Social Media 101: LinkedIn

Agenda Personal Background Social Media Background Why LinkedIn? How do you use LinkedIn, in general? Profile Setup What should you do? What shouldn’t you do? Content Requirement Engagement

Personal Background Kevin MacDonald CMA Business Coach CMA; Lean Six Sigma Training – Black Belt Lover of Social Media

Social Media Background Kevin MacDonald CMA Twitter since March 2009 @k_macd11 @L6SBC @EdmOKFanBus Facebook since January 2008 Edmonton Oil Kings Fan Bus LinkedIn since July 2007

Why LinkedIn? LinkedIn redirects four times as many users to company home pages as Facebook and Twitter LinkedIn generates the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate, about 2.74 percent, about three times that of Facebook and Twitter Highest Average Income of Users ($83K/yr) 2 people join every second 80% of Business Social Media Leads http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/tumblr-s-top-draw-marketing-platform-its-wealthier-user-base-160103 LinkedIn is would be the social network where the most selling would be acceptable. It is accepted, you could say, to actually sell on the platform but you still need to build a relationship, as with anywhere else. LinkedIn is like Facebook but it is not a place to play games, post quotations, or guess the answer of a math question. You don’t do these things at a professional networking event so why do it on a professional online networking platform.

Profile Setup Have a Profile Picture Who would you say is more credible?

Profile Set Up Pictures Not To Have Selfie or Mirror Picture Funky Filters, Blurry , Cropping Intense Action Shot Pets or Kids Default LinkedIn

Profile Setup Have a Profile Picture Use Your Real Name You are on a network where credibility and professionalism are important. Don’t use the name of someone else or place something else within the naming area, it can actually get your account shut down. His last name is not Lion. Why do you think he put in Lion? Lion means that he will connect with anyone, he doesn’t care about your background…mostly because he is a sales person….he owns an website called smallbizorg which charges services providers to be on; you would want to be on the website because he is trying to direct people there that will use the professional services.

Profile Setup Have a Profile Picture Use Your Real Name Headline The headline on a profile is something that Google will use to search for people.

Headline Two Different Forms, Depending on Intent Company & Title You can use simply your company and title. This does limit the ability for Google to find you when it does a search for a key term in your industry that you are linked to. Strong to have if your title and company are very well known, will bring credibility to you, and will help you look better

Headline Two Different Forms, Depending on Intent Skill Set For someone that is self employed or looking for clients, put a descriptor of your skill set, it will show up in google search

Headline Paid Ads I did a google search based off some of the services I offered in Edmonton and I was the first thing to come up after the paid advertisements.

Profile Setup Have a Profile Picture Use Your Real Name Headline Web Site & Contact Info You can add up to three different websites on your LinkedIn profile

Profile Setup Have a Profile Picture Use Your Real Name Headline Web Site, Contact Info, & Personalized URL Profile Content Resume vs Functional Recommendations Depending on the reason why you have your profile on LinkedIn, you will have it setup in certain ways. If you are looking to get connected with people for employment, you can have your profile setup as your resume. If you are looking to get connected with people for relationships for new clients, you want to detail out how you and your company would solve a problem for them. Answer for the person looking at your profile why they would want to work with you. Within the summary area of the profile, it is possible to get high impact on the Why factor. It is created based off your career overall, not just your current role or position. If you are looking at using the functional format, you have to make sure that you let the person know what problems you can solve for them and why it is important. Don’t be shy in giving out recommendations to people who you have worked with. In many cases, if they have worked with you, they will give you a recommendation back. It is recommended that you get 10 recommendations, which can be hard to get depending on your work history

Recommendation: Found in Two Different Spots Directly with Related Position

Recommendation: Found in Two Different Spots All Recommendations Together

Why Have a Completed Profile?

