Linked in why should i be on it & how do i use it
- 1. Why do I Need to Be on There & How Do I Use It? Ben Blackler, Navigator Marketing 5th May 2010
- 2. Why do I Need to Be on There? Put simply it’s a fantastic tool for realising your professional goals but like any tool you need to learn how to use it to deliver the best results.
- 3. Why do I Need to Be on There? Imagine having your business ‘black book’ online containing all your contacts’ details (e.g. Phone numbers, email addresses etc)
- 4. Why do I Need to Be on There? ...but that black book is automatically updated by your contacts when they change jobs or contact details.
- 5. Why do I Need to Be on There? ...and you can see the people in your contacts’ black books – who they are, what they do and how they’ve got there.
- 6. Why do I Need to Be on There? ...and you can see the people in your contacts’ contact’s black books.
- 7. Why do I Need to Be on There? ...and you can join groups that are interested in your industry or sector to learn, share, network and source professional/new business opportunities.
- 8. Why do I Need to Be on There? ...and,once you’ve been accepted into that group, you can see everyone that’s it in – who they are, what they do and their professional history.
- 9. Why do I Need to Be on There? ...in fact, with a little time and effort (and a few insider tips) you can find more or less anyone you want – as long as they’re on LinkedIn.
- 10. Why do I Need to Be on There? • So potential employers, recruitment agencies, business partners and clients that have opportunities that can help you further your professional objectives can find you. • So that you can find and approach potential employers, recruitment agencies, business partners and clients that can help you further your professional objectives.
- 11. Why do I Need to Be on There? • The most effective social networking site for sales prospecting is LinkedIn, with a score of 3.1 out of 5.* • 45% of North American companies using LinkedIn for prospecting had acquired a client from the site.** * OneSource B2B SalesPulse Survey, March 2010. ** Hubspot January 2010.
- 12. Why do I Need to Be on There? If you want to achieve your career goals or If you want to grow you business You should be using LinkedIn But if you’re going to do it, do it properly...
- 13. How Do I Use It? Start with an objective: ‘I want to get into the fashion industry’ ‘I want to increase the size of my marketing services business’
- 14. How Do I Use It? Then define your target audience - what sort of people can help you achieve your goal: What - ‘I want to get into the fashion industry’ Who – Anyone who works in the fashion industry, anyone who works for anyone who works in the fashion industry (i.e. suppliers, agencies) What - ‘I want to increase the size of my marketing services business’ Who - MDs/GMs/Marketing Directors in whatever industry you’re targeting.
- 15. How Do I Use It? So you have defined your Objective and your Target Audience, now you need to craft your Story. When you create your profile, think about what sort of skills, experience and aptitude these targeted individuals will be looking for.
- 16. How Do I Use It? How can you help Professionals in your chosen field solve their problems, either to: • Save them time. • Save them money. • Bring in additional business.
- 17. How Do I Use It? When crafting your message, it’s not about what you want, but what you can do for them.
- 18. How Do I Use It? Creating a Profile – Basic Information First Name/Last Name Think carefully about shortened version – this is aimed at your potential employer/client/business partner rather than your friends.
- 19. How Do I Use It? Professional “Headline” • Your strapline/positioning statement. If left blank it will default to your current job title and employer (boring). • Think about what your target individuals will be searching for when they’re looking for solutions to the problem you can solve. • Will show if you appear in search results.
- 20. How Do I Use It? Head Shot • Definitely include – people like to connect to people, not blank spaces or avatars. •Your professional face – still the ‘real you’ but the ‘real you’ at work, not at play. • Make sure people can see your face – head/head and shoulders shot. Colour or B&W.
- 21. How Do I Use It? Websites • Your professional website, your ‘professional’ blog (Wordpress, Typepad, Tumblr), twitter or facebook page. • Don’t just use the ‘My Website’ & ‘My Blog’ defaults – write something more useful and descriptive for the reader.
- 22. How Do I Use It? Public Profile URL • Personalise it. • Use full name, middle initials etc to avoid using numbers (/benblackler was already taken so, as I lack a middle initial, I went for my full name)
- 23. How Do I Use It? Summary • Tell your ‘Story’ – think about your target audience and what they’ll want to hear. • Make it readable and interesting by telling stories – what your/your client’s challenges were, how you overcame them and what you achieved . • Keep it snappy. Break into short paragraphs. Use Bullet points.
- 24. How Do I Use It? Professional History • This isn’t a CV – you don’t need to include every role. • Just include roles that help you tell your story and make connections. • Tell stories – the challenge, how the challenge was overcome, the outcome.
- 25. How Do I Use It? Education • Always include – a shared institution can start a conversation or create an affinity. •Include the institutions/institution which will have broadest appeal i.e. CIM rather then the institution you sat the CIM exams with.
- 26. How Do I Use It? Applications • Don’t use any and every application you can, just use the ones that help you support your ‘story’ • WordPress or Typepad Apps pull through snippets from your recent blog posts. • Twitter App displays you latest 4 tweets. • Be wary of ‘cluttering’ your page up – make sure what you’re adding adds value for your target audience.
- 27. How Do I Use It? Company Profile • If one doesn’t exist, create one (LinkedIn will prompt you) • Gives the prospective client or employee more detail – location, employees etc. • Individuals can now ‘follow’ companies on LinkedIn.
