Updated September 2020 Over the last decade I've read a lot of LinkedIn profiles. I've helped thousands of professionals improve their own profiles. And I do a lot of networking and selling so I'm always looking at what people write about themselves. And here's the reality: Not all profiles are good. Sure, some of them are really useful. I can read the profile and understand what the person does, who they work with, and why I would want to connect with them. Others miss all of those main points. This is important. Because if your profile isn't useful to your reader, then you are shooting yourself in the foot. Engage … [Read more...]
Should You Really Put Recent College Grads in Charge of Your Social Media?
"Give the job to Mikey, he understands this stuff!" "Mikey" in this scenario is a 24-year-old recent college grad who is looking for his or her first job in marketing (or probably anything because of the crappy job market). "This stuff" is the entirety of your company's social media marketing and branding work. Strategy, tactics, execution...the whole shebang. Instead of kids trying to get their brother to eat cereal, it's executives trying to fill their social media positions. It's an understandable response considering how quickly social media has evolved and how much influence it is exerting on business. Trying to keep up with … [Read more...]
The Clues Hidden in the Structure of My LinkedIn Network
Updated December 2018 Back in the day, LinkedIn offered a service that let you graphically represent your LinkedIn network. It gave you a way to visualize what how your connections were linked to you and to each other. Unfortunately, it's not possible to use the service anymore. But they contained some great lessons to be pulled from what my LinkedIn network looked like back then. The Power of 2nd Level Connections Here's what mine looked like: Think about what you are seeing here. This is my personal org chart. This visually describes how I'm connected to everyone I know and how they are connected to each other. These … [Read more...]
You Should be Sharing Photos in LinkedIn Status Updates! Here’s Why (and How)!
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) … [Read more...]
Windmills, Africa, & Why Your Network Boosts Your Paycheck
Updated October 2019 If you have a chance, I highly recommend reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind about William Kamkwamba (there is also a movie on Netflix). It's a fascinating and inspiring read. I found out about the book while watching an interview with William years ago on the Daily Show with John Stewart. At one point, the conversation turns to the fact that William taught himself how to build a windmill and electrical generator without a computer. In fact, at one point, he says about Google, "...I said what kind of animal is this Google?" Then his response when he first encountered the internet, " Where was this Google … [Read more...]
Why I Think it’s Dumb to Not Use Business Cards
I was at a conference sponsored by a large high-tech firm, and because they were a high-tech firm, they were going to be fancy and high-tech and put QR codes on everyone's namebadge with their contact info. In theory, you would scan the QR code with your smartphone and download their info directly and this would make networking more efficient. In practice it was a pain in the ass. I got tired of aiming my phone at someone's badge and trying to keep everyone physically still enough for it to work. And it was a huge interruption in the flow of the conversations I was having. And then there was the afternoon my phone battery … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Use LinkedIn in 3 Minutes Daily
I often get asked "So what am I supposed to actually do on LinkedIn?" Usually this is asked with a mix of confusion, annoyance, and desperation. Online social networking represents a fundamental evolution in how we communicate - and it can be overwhelming. So how can you start using it in a way that helps you accomplish your work goals? One of the best ways to get acclimated to LinkedIn is to use it consistently - you want to make your social media use a habit. You might be afraid that this takes a lot of time - never fear, once you do make it a habit LinkedIn requires just a few minutes a day to use effectively. Social media moves … [Read more...]
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