ROI and Measuring your LinkedIn Presence

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#LinkedInChat

February 21, 2012

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February 21, 2012


12 Metrics You Should Monitor on LinkedIn

Measuring your LinkedIn Presence for Better ROI

Measuring your progress on LinkedIn will help you stay on track and reach your goals.  LinkedIn can be an elephant – and we all know the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.  Are you measuring those bites?

There are two types of metrics you can measure on LinkedIn: Quantitative Measurements and Qualitative Measurements.  Quantitative Measurements are usually associated with numbers and Qualitative with the quality of your engagement.  Both are crucial to your success on LinkedIn.

So what are the 12 most important metrics for you to measure on LinkedIn?

Quantitative:

1.  Total Connections
2.  New Invitations
3.  LinkedIn Profile Views
4.  LinkedIn Search Results
5.  Business Followers
6.  Industry and Location Representation

Qualitative

7.  Inbox Activity and Sentiment
8.  Requests for Business
9.  LinkedIn Signal Keyword Mentions
10. Likes and Comments on Updates
11. Group Growth and Interaction
12. Recommendations

Quantitative Measurements

1.  Total Connections

Network Statistics

You can find your total connections in a few places.  Under the “Contacts” tab you will see “Network Statistics” and your total connections will be your 1st, 2nd and 3rd level connections.

One thing LinkedIn doesn’t tell you is that you are only as visible as the size of your network, so it’s a good idea to know where you stand right now.  As a matter of fact, in the space provided below, write down your 1st, 2nd and 3rd level connections, as well as the number of your total connections (or “total users you can contact through an Introduction”).

1st Level Connections _____________

2nd Level Connections _____________

3rd Level Connections _____________

Total Network Connections ____________

 You can get a quick glance at your number of connections and network size on your home page in a box called “Your LinkedIn Statistics”.

2.  New Invitations

Your LinkedIn Network

LinkedIn doesn’t give you a number of new connections, although it will show you all your outstanding invitations in your inbox under invitations. On your home page in “Your LinkedIn Statistics” click the new people hyperlink and then click on 1st connections to see a thumbnail of your connections.

You want to keep an eye on these numbers to make sure they do not get stagnant.  A little strategic growth every week can make all the difference to your success on LinkedIn.

 

 

3.  LinkedIn Profile Views

Who's Viewed Your Profile

Just above “Your LinkedIn Statistics” is “Who’s Viewed Your Profile?” And you will see the number of times people have viewed your profile. I find

huge value in the “Who’s viewed my profile?” section. By clicking on the number LinkedIn will take you to a new page that identifies how many visitors have viewed your profile in the last X days, and identifies these visitors by name, title, and/or industry.  These people are known as leads…..

If you aren’t getting at least ten views a week then chances are you are not getting as much business as you could out of LinkedIn.

4.  LinkedIn Search Results

If you haven’t done so yet, type the keyword or keyword phrase that best describes you into the “People” Search field on the top right hand side of your profile.  What page do you fall on?  Again, its good to get the baseline number now so you can see how much you improve later on!

What keywords should you be using in your profile?  Click here for my article: Three Ways to Find Keywords

Where do you put these keywords?  Click here for my article: Clarity and Branding.  Know your Keywords

5. Company Page Followers

If you have a Company Page on LinkedIn then keep an eye on who is following your numbers.  Get that base line now.  ____________

Are you even telling people about your company page?  Using your company page link in your email signature?  Using the company page social button on your website?  Let them know!

To get your Company Profile Plugin, click here: https://developer.linkedin.com/plugins

6. Industry and Location Representation

Where is your network & what do they do?

When you look at your connections, what is the Industry representation and Location representation of your network?  Are you connecting to people  in the right industries and locations?

To check this out go to the “Contacts” tab and “Connections” link,  then on the bottom left side of the screen click on “Location” and “Industry” and you can see numerically what Industry and Locations are best represented by your 1st level connections.  Do you need to connect with more people in more targeted industries or locations?

You might want to create a document with these baseline numbers so you have a snap shot of your growth.

 Qualitative Measurements

7. Inbox Activity and Sentiment

Are you getting any inbox activity?  Some of it will definitely be spammy in nature, but its good to keep an eye on your inbox.  Some people will want to genuinely reach and build a relationship with you.

Sentiment wise – are people thanking you for connecting?  Genuinely interacting with you?  Sending blanket newsletters?  You will get a bit of each, so I highly recommend nurturing the “real” communications.  Feed what you want more of, ignore what you want less of.