- 28. How Do I Use It? Now you have defined your Objective and Audience and crafted your Story, it’s time to Engage with that Audience to achieve your Objective. • Build up a base level of connections – when people see a profile with less than 20 connections, they’re not sure if it’s ‘active’ (a lot of people create a basic profile and then abandon it)so you need to build your list. • Who do I connect to? – initially, I’d suggest anyone you know to build your foundation from: – Friends. – Colleagues – Clients. – Partners i.e. Suppliers you use/have used, other partners that you work with/have worked with.
- 29. How Do I Use It? Now you have defined your Objective and Audience and crafted your Story, it’s time to Engage with that Audience to achieve your Objective. • Build up a base level of connections – when people see a profile with less than 20 connections, they’re not sure if it’s ‘active’ (a lot of people create a basic profile and then abandon it)so you need to build your list. • Who do I connect to? – initially, I’d suggest anyone you know to build your foundation from: – Friends. – Colleagues – Clients. – Partners i.e. Suppliers you use/have used, other partners that you work with/have worked with.
- 30. How Do I Use It? Now you have defined your Objective and Audience and crafted your Story, it’s time to Engage with that Audience to achieve your Objective. • Build up a base level of connections – when people see a profile with less than 20 connections, they’re not sure if it’s ‘active’ (a lot of people create a basic profile and then abandon it)so you need to build your list. • Who do I connect to? – initially, I’d suggest anyone you know to build your foundation from: – Friends. – Colleagues – Clients. – Partners i.e. Suppliers you use/have used, other partners that you work with/have worked with.
- 31. How Do I Use It? • Get some recommendations to build your credibility. Friends, employers, employees, clients – get a rounded selection. • Offer to write one in return. • Offer to write your own recommendation to speed things up.
- 32. How Do I Use It? Being Found • Integrate your profile into your other marketing materials where appropriate – website, email sign off etc.
- 33. How Do I Use It? Being Found • Update your status at least once a week – not many people do and it’s a great way of appearing in your contact’s email updates from LinkedIn and keeping yourself front of mind.
- 34. How Do I Use It? Being Found • Check who’s looking at your profile and follow them up if appropriate. • The only way to see full details is to become a premium member.
- 35. How Do I Use It? Finding Clients/Employers • Continually build your connections. Anyone in your target audience or who might be connected to someone in your target audience. • Check our target company profiles for key personnel and new hires. • Use the search function to find people in your target audience – LinkedIn will tell you how you’re connected to them, if at all. • Look at your connections connections, especially when they’ve added new one (number of connections displayed in orange). • Join Groups that your target audience might be in –when you search, you’ll see their full details of people in the same Groups as you.
- 36. How Do I Use It? Remember, when you invite someone to get connected, always include a personal message. This personal message can be used to: • Jog somebody’s memory as to who you are (especially if the initial meeting was fleeting). • Give them some context as to why you’re contacting them. • Establish a personal connection so they’re more likely to help you to achieve your objectives.
- 37. How Do I Use It? ‘Hi John. How are you? It’s been a few years since we met at the World Travel Market. I’ve set up my own consultancy in travel & tourism marketing. Thought we may be able to help each other out. Look forward to hearing from you. Ben ‘ Remember, you’ve only got just under 300 characters, so you’ll have to keep it succinct.
- 38. How Do I Use It? Searching Tips • Say you want to discover who the Senior Director Marketing is at Wal Mart • Search for ‘marketing, wal mart’ • You’ll see people who are relevant to the search who you’re connected to, is connected to your connections, connected to your connections connections or your share a Group with. • And you’ll also see some profiles with no names.
- 40. How Do I Use It? • There is a way round this which will often (but not always) work: – Click on the ‘No Name’ profile which seems to describe the person you’re looking for. – Look to the bottom right for other profiles that people who have viewed this profile have viewed. – Click on one of these profiles. – Look again at the bottom right for other profiles that people who have viewed this new profile have viewed. – The person you’re looking for may well be listed, but you’ll have their name this time.
- 41. Greg Hall’s our man...
- 42. How Do I Use It? Your aim is to at least identify individuals in your target audience. But ideally, to find credible people connected to those in your target audience to make an introduction. Introductions are incredibly powerful for marketing – it means you’ll at least get your targets attention and, with a well thought through profile, things will hopefully go further.
- 43. How Do I Use It? But remember, the best way to make contact with your target audience may not be through LinkedIn. You could: • Send them a personal email with a link to your profile. • Send them an Inmail via LinkedIn (premium members only) • Ask a mutual connection (if you have one) to affect an introduction over email. • Ask a mutual connection (if you have one) to effect an introduction over LinkedIn. I wouldn’t suggest inviting them to get connected via LinkedIn if you don’t know them (and more specifically, if they don’t know you). Wait until you’ve had a dialogue with them via another medium, then invite them to connect.
- 44. About Me • I don’t have 500+ connections, but the c130 I have are focused on my business needs. • I’m not a LinkedIn expert but I do use LinkedIn to build my own and my clients’ business. • For true experts, I suggest you look up: – Flyn Penoyer (http://www.linkedin.com/in/flynpenoyer) – Jason Alba (http://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonalba)