way in the world. How to help TODAY: Get the book for free on launch day :) on Kindle Post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn with the link: http://amzn.to/1yWBSTS Email your friends and family who might find it valuable Post an Amazon.com review when you finish reading (and Facebook / Tweet about it) Multiple mentions throughout the day … [Read more...]
Understanding Your LinkedIn Brand Message in 3 Simple Steps
Updated January 2022 At the root of every ineffective LinkedIn profile and wasted status update is a lack of planning and forethought. Even with over 300+ million users, most people are on LinkedIn in a reactive capacity. They created a profile because others invited them to connect and when they post it's because they heard somewhere that they were supposed to. They are missing the strategic component that will enable them to leverage their time. They haven't thought through what they are trying to accomplish and therefore they accomplish very little. Asking and answering a few simple strategic questions can go a long way to making … [Read more...]
The Short Attention Span Rules for LinkedIn
Fifteen seconds. By the end of that those few seconds, over half of a webpage's visitors have left (according to research by digital metric tracker Chartbeat in 2014). And if you do a quick Google search on "how long do viewers stay on a webpage", you'll find a host of other stats, numbers, and figures, but they all point to a simple fact: People don't spend a lot of time reading online information. This has important ramifications for your online presence, especially with your social media profiles. If you are using sites like LinkedIn to build your brand or a client pipeline, your profile acts as your personal business website. … [Read more...]
Is it Time to Upgrade Your LinkedIn Account to Premium?
When working with professionals on their online brand, one of the common questions that I hear is, "Should I pay to upgrade to the premium LinkedIn account?" It's a great question and one that doesn't necessarily have a clear cut answer. I don't work for LinkedIn so I don't have a vested interest in someone anteing up for the paid accounts. On the other hand, I do help people use LinkedIn and social media to improve their businesses and careers so of course I think it makes sense to engage with the platform as much as possible. In the end, my answer is usually some variation of, "Yes...eventually." Don't Upgrade to Premium Too … [Read more...]
3 Places to Get a Great LinkedIn Profile Photo
It's amazing how much stress the LinkedIn Profile photo causes! One of the first questions I'm asked when reviewing someone's profile is how to have the perfect picture. Everyone wants it to be just right; and it's a refreshing change because I remember the good ol' days (which were just a few years ago) when I had to spend all my time just trying to convince people that it actually was important to have a profile photo. If you want to get some ideas about what makes for a great LinkedIn Profile photo, check out our article here. But once you know the shot you want, how can you get it without having someone take a poorly lit head shot … [Read more...]
Help! I Don’t Have Any Experience! (LinkedIn Profile Advice for Recent College Grads)
If you are a recent college grad, have at some point been a college grad, or have ever tried to get your first job, then you’ve probably run into the circular trap that hits most young people when they enter the job market. “How can I get the experience I need to be qualified for this job when no one will hire me because I don’t have experience?” Well, now we can add a 21st-century twist to the problem. It goes something like this: “I just graduated from college; and everyone says that my generation is totally social media-savvy so I should have a killer LinkedIn profile to help me get work. But what do I put on my “professional … [Read more...]
How Financial Professionals Can Take Their LinkedIn Profile to the Next Level
Update December 2018 Financial professionals have always considered themselves to be in the relationship business. The image of the small town insurance agent who knows everyone (and everyone's business) is deeply ingrained into our minds. Often they were the only source of information for their clients. That made them one of the pillars of the community and they were trusted advisors. But the world has changed. Whether someone lives in a rural town or a booming metropolis, they are only a few mouse clicks away from a wealth of information on products, markets, and prices. Your customers don't have to rely on you anymore. They … [Read more...]