Have you been completely overwhelmed by social media yet? It seems like there's a new platform popping up every day. The established sites are constantly adding features. And the experts keep telling you a new way that you are supposed to be using it. There are always new widgets, new buttons, and new functions. It would be tempting (and easier) to write off social media as a fad...if it wasn't an immensely powerful business tool. Sure, you might not need every website de jour. But underneath the sometimes confusing veneer are new and exciting ways for you to connect with your clients, colleagues, and prospects. The Foundation of … [Read more...]
How Can You Get More People to See Your LinkedIn Posts?
Updated December 2018 So I'm having an early morning breakfast at a hotel where I'm speaking that day for a group of financial advisers. I strike up a conversation with the guy sitting at the next table. And it turns out that he is attending the conference. He shares that he's been in the business for 20 years and has been pretty successful, but he actually came to the meeting to hear me speak about social media and LinkedIn, because he "...just doesn't get it. Why should I post what I'm doing? Who cares about that? Isn't it just people talking about what they had for lunch?" Create Visibility in a "Noisy" World After explaining … [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...]
Don’t Worry about Keywords on Your LinkedIn Profile
I'm always looking for a few good tips on improving the LinkedIn profile (and I want to keep tabs on what everyone else is talking about). So I read a lot of articles that are some variation of "X number of ways to make your LinkedIn profile work for you". Most give solid foundational tips for the profile. But I see one idea over and over again that I have to say something about. It seems like basic advice but I think it's actually counter-productive. I cringe every time I see it because it's horrible advice to give someone who is reading an article on the basics of writing a LinkedIn profile: Create a keyword-rich summary and … [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...]
Technology Can’t Solve Any Business Problems Alone
Today, as you go through your work day, your goal is to solve as many problems as you can. For most of us, that is actually what our work consists of: solving challenges that pop up consistently through the day. Luckily, since our society has advanced a bit, the problems that we face aren't the dire ones that faced our ancestors, like mystery blights destroying our crops or hordes of marauding barbarians. For us, it might be finding prospective clients, balancing the books, or managing different personalities on a project. Technology is Just a Tool Just like our ancestors, we consistently look to technology to solve our problems. They … [Read more...]
5 LinkedIn Status Updates You Can Post Right Now
LinkedIn Status Updates are a critical tool in developing your online presence. The opportunity to speak directly to your network is incredibly powerful, but sadly, still underused. Your LinkedIn network is made up of professionals who have opted-in to you, but if you don't share anything, they can't stay informed. They want to know what's going on in your professional world, and they are looking to you for information that can help them. "But I don't know what to share!" I hear that all of the time when I'm coaching and training individuals on how to make the most of their networking on LinkedIn. So let's get tactical. Here are … [Read more...]