8.  Requests for Business

And how about requests for business?  I knew there was something wrong with my LinkedIn visibility when I went from getting 10+ requests for consultations a week to less than 3.  This is probably one of the most important metrics to measure – and one of the main goals for being on LinkedIn:  to get more business!

(To find out what I did wrong, click here for my article LinkedIn:  Comply or Get Spanked

9. LinkedIn Signal Keyword Mentions

Have you checked LinkedIn Signal to see how many of your keyword search terms (Company Name, Your Name, Usernames, Industry, Product or Service) are being mentioned?  Once you set your metrics on LinkedIn Signal all you have to do is click on your saved searches to see what new mentions you are getting.

For more on LinkedIn Signal, click here:  http://linkedintobusiness.com/updates-signal-and-linkedin/ 

10.  Likes and Comments on Updates

See Your LinkedIn Activity

Many people don’t even realize you can monitor your own updates to see how often people liked or commented on them.

  1. Click on Profile
  2. Go to View Profile
  3. In your latest update, click on “See all Activity”

Now you can see exactly what you have posted and how people have responded.  If you are not getting many responses, consider adjusting what you post.  And do not, whatever you do, automatically post all your tweets to LinkedIn.  The only comment you will get from that is a dis-connect!

What Activity Can you Monitor?

11.   Group Growth and Interaction

If you have a group you will want to keep an eye on your group growth and interaction.  Check out how many members you have right now and make note of the number here: ______.  If you have been ignoring your group, check on the on-going discussions.  Is the group thriving without you, or has it been killed by spam-like postings?  Groups can be a powerful form of client attraction and engagement, but you must nurture them.  To see a good group at work check out LinkedStrategies.

Jennifer Jones on LinkedIn adds: “For lead generation, I measure success by engagement with others in groups and in this Q&A section. How often are answers voted “best” and how often is content “Liked” shared and discussed.”

12.   Recommendations

Are you getting recommendations?  Are they thorough?  Descriptive?  From good people?  Sometimes you have to give to get.  Or at least ask for them!  When requesting recommendations:

  • Only request recommendations from people you know
  • Remind them how you know them (Change the default subject line)
  • Give them some speaking points
  • If you know the person well and you think they won’t mind, write the recommendation for them

I recommend creating a LinkedIn calendar and creating daily/weekly tasks to keep on top of your LinkedIn presence.  You can’t know your ROI if you don’t know where you started.  As business people we need to know our ROI. The Return on our Time and Financial Investments.  If we are spending an hour a day on LinkedIn, is it paying off? Where are your numbers strong?  Where are they weak?  What are you going to do to improve them?

 Tonight’s #LinkedInChat will be all about “ROI and what you measure on LinkedIn”.

Here are the questions!

(To learn more about LinkedIn, click here:  www.linkedintobusiness.com/linkedinchats)

Click here for the Hashtracking Transcript of Tuesday Night’s Chat!  http://beta.hashtracking.com/ht-pro-rpt/cjeffers-linkedinchat-2012-02-21/

Q1:  What is your definition of ROI? (Return on Investment/Influence)

Q2:  Does ROI on Social Media differ from traditional ROI?

Q3:  Have you put any practices into place to measure ROI on LinkedIn?

Q4:  What are some aspects or metrics you measure on LinkedIn?

Q5:  What baseline numbers have you recorded on LinkedIn?

Q6:  What are your “strong numbers”

Q7:  What are your “weak numbers”

Q8:  What strategies will you put in place to improve your LinkedIn ROI?

Q9:  What social media ROI Resources would you like to share?

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I’m off to South America

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Uncategorized

February 9, 2012

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February 9, 2012


Hello everyone – I am off to South America for 10 day with no internet.  Time to focus on my book and do a few gigs.  But I’ll be back to answer your questions and share what I have learned about LinkedIn.  Please feel free to leave any questions or comments in the comment field.  Or email me at vivekavr@gmail.com.  Or tweet me @LinkedInExpert!  I’ll get back to you on the 22,d or 23rd!

In the meantime – there is the #LinkedInChat on Tuesday night at 5 PM PST www.linkedintobusiness.com/linkedinchats

 

 

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And Now for Something Completely Different: Facebook!

