Download Using LinkedIn to Market YOU

Using LinkedIn To Market YOU!
March 28, 2016 – Westminster Presbyterian Church
Presented by Joe Polk – www.13ball.com
Sponsored by
Pennsylvania Professional Employment Network (PAPEN)
Social Media Revolution
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jottDMuLesU
What is Social Networking?
 A social network service focuses on building and reflecting
of social networks or social relations among people, e.g.,
who share interests and/or activities. A social network
service essentially consists of a representation of each user
(often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of
additional services. Most social network services are web
based and provide means for users to interact over the
internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging.
 (Source – Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking)
What is Social Media?
 88% of marketers are using social media.
 Using online platforms such as Twitter, Facebook,
YouTube, and LinkedIn to market your business.
 More interactive and building trust and relationships
with consumers or prospects.
 It’s a 2-way conversation.
Why do you need a presence?
 Visibility equals opportunity.
 Customers and prospects want to interact with you.
 Social media could transform a business in a positive
and negative manner.
LinkedIn
 What is it?
Social networking site, but purely for business. Over 414 million
members as of January 2016.
 What is it used for?
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A contact network is built up consisting of their direct connections,
the connections of each of their connections (termed second-degree
connections) and also the connections of second-degree connections
(termed third-degree connections). This can be used to gain an
introduction to someone a person wishes to know through a mutual,
trusted contact.
It can then be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities
recommended by someone in one's contact network.
LinkedIn
 What is it used for?
 Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates.
 Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and
discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them.
 Gated-Access Approach
Contact with any professional requires either a
preexisting relationship, or the intervention of a
contact of theirs. It’s intended to build trust among
the service's users.
 (Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LinkedIn)
Suggestions for Using LinkedIn
 You MUST have a profile photo
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Why wouldn’t you put one there?
Professional head shot preferably
 Use a background photo
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Highlight your skills
If you’re looking for work, say it!
Show yourself in action – speaking, meeting, doing your work
Suggestions for Using LinkedIn
Profile photo size: Minimum 200 x 200 pixels. Maximum of 500 x 500 pixels.
Background photo size: Recommend size is 1400 x 425 pixels.
Suggestions for Using LinkedIn
 First name in first name field, last name in last name
field
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No job titles, degrees, etc. It goes against their user agreement.
 Tell your story in the Summary section
 How will a company benefit from hiring you or working with
you? This is the area for your “elevator speech”.
 Try to get at least 10-20 recommendations
 Think of them like a reference you would put on your resume
Suggestions for Using LinkedIn
 Add media to your profile
 This is new to LinkedIn. Take advantage of it!
 Share information via your status update.
 Use this area to educate your connections and offer value.
 Ask people why they have connected to you
 Is it to build their network or are they hoping to do business
with you? Don’t be shy. ASK!
 Give examples of what you’ve done
 It’s one thing to say you’re experienced or creative, SHOW IT!
Suggestions for Using LinkedIn
 Set up your own company page
 Start your own Group.
 Find other Groups and post regularly.
 Change your status frequently.
 Give LinkedIn Recommendations regularly.
Suggestions for Using LinkedIn
 Browse network updates to see who you could or
should communicate with.
 Respond to questions and answers.
 Search companies and harvest contact information.
 Respond to everyone who communicates with you.
Your LinkedIn Company Page
10 Ways To Improve
Your LinkedIn Company Page
1. Provide Expert Content That Solves Problems for
Your Audience
Publish content that shows your expertise in the marketplace so
readers come to you for a solution when they have a problem.
2. Use Images To Capture Attention
Images make your LinkedIn company page visually appealing to
visitors, so they’re more likely to consume and share your content—
and direct their connections to your company page.
10 Ways To Improve
Your LinkedIn Company Page
3. Show & Tell With Videos
Short videos—less than 15 seconds—can be used to focus your
message. You can use them to create a product look-book,
demonstrate a product’s use or show an everyday life hack. Vine and
Instagram both offer short-form videos that fit well with this style.
4. Highlight Your Product With Showcase Pages
Think of showcase pages as a way to highlight your specialized
content. They let you customize your messages and engage different
audience segments based on their product interest.
10 Ways To Improve
Your LinkedIn Company Page
5. Make Your Updates Short and Sweet to Encourage
Click-throughs
Your status updates show up in the news feed of a user’s home page and let
your readers share your content. Post updates that include a simple title, an
interesting image and a short lead-in that lets readers know what to expect
when they click through, without giving away the whole story.
6. Engage Your Audience
Many people follow your company page as a way to engage and interact with
you. To encourage that engagement, ask people questions and reply to their
comments. You can also host a contest.
10 Ways To Improve
Your LinkedIn Company Page
7. Sponsor Your Best Content to Reach More People
LinkedIn started offering sponsored updates in mid-2013. They’re a great way for
companies to reach more readers. Pushing out content to your followers is one thing,
but to grow your business, you need new leads. Use sponsored updates to extend the
reach of your update to people who qualify as leads.
8. Reveal Your Company Culture to Encourage Brand
Advocacy
Showing the human side of your company is an important way to create trust with your
followers and turn them into fans. Include fun, behind-the-scenes information in your
content to help readers make a deeper connection with you.
10 Ways To Improve
Your LinkedIn Company Page
9. Position Your Page Management Team for Success
Make sure you have a dedicated team handling your page’s administration. Your
followers will find your page more useful if there are employees who devote segments
of their time to managing the page, as well as other admin tasks like having an
editorial calendar for updates and posts.
10. Add a Follow Us Button on Your Corporate Site
Use all the tools that LinkedIn gives you for your company page to let people know
you’re on LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s Developers page
(https://developer.linkedin.com/plugins/follow-company) makes it quite easy to
create and add a Follow Us button to your corporate website. Simply type your
company name in the appropriate field, choose your button type and copy the code to
your site.
10 Ways To Improve
Your LinkedIn Company Page
Social Media Examiner
April 1, 2014
www.socialmediaexaminer.com/make-linkedincompany-page-useful/
6 Common LinkedIn Mistakes Small Businesses Make
 Coming on too strong in your profile.
LinkedIn is all about the subtle, soft sell. Promote
your product or service too openly on your profile
and you’ll be sure to turn people off.
 The answer: Get your customers to write as many
positive reviews of your company on your profile as
possible. If people who use your product or service
comment about it, you’ll increase your credibility.
6 Common LinkedIn Mistakes Small Businesses Make
 Promoting your product or service in a
message or a group discussion.
Similarly, just because you’ve connected with
someone, doesn’t mean you have permission to start
plugging your wares
 The answer: Before contacting anyone, make sure
you understand the number one rule of making
connections on LinkedIn: keep it low-key.
6 Common LinkedIn Mistakes Small Businesses Make
 Failing to highlight the problems you solve
for customers in your profile.
Too often, small business owners describe the
product or service they sell in their profile, without
explaining what the benefits are. Result: you miss the
chance to stand out from the crowd.
 The answer: Focus on the issues and challenges
your company addresses. Example: “We show
companies how to decrease their manufacturing
costs.”
6 Common LinkedIn Mistakes Small Businesses Make
 Not taking advantage of all the capabilities
available.
LinkedIn provides access to a plethora of research
and other features that many people aren’t aware of.
 The answer:
Find out what LinkedIn has to offer—and use it.
Example: Before every first-time meeting with a
prospect, checks the person’s LinkedIn profile to
learn about the individual.
6 Common LinkedIn Mistakes Small Businesses Make
 Joining too many groups.
By taking part in group discussions , you can attract
a lot of positive attention. But, join too many and
you’ll be spread too thin.
 The answer: Focus on two or three that are most
likely to provide access to potential customers or
partners.
6 Common LinkedIn Mistakes Small Businesses Make
 Inviting too many people you don’t know.
Do that a lot and you can get in a heap of trouble:
you’ll find yourself on a list of violators. Then, if you
want to invite somebody to join you, you’ll need to
have their email address to do so.
 The answer: Just don’t do it. Make sure you know
your invitees.
 (Source -- http://www.openforum.com/idea-
hub/topics/technology/article/6-common-linkedin-mistakes-smallbusinesses-make-and-what-you-should-do-instead-anne-field)
Branded.me
What is www.branded.me?
 A great new website that can generate your own personal resume/CV
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website based off of the information in your LinkedIn profile.
You can also create a site without the information, but you’ll need to
manually enter everything.
Free and premium options
Free includes yourname.branded.me domain name
Premium includes domain registration for personal site – e.g.
www.yourname.com
You can also purchase a domain name on your own and point it to your
branded.me website.
Questions?
Joe Polk
[email protected]
412.680.1917
www.facebook.com/13ball
www.twitter.com/13ballsolutions
www.linkedin.com/in/joepolk