What To Do? Add Connections 2. Add connections to your network. If you invest a minute or so each working day clicking the "connect" button on the "People You May Know" list that LinkedIn posts in your feed you will broaden your network, and you will become known as someone who broadens the network, which is just as important. Remember: Everyone you talk to about business or meet during the course of the business day is a potential LinkedIn connection. 3. Play fair. But only "connect" to people you actually know. LinkedIn will backfire on you if you pretend to know people you don't. (While we're at it, here are nine other mistakes people make on LinkedIn.) Always ask for introductions to people you don't know. 4. Build out your lead list. Spend five minutes a day investigating the connections of your contacts to see whom you don't know personally but would like to meet. Make a note of those to whom you would like introductions. Start first with the "Recommendations," since those are most likely the strongest relationships of the LinkedIn user you are viewing. Ask for the recommendations outside of your LinkedIn account via email or phone. You'll get a quicker answer. (And you'll get the chance to quickly reconnect with your connections.) 5. Follow your current clients and prospects. Spend another two minutes each day looking up your current clients and top prospects. Find out whether they have a company page. If they do, follow and monitor it. 6. Post an update. Spend 60 seconds each working day posting an "Update" to your LinkedIn network. Use the daily update to share a link to an article or a video that is relevant to your prospects and customers. Or use the "Pulse" (used to be known as "LinkedIn Today") feature on your LinkedIn dashboard. Each time you post an update you get displayed on the feed of all the people with whom you are connected. But never sell when you post updates. Add value and share expertise instead. 7. Join groups. LinkedIn lets you connect with people who are in groups with you. Use this as a targeted way to add value to others, share insights, and build out your network with prospects. Invest five minutes a day on this. (Here are tips to find the best groups to join.) 8. Use LinkedIn to celebrate the accomplishments of others. When you come across a news story or post that offers good news about your client or prospect, or any key contact, share the news as a status update. Recognize the person with an "@" reply. That will ensure they receive notification of the mention. Spend a minute a day on this. 9. Write a recommendation. It is often difficult to secure LinkedIn recommendations, if only because it takes the writer time to log in, write, and post them. Instead of waiting for someone to recommend you, devote five minutes a day to writing and posting (reality-based) recommendations for your customers and key contacts. Once your contact approves the text, the recommendation will show up on his/her LinkedIn account. MORE: 7 Super-Smart Business Travel Apps Please Quit Saying These 11 Things You Really Don't Mean 5 Morning Rituals of Super Successful People Why We Need to Talk More About Mental Illness in Tech and Business Why You Shouldn't Fear Making a Product That Already Exists This will align you with your contact, serve as a permanent top-of-mind promotional piece for you and your organization, show your network that you work together, and make it much more likely that your contact will look for a way return the favor. That could be either a referral or a recommendation. Often, it's both. 10. Stop. The key to success on LinkedIn is investing a little bit of time every working day--not six hours a day for a week straight, then nothing. Source: http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/10-ways-to-generate-more-leads-and-referrals-from-linkedin-tues.html#!

Add Connections By clicking on the “Connections” link, you can see people that LinkedIn believes you know. These people are most prominently a 2nd or 3rd level connection from someone else that you are connected with.

Add Connections As can be seen under the description of the person, it shows you the common connection between yourself and that person. Click on the Connect button and it will send the automated connection request to the person.

Add Connections Second way to add connections is via your contacts within Gmail, hotmail, outlook, and yahoo mail

Add Connections You don’t have to go through your contacts and look for each person on an individual basis, LinkedIn will grab this information directly from your contact list.

What To Do? Add Connections Third Party Virtual Introduction via Common Connection 2. Add connections to your network. If you invest a minute or so each working day clicking the "connect" button on the "People You May Know" list that LinkedIn posts in your feed you will broaden your network, and you will become known as someone who broadens the network, which is just as important. Remember: Everyone you talk to about business or meet during the course of the business day is a potential LinkedIn connection. If you don’t know someone but would like to be connected with them, either email them using the friends category and personalize the message.

Virtual Introduction via Common Connection

Default Message – Interesting?

Personalized Message A personalized note where you tie it into proving that you went over a person’s profile is more likely to have someone accept your invitation.

What To Do? Add Connections Research Your Network 3. Play fair. But only "connect" to people you actually know. LinkedIn will backfire on you if you pretend to know people you don't. (While we're at it, here are nine other mistakes people make on LinkedIn.) Always ask for introductions to people you don't know. It is okay to go on someone’s profile and research who is within their network. 4. Build out your lead list. Spend five minutes a day investigating the connections of your contacts to see whom you don't know personally but would like to meet. Make a note of those to whom you would like introductions. Start first with the "Recommendations," since those are most likely the strongest relationships of the LinkedIn user you are viewing. Ask for the recommendations outside of your LinkedIn account via email or phone. You'll get a quicker answer. (And you'll get the chance to quickly reconnect with your connections.) 5. Follow your current clients and prospects. Spend another two minutes each day looking up your current clients and top prospects. Find out whether they have a company page. If they do, follow and monitor it.

Research Your Network When you go to the bottom of the profile of the connection, you will find out who they are connected to. It is okay to look at who the connections are and ask to be introduced to them.

What To Do? Add Connections Research Your Network Follow Clients & Prospects Join Groups 4. Build out your lead list. Spend five minutes a day investigating the connections of your contacts to see whom you don't know personally but would like to meet. Make a note of those to whom you would like introductions. Start first with the "Recommendations," since those are most likely the strongest relationships of the LinkedIn user you are viewing. Ask for the recommendations outside of your LinkedIn account via email or phone. You'll get a quicker answer. (And you'll get the chance to quickly reconnect with your connections.)

Join Groups Relevant to: Your Profession/Industry There are groups of LinkedIn for all professions, you just need to search for them in the search bar.

Join Groups A search based on ‘electrical’ was completed which shows a list of 3,908 groups which are applicable. You can filter the groups by language and types of groups.

Join Groups Relevant to: Your Profession/Industry Your Customers/Suppliers Your customers may have groups setup where you can engage with people in the group. If you are able to set yourself apart as an expert or someone with specific knowledge, it will lead to connections and future possibilities.

Join Groups Nothing wrong with creating your own group. You can create a community there to get your voice out.

What To Do? Add Connections Research Your Network Follow Clients & Prospects Join Groups Share/Develop Industry Relevant Content

Group Setting: What Doesn’t Fit? 5. Follow your current clients and prospects. Spend another two minutes each day looking up your current clients and top prospects. Find out whether they have a company page. If they do, follow and monitor it. 6. Post an update. Spend 60 seconds each working day posting an "Update" to your LinkedIn network. Use the daily update to share a link to an article or a video that is relevant to your prospects and customers. Or use the "Pulse" (used to be known as "LinkedIn Today") feature on your LinkedIn dashboard. Each time you post an update you get displayed on the feed of all the people with whom you are connected. But never sell when you post updates. Add value and share expertise instead.

What To Do? Add Connections Research Your Network Follow Clients & Prospects Join Groups Share/Develop Industry Relevant Content Don’t start putting updates on LinkedIn just to make sure you have posted something, it will hurt your brand credibility in the end. Post on a consistent basis. The posting can be as simple as saying: “Going to be spending a great day with XYZ company helping them with their lighting needs” or could be a comment on an article that you attach to the comment. Don’t post more than 4 times per day to LinkedIn or people will get tired of seeing your material. It is not like Twitter where there are hundreds of messages being sent within minutes, but hundreds with a day or two, depending on network size.

What To Do? Add Connections Research Your Network Follow Clients & Prospects Join Groups Share/Develop Industry Relevant Content Consistent & Quality Recommendations Don’t start putting updates on LinkedIn just to make sure you have posted something, it will hurt your brand credibility in the end. Post on a consistent basis. The posting can be as simple as saying: “Going to be spending a great day with XYZ company helping them with their lighting needs” or could be a comment on an article that you attach to the comment. Don’t post more than 4 times per day to LinkedIn or people will get tired of seeing your material. It is not like Twitter where there are hundreds of messages being sent within minutes, but hundreds with a day or two, depending on network size. 9. Write a recommendation. It is often difficult to secure LinkedIn recommendations, if only because it takes the writer time to log in, write, and post them. Instead of waiting for someone to recommend you, devote five minutes a day to writing and posting (reality-based) recommendations for your customers and key contacts. Once your contact approves the text, the recommendation will show up on his/her LinkedIn account. Source: http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/10-ways-to-generate-more-leads-and-referrals-from-linkedin-tues.html#!

What Not To Do? Do More than Sell! Engage and Converse! But Don’t Spam or ask for likes/shares Don’t Self-Promote but Add Value Don’t Post like Facebook 1. People are always being sold to, they don’t want to be sold to online. If you build,

Don’t Post like Facebook Don’t post stuff like the above. LinkedIn is not math class and it is not professional. Would you do the same thing at a business mixer? So why would you do it at an online mixer?

What Not To Do? Do More than Sell! Engage and Converse! Don’t Self-Promote but Add Value Don’t Post like Facebook Posting without a Photo/Video 1. People are always being sold to, they don’t want to be sold to online. If you build,

Posting without a Photo/Video Lost!

What Not To Do? Do More than Sell! Engage and Converse! Don’t Self-Promote but Add Value Don’t Post like Facebook Posting without a Photo Not personalizing your introduction

How to Engage with People User Level 47.6% of users use LinkedIn 0-2 hours per week 26% use it from 3 to 4 hours a week 12.2 % use it for 5-6 hours per week (that is nearly 1,400 minutes per month) Use Groups Connect with People in your Network Be Personable Source for Engagement Level: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/03/06/how-to-harness-the-power-of-linkedin-infographic/#wleLWh4f2ji2bewE.99

Helpful Hints 60% of Posting is Content; 30% Engagement (higher if possible); 10% Call to Action Use Tools http://hootsuite.com/ LinkedIn Analytics

LinkedIn Analytics

LinkedIn Analytics In quick glance, you can see how many people are looking at your profile based off your activity level.

LinkedIn Analytics More details on who is looking at your profile. Are they coming from a common company or a common geographic area?

LinkedIn Analytics What kind are of people are looking at your profile, based off their title and the industry they are in

LinkedIn Analytics How is each individual blog post doing? It gives you more insight into the type of content your audience likes to see.

LinkedIn Analytics Who is reading your blog? What type of audience is your blog generating based off industry, title, location, and where the clicks are coming from.

LinkedIn Analytics From your main page, click on the ‘views on your update’ to see how many people are seeing your update…click on ‘see your recent activity’ to get more information.

LinkedIn Analytics

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