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Uncategorized

February 6, 2012

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February 6, 2012


Facebook Resources

This is NOT my area of expertise – Andrea Vahl, Mari Smith, Amy Porterfield, Phyllis Khare  are the ones to go to.   I did, however, put together this list.ly list of some of the resources I used in my Facebook seminar today. What I like about List.ly is that anyone can add their own resources or webpage. List.ly is embeddable, sharable, generates relevant content and resources and creates very good  SEO.

Feel free to like, add or comment on a link. Embed this list in your own blog or website!

To add a resource  just put the URL in the available field at the bottom of the link.

Facebook Resources

Viv_-_headshot_with_flowers_normal These are just a few Facebook Resources I bookmarked while researching my Facebook seminar. I\'d love you to share any Facebook resources you have found useful.
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The Future of LinkedIn: 8 Possible Directions

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#LinkedInChat

January 31, 2012

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January 31, 2012


Where Do You See LinkedIn Going?

1.  Connect-ability

InMaps

Where do I see LinkedIn going?  Beyond the inevitability of yearly facelifts (one of the reasons I really appreciate LinkedIn is that its designers don’t feel the need to change its look and function-ability every few months) I am hopeful that LinkedIn will focus on making valid connectibility between its members easier and more effective.

Right now the only way to send messages is directly to a first level connection, through groups, updates and paid InMails.  I believe this greatly inhibits people’s ability to connect and do business.  I understand LinkedIn is protecting against the incredible spammy nature of communications that has infiltrated most social media sites – but it also greatly limits people’s ability to connect.  Perhaps LinkedIn will find a different way to monetize its network and allow for more introductions or easier Group communications.

LinkedIn CRM

2.  Customer Relationship Management

I would love to see an interactive scheduling program turning LinkedIn into a true CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system.  I’m excited about the LinkedIn For Sales Force App available to Salesforce users, but would love to see the same kind of contact management system for business folks who don’t use Salesforce.   I think they have made a start buying CardMunch.com.  I’m excited to see where they might go with a LinkedIn CRM.  Some kind of truly usable CRM system to help us organize, connect with, time and schedule communications with our ENTIRE LinkedIn Network, not just our first levels, would be a tool I would pay some money for!

3.  Third Party Apps

One of the things I appreciate about LinkedIn is that there are not hundreds of thousands of third party apps to sift through like you have with Facebook and Twitter.  This means less potential for hackers and worms, but it also means less potential usability.  I don’t care who creates the applications, third party or LinkedIn itself, but a few more apps and a slightly more open API would be nice.  Also – It would be great if LinkedIn would allow you to use more than 8 apps at a time.  While I appreciate LinkedInLabs and the Hackaday incentive – the only apps they have created that I think truly help in my business are LinkedIn Signal and InMaps

4.  Jeff Weiner

Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn CEO

So back to the future of LinkedIn.  When Jeff Weiner was made CEO, he really began to open LinkedIn to its more social aspect.  I hope the trend continues that way.  LinkedIn Today and LinkedIn Signal are two of my favorite innovations from his reign.  Rumor has it he was brought into LinkedIn to take it public, but (almost) a year later he is still CEO and LinkedIn continues to grow and thrive (should be hitting 145 million users any day now).  I just hope he is able to balance gross profits with social and influence profitability.

 

5.  The LinkedIn Profile

I also see LinkedIn continuing to add segments to the user profile.  An easier video app would be appreciated (You can use Google Presentations and Slideshare to upload video but it’s a bit tricky and very buggy).  They already have the technology (uploading YouTube video into your Company Page’s Products and Services) so why not add them to personal profiles?

I think its inevitable (and I cringe to think about it) but there probably needs to be some Facebook interaction.  On the other hand, while you can still add your twitter account to your LinkedIn Profile, they are dropping the Tweets app, so perhaps LinkedIn will avoid becoming embroiled with other social sites.  And why oh why did Tweetdeck drop LinkedIn :(

With the recent changes to Facebook with the Timeline, and the massive appeal of Pinterest, I have a feeling a more visually appealing LinkedIn user profile might be on its way.  A few more pics (as long as they are NOT your trip to Cozumel) would probably not be amiss.

6.  An Autonomous LinkedIn Company Page

If LinkedIn is smart it will make use of one of Facebook’s inventions – the autonomous business page.  They are definitely moving in that direction with Company Page updates.  I love the customized banner ads, and some of the other features including analytics that LinkedIn has “recently” added.

7.  Analytics

Speaking of Analytics – LinkedIn REALLY needs to amp up its analytics.  Our personal profiles need more info then who has viewed us, joined our network and where they are from.  How about the Company Update analytics on our personal updates?  How about letting us know WHEN our network is active?  How about more statistics about LinkedIn users themselves.  Again – Something I would be willing to pay for

8.  $$$

And I have a feeling you will be able to buy more things on LinkedIn in the future – Buy more invitations, buy more visibility, buy more connections, buy more content, buy more expertise,  etc.

Those are just a few things I see happening.  How about you?  Let’s talk about it tonight (Jan 31) on the #LinkedInChat at 5 PST, 8 EST.  Join us at www.tweetchat.com/room/linkedinchat

Questions for tonight’s #LinkedInChat

Q1: What are your favorite recent LinkedIn Innovations? Why? How do you use them?

Q2: What tools do you use the most on LinkedIn? How?

Q3: What would you like to see LinkedIn offering that is doesn’t already?

Q4: What tools do you use with LinkedIn? (CardMunch, Batchbook, etc)

Q4: What would you like to see in LinkedIn’s future – overall and specifically?

Q5: What do you actually see as LinkedIn’s future?

Here’s a List of the Resources Shared Tonight!

Please feel free to add to this list, embed it or share it!

LinkedIn Marketing Book Resources

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5 Ways to Use LinkedIn for Conferences

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#LinkedInChat, LinkedIn and Conference

January 24, 2012

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January 24, 2012


Double the ROI of your Conference or Tradeshow

LinkedIn:  Pre and Post Conference

Double the ROI of your Conferences

LinkedIn is an excellent tool for both preparing for conferences and as follow-up after a conference.  Let’s talk about some of the ways you can use LinkedIn to have more success, more sales, and more engagement before, during and after your conference and tradeshow travels!

1.  If at all possible, see if you can get an attendee list for your conference.  This is easier to do if you are a presenter.  As an attendee, you might have to pay for this list – or it might not be available at all.  However, if the conference is also posted as an event in a meetup, Facebook or LinkedIn Event, you will be able to see the other people who have marked themselves as interested or attending.  Its worth doing a quick even search in Facebook, LinkedIn and Meetup.com to see if your conference is listed there.

If you can get a list of conference attendees,  it would be a great idea to look them up on LinkedIn and see if you are connected.  You might want to use the advanced search in order to do this. The reason for that is you can check specifically by location and not spend a lot of time looking for people who might have the same name – but not be the same person –  as the attendee you were looking for.

2.  Once you have found an attendee that you want to connect with, send them an invitation. If you aren’t comfortable sending them an invitation, see if they are a member of the group and send a message through that group. If you have a paid account you can also send them an Inmail. But what a great thing to do! Set up a meeting before you ever meet.

3.  If you don’t have an attendee list, you can always set up meetings for LinkedIn members in the city that you’re traveling to! There’s no better way to make connections than to meet face-to-face. For more information about how to use LinkedIn when you travel go to http://linkedintobusiness.com/10-ways-to-use-linkedin-when-you-travel/.

4. As you begin to meet people make sure you gather their business cards. When you get back to your hotel room in the evening, invite them to connect with you on LinkedIn.  Do it as soon as possible.  While they still remember who you are.   Once you’ve added them as a connection,  make sure you tag their profile. For more information on how to tag a connection go to http://linkedintobusiness.com/tagging-your-way-into-toma-with-linkedin/.

Tagging will allow you to more easily communicate and follow up with your connections.  Tag your connections:

  • By the industry they work in
  • By the company they work for
  • By the name of the conference
  • By their area of expertise
  • Or all of the above….

…you can ===–in one fell swoop  - reminding them who you are  and what you do. Or even better, space use one of Bob Burg’s great referral techniques. Ask them what they do and who is their best client is so you can keep them as a referral partner.

It’s great to learn things at conferences and trade shows, but it’s even better to make connections whom you can do business with later on! That will vastly increased the ROI of the conference.

5.   Use the CardMunch App if you have an iPhone or iPad (BB and Android app coming soon)  LinkedIn recently bought CardMunch and it is one of my favorite new tools. It allows you to take a snapshot of the business card and upload that information directly into your database. You can then invite those people to connect with you on LinkedIn or just add them to whatever CRM system you are using.

The power of conferences is in the follow-up –  so use these tools to follow up with the people that you meet!

 

Tonight’s #LinkedInChat is going to be all about how to use LinkedIn at conferences and trade shows here are the questions will be asking:

  1. Do you attend conferences or tradeshows?
  2. How do you prepare for conferences and trade shows?
  3. What kind of research do you put into finding out who will attend or be speaking at the conference or tradeshow you’re attending?
  4. Do you use LinkedIn when preparing for a conference?
  5. How do you use LinkedIn when you are preparing for a conference?
  6. How are you at following up after the conference?
  7. Do you follow up after a conference or trade show?
  8. How do you follow up after a trade show or conference?
  9. Do you use CardMunch.com?

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LinkedIn. It’s Not Just for Recruiters Anymore

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LinkedIn Tips, New on LinkedIn

January 22, 2012

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January 22, 2012


Some of LinkedIn’s “Newer” Offers

When you say “Social Media” people think of Facebook, Twitter and Google+.  LinkedIn does not always spring to the top of mind.  I suspect this is because LinkedIn, despite its numerous changes, is still considered to be a Rolodex on steroids for jobseekers and recruiters, rather than an active, vibrant social network and marketing tool.

If you haven’t visited LinkedIn lately, you might want to drop back in.

Editing your contact information

1.  LinkedIn has improved its “Contacts” section.  Unlike Facebook (that has a unintuitive “friends” section and complicated “List” and messaging system,) and Twitter (that is even less intuitive “List” app,) LinkedIn has a very intuitive system that allows you not only to “Tag” (sort) your contacts, but add notes, and then use that information to message your contacts either individually or in groups.  You can also add additional contact information beyond what LinkedIn provides you, allowing you to use LinkedIn more as a CRM and business tool.

Tagging

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  LinkedIn added “Signal” allowing you to monitor LinkedIn’s Updates for any keywords or search terms you desire:

  • Your Name
  • Your Company Name
  • Your Twitter Handles
  • Your Competitors
  • Industry Search words
  • Your Products
  • Your Services
  • Potential Clients

Not only that, but you can save the searches which makes monitoring easy.  I have found that Signal will pick up LinkedIn (and Twitter) updates that Google Alerts will miss.  Information you can use to create new relationships, stem the flow of negative responses, refine your offers, keep up on what is happening in your industry, etc.

3.  LinkedIn Today is like an intuitive, focused version of MSN.com for business professionals.  LinkedIn News keeps you informed news websites, blogs, tweets and newsletters, and learns by your interaction with it (based on what your connections and industry peers are reading and sharing) what you are really interested in reading.  That saves you time while delivering you the news you need (and can then share with your LinkedIn and Twitter tribes).

LinkedIn Today

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. “Skills” allows you to add your own unique skills to your LinkedIn profile.   I use Skills to find keywords for my clients to optimize their profile (Related Skills) and to find Industry Influencers and thought leaders I can add to my network.  Skills also shares relevant companies you might want to follow and groups you might want to join.

LinkedIn Skills

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I haven’t even mentioned the “Old” tools LinkedIn still offers:

  • Groups
  • Polls
  • Events
  • Applications
  • Jobs
  • Inbox
  • Answers

Any one of which has incredible business potential.

Whether you are a B2B or B2C, LinkedIn has the networking, marketing and promotion tools you need.  Use it to stay informed.  Use it to connect and build relationships with strategic business partners (employees, clients, vendors, etc.) Use it to position yourself as an expert.  Use it to promote your products and services.  LinkedIn can do almost everything that Twitter and Facebook can do, but allows you to focus on your business audience.  So take a look at LinkedIn again.  It’s not the stolid conservative old boys network people think it is.  It focused, dynamic, informative and quite frankly, might be invaluable to your business.

For more training on LinkedIn, Twitter, Video, Blogging and Facebook, join the Social Media Business School!

 

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How to Personalize your Public Profile URL

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LinkedIn Tips, Profile Development

January 20, 2012

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January 20, 2012


Personalize your Public Profile URL

LinkedIn Expert on Google

 

Its amazing to me that there are people out there who still haven’t personalized their LinkedIn Public Profile URL!  Not only is a personalized URL easier to remember, but it looks much better in an email signature and on a business card (Or if you are a job seeker – on a resume!)

Nothing says, “I’m a LinkedIn neophyte” like a public profile that reads:  http://linkedin.com/pub/firstname-lastname9890734-akjshfiho.  So – make sure your public profile reflects your name, your business, or your area of expertise:  www.linkedin.com/in/yourname.

Example:  www.linkedin.com/in/linkedinexpert

These URLs are unique, so it’s possible that your name might be taken.  Here are some other options you might consider

  • Use a middle initial
  • Use the suffix: “onLinkedIn”
  • Use your business name (If someone NOT in your company is using your business name illegitimately, contact cs@LinkedIn.com)
  • IndustryExpert
  • ProductExpert
  • ServiceExpert
To edit your public profile click on edit next to the URL or go to settings/profile/edit your public profile

 When putting your new URL into your email signature, resume or business card – don’t forget the middle “in”:  linkedin.com/in/ or the URL won’t work.

So what is a Public Profile anyway?

Your public profile is what anyone with access to the internet can see.  Anyone.  Did I mention anyone?  That means if you make your whole LinkedIn profile visible, then anyone of 1.7 billion people can use that information however they want to!

You Public Profile - What People See

LinkedIn itself has just over 135 million users.  A smaller pool of people who can abuse your profile.  And only a fraction of those folks can even see it.  So I am a fan of adding as much relevant information as you can to your LinkedIn “private” profile. (The profile you create within LinkedIn).  One has to jump through a few hoops to even create a LinkedIn account and of course anyone who abuses their LinkedIn account can get it shut down pretty quickly (see previous article on what happened to me!)  Optimize your personal profile, but limit your public profile.

Some of the things I don’t add to my public profile:

What you can control on your public profile

  • Current Positions and details
  • Past Positions and details
  • Education and details
  • Specialties
  • Interests
  • Groups
  • Personal information in my Summary (which I do make visible)
If people want to see this info all they have to do is sign into LinkedIn and if they don’t have a profile, create one.  Needless to say a roaming spam spider is not going to do that.  And I have no problem un-connecting from and reporting people to LinkedIn who abuse our connection!

 

You can always choose to hide your profile from everyone, but then you lose the great Google juice it can bring that might get you found and get you business.

Hiding your public profile completely

It will take you about three minutes – go do it now!

 

 

 

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Can I Have More Than One Account on LinkedIn?

Categories:

LinkedIn Company Profiles, LinkedIn for JobSeekers, LinkedIn Skills, LinkedIn Tips

January 17, 2012

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January 17, 2012


7 Ways to Deal with Multiple Businesses on LinkedIn.

Do you wear many hats on LinkedIn?

Whether it be from business professionals, entrepreneurs or job seekers, one of the most Frequently Asked Questions I receive is:

Can (should) I create more than one account on LinkedIn?

The short answer is NO.  Mainly because it goes against the End User Agreement (EUA) and if anyone turns your profile in, LinkedIn will suspend both accounts and if they are feeling generous that day, allow you to pick one.

Which means all the time and effort you put into creating your second account – all the people you invited, all the recommendations you received, all the work you did on writing your profile, will evaporate like so much smoke.  I should know – I created a second account strictly for training purposes (LinkedIn should have known this because the headline said:  “This account is for training purposes only”) and it was closed down.  At the time that account had over 500 connections and 10 recommendations.  A lot of effort down the drain.

So it is not a stupid question.  Many people wear more than one hat:

  • You might be a C level exec at a company but also have a start up.
  • You might be working for a company and want to look for a job on LinkedIn without your boss knowing.
  • You might be an entrepreneur with three viable businesses and one start up.
  • You might be a Mompreneur with a successful job and a hobby that pays  – in a different industry
  • You might be a student with vastly different interests.
  • You might be a musician and a teacher.
  • You might be an artist and an attorney.
  • You might want a profile to reflect you as a person and a profile to reflect your company (A big “no no” in the EUA – they have company profiles for that)

 So what’s a LinkedIn Member to do?

You are not going to like this – but you have to choose.  You don’t have to completely exclude your other interests, but you do have to choose what you want to focus your LinkedIn Profile on.

But don’t despair – you will have plenty of opportunity in the following sections to tell people about all your interests, passions and businesses:

  • Experience
  • Summary
  • Specialties
  • Contact Me
  • Skills
  • Interests

That being said -  your profile should be focused on the particular  job, business or industry you really want to highlight at this time in your career.  (You can always change it later – LinkedIn is highly editable!)

Let’s take this step by step:

Headline

1.  First you will want to create a headline that focuses on your main interest.  You have 120 characters here, so make it dynamic.  Here’s one I love from Danusia Malina Derben:

Unleashing Leadership Genius Mentor Selfmade Thrillionaire Parallel Entrepreneur Creator of a SuperBrood Talent-Investor

If that is too enthusiastic for you, something like this from Andrea Vahl, social media and Facebook genius might work:

Social Media Consultant, Strategist, and Speaker – Specializing in Facebook Marketing – AndreaVahl.com

 If your two interests have some synergy, you might be able to blend them in this section:

5th grade teacher & musician looking for an opportunity with forward thinking school interested in multiple teaching styles

Experience

Moving your experience to reflect focus and not dates

2.  Use “Experience” to fully define all your current jobs, but then use the formatting option of ordering your current positions, putting the businesses you want to focus on first.  In “edit” mode, scroll down to the body of your profile and hover your mouse over the job, then drag it up or down on your screen.  It will also re-order how your jobs show up in the “Top of the fold” section of LinkedIn

 

Top of the Fold

 Summary Section

3.  Use the  “Summary Section” to explain how your passions make you better at your job.  You have 2000 characters.  Use them wisely.

For instance, if you were a CPA, and recently passed your law exam, you might tell people how your 15 years in accounting will make you a more knowledgeable tax attorney.

If you are a musician and also teach school, convince people that your artistic talents lend creativity, fun and increased learning to your class room.

If you were an Engineer and are now moving into marketing, explain how your ability to visualize not only the end product, but all the details that create the end result fit together, makes you the person to put together a marketing campaign – up close and 30,000 foot view.

If you spent the last 12 years raising your children, let people know how your ability to schedule, juggle, entertain, manage, problem solve etc far outweighs a MBA!

Tell the people reading your profile what’s in it for them – why do ALL your interest and passions make you the better choice?

Specialties

4.  Use the Specialties section to list all your specialties-  not only those related to your focus business.  You have 500 characters.  My

Specialties and Interests - Comma Separated Values

interest in old Porsches got me a social media job with a Porsche restoration company in CA.  If I hadn’t listed it in my specialties and interests they never would have found my profile.

Contact Me

5.  If you want to use the “Summary” section to strictly feature your focus business, then use the “Contact Me” section to add more details about your passion (or other businesses).  If you want, you can drag that section a little higher into your profile body.  This is also a good place to put your contact info as well.  You get 2000 characters.

2000 Characters of Additional Real Estate

Skills

6.  I love Skills – stay tuned for a post devoted strictly to Skills next week – but in the meantime, use this “new” app to list all your skills – up to 25 – in your profile.  You can find the Skills tab under “More”

Interests

7.  Interests are just that.  ALL your interests.  Up to 750 characters.  The nice thing about the Interests and Specialties section is that they are highly ranked in the LinkedIn search algorithm, so whatever you list in these sections has a better change of getting found – and getting your found by the people searching those terms.

So that is how you can “hold” multiple jobs, interests and passions in one LinkedIn profile.  If you have any other questions – just ask!  Its your questions that help to create these posts.

Tonight’s LinkedInChat will focus on these issues:

Questions:

Q1:  Are you a business professional?  Are you an executive?  Are you a job seeker or entrepreneur?

Q2:  Are you representing more than one business on LinkedIn?  Where / How are you doing it?

Q3:  Do you have more than one product or service you want to promote on LinkedIn?

Q4:  Are you considering switching businesses or industries?

Q5:  DO you have more than one account

Q6:  Do you have a company page?

Q7:  How are you using your business page(s)?

 

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School is in Session!

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January 16, 2012

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January 16, 2012


Are you struggling with Social Media?

Finally a place to get all your social media questions answered

Have you you been struggling with social media? You know you need to use it but you aren’t sure where to start. Or maybe you’ve been using it but haven’t been getting the results you want. I wanted to let you know that help is here! I have some friends who are experts in LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Blogging and they have come together to form the Social Media Biz School: http://www.SocialMediaBizSchool.com?ap_id=linkedinexpert.

Social Media Biz School is taught by 5 premier social media experts:

  • Denise Wakeman: Online Visibility Expert and Founder of The Blog Squad
  • Andrea Vahl: Social Media Coach, Speaker and Strategist and co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies
  • Lori Gama: Author of Become a Twitter Pro in 20 Days: a beginner’s guide to Twitter
  • Lou Bortone: Online Branding Specialist and video pro
  • Viveka von Rosen: a nationally renowned LinkedIn speaker, trainer and consultant

Here’s how the school works:

Each week you will get one live webinar lesson. The webinar will be recorded so that you can listen in later at your convenience. The webinar will be focused on one subject each week. We will have a schedule for you so that you know what we will be covering. One week will be YouTube, the next on LinkedIn, then Twitter, you get the idea.

Each webinar will have some Q& A time so that you can get your questions answered live with the instructors. Use this time to get specific tactics that you need.

After each webinar, you will have an action item for you to focus on each week to build your business providing tangible results.

School includes online forum to ask questions of the instructors, network with others to find out what’s working for them and share what’s working for you. We have found these forums invaluable for making business connections. They are a safe, private space to get any question answered that you have been afraid to ask.
You will get the latest information on changes to the platforms so you stay up to date!

You will have access to bonus content to use at your convenience. Helpful, online content to really jump-start your social media efforts. We will be adding to this content as school progresses. And much more – get all the info here:

You also receive access to five premier social media experts who are participating in the forums to help your business succeed. Social media provides that avenue to deepen the relationship with both prospective customers and the clients you’ve already worked with. It’s time to start using social media to increase your bottom line.  Are YOU READY?

At only $37/month, the Social Media Biz School is a steal! The bonus content alone is worth hundreds of dollars. Give it a test drive and cancel at any time  Now is the time to start taking advantage of social media for your business!

To Your Success,

Viveka

 

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Updates, Signal and LinkedIn

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LinkedIn Monitoring, LinkedIn Signal

January 10, 2012

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January 10, 2012


Don’t ignore the “post an update” function

 

LinkedIn Signal

LinkedIn’s update function is much more robust than it used to be (taking some tips from Facebook and Twitter).  People can now “like” and “comment” on your updates – which helps to build relationships within LinkedIn.  And with the introduction of LinkedIn Signal, the update section can now be a functional part of your SME (Subject Matter Expertise) and content strategy.  Make sure you take a little time each day to “like” and “comment” on the updates of network as well. (Found on the home page.)

Manage your updates:

To manage the updates what you see on your home page, you can go to the setting section. (Scroll over your name to see settings.)  Click on Account and then Customize the updates you see on your home page.  Choose what you want to see – and not see!

LinkedIn Signal:

According to LinkedIn, Signal casts professional lens on LinkedIn and Twitter updates by:

  • Letting you see what industries, companies, and geographic locations are saying about any topic.
  • Showing you a quick survey of links that are trending around any topic.
  • Narrow down your search to see only links shared by your immediate connections.

I like Signal because:

  • It allows you to communicate and build relationships with people who are not first level connections.
  • You can monitor your own brand, your competitor’s brand, your industry, and potential clients.

Using LinkedIn to Monitor Your Brand

 

Search any topic on Signal now.

 Tonight’s LinkedInChat:  Signal

Join @SteveCassady and I tonight on #LinkedInChat  (Tongight and every Tuesday night) where we will be talking about LinkedIn Signal in much more depth.  The #LinkedInChat  open to anyone who has questions about LinkedIn, advice about LinkedIn, complaints about LinkedIn, praise for LinkedIn.  I might be known as @LinkedInExpert - but let me tell you, I’ve learned a thing or two myself!  Lately we’ve had some amazing co-moderators, so its a new flavor every week.  (PS – if you’d like to co-moderate, DM me @LinkedInExpert)

Tonight’s Questions:

Q1. Do you update on LinkedIn?

Q2. How often do you update on LinkedIn?

Q3. What do you update on LinkedIn?

Q4. Do you attach your Twitter stream to LinkedIn?

Q5. Have you used LinkedIn Signal?

Q6. What do you check using LinkedIn Signal?

Q7. How has using Signal been effective for you?

The Transcript for Tonight’s Post Can Be Found Here by clicking: http://beta.hashtracking.com/ht-pro-rpt/cjeffers-linkedinchat-2012-01-10/

 

More information about our #LinkedInChat (and tweetchats in general):

When:  Every Tuesday Night 8 EST, 7 CST,  6MST, 5 PST (Sorry- not sure what time it is in Australia or Hawaii!)

Where:  Twitter

How: Tweetchat.com, tweetdeck.com (or any tweetchat app of choice)

Why:  To learn and share knowledge on LinkedIn

Join our LinkedInChat group on LinkedIn:  http://linkd.in/LinkedInChatGroup

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