By Chris Kieff

@ckieff

*Implementing Social Media In BusinessDay 3 LinkedIn

*Course Agenda

*Mar 1 Management Tools

*Mar 3 Facebook Pages

*Mar 8 Twitter Accounts

*Mar 10 YouTube Channels

*Mar 15 LinkedIn for Business

*Mar 17 Blogging for Business

*LinkedIn Agenda

*Overview

*Profiles

*Company Listings

*Groups

*Questions

*Events

*Best Practices

*Setting Up Your Profile & Company Page

*Overview

*90MM Users- 50% US (Up 50% from 60MM in 2010)

*200 Countries

*Robust growth- Filed for IPO w/$161MM revenue

*Revenue source= 41% Jobs, 32% Marketing, 27% Subscriptions

*Growth fueled by unemployment

*Strong job marketing features

*LinkedIn SWOT

*Strengths-

* Largest Business Only Site

*Allows you to download a list of emails

*Robust company searches

*Recommendations

*Weaknesses-

* Low activity for many members

* Lots & lots of recruiters

* Poor C-suite connections

*Buggy

*Opportunities-

*Good active groups

*Q&A (weaker)

*Company pages

*Threats-

*Facebook’s Q&A

*Twitters reach

*Quora.com

*Google/Craig’s List

*LinkedIn ProfilesBest Practices:

* Fill in your profile completely, education and employment history.

* Get a personal URL- Click Edit your profile and next to the URL click on the small “Edit” to change the URL.

* Ask for recommendations from others you have worked with. 5 Recommendations makes you much more attractive to anyone looking at your profile.

* Make recommendations for others, even when they are not looking for jobs, and without asking for recommendations in return.

* Add all of your URLs to your profile. You can add and name them anything you wish. Include your blog, your company, your Facebook Profile, Your Company Facebook Page, your Twitter page, and any other sites you wish.

* List all of the companies you’ve worked for, especially larger companies.

* Recommend one person every month.

*Profile Best Practices Cont’d

*Add applications to your Profile:

* Twitter- Do link to your Twitter profile. Do not duplicate your twitter feed in LinkedIn.

* Wordpress- Adds notices of your blog posts to your LinkedIn Feed.

* BlogLink- Shows blogs posted by your connections along with your own.

* Reading List by Amazon- You can indicate wish lists and currently reading books.

* Slideshare Presentations- You can post public presentations you’ve given.

* Events- You can list events you will be attending and create events for your business.

* My Travel- You can post where and when you will be traveling so your contacts can look for you when you are in their areas.

*Improving your Profile

*Research the competition

*Search for your job title

*Look at who comes up on top

*Don’t log in (your results will not adjusted)

*Search job postings

*Look for duties and responsibilities that you cover to add to your profile

*Give and get recommendations (5)

*Add a button to your email signature

*Get active in groups and questions

*Understanding LinkedIn Business Listings:

*Everyone who lists the company as their employer will be tied to the company profile.

*All Former employees who list the company will be listed.

*All new hires and promotions will be listed.

*LinkedIn calculates median company: Age, Top Schools, Top Locations

* And companies where your employees worked before and after working with you.

* http://ow.ly/4dx3K

*LinkedIn Company Listings

*Company Listing Best Practices

*All executives should have a current account with a full listing (school & career positions)

*Careers Page: Keep Updated

*Products & Services- List your wares, searchable.

*Add Apps:

* Twitter- (Also employees can list Co’s Twitter too)

*Company Buzz- Tracks mentions of your company

* Slideshare- Allows presentations

*Blog Link- allows multiple employees to display the company blog via RSS

*Boxnet & Huddle Workspace allow collaboration

* Join up to 50 (coordinate to cover more)

* Look for active groups in your field

*Write a note when joining to ensure you get in quickly

*Connect with others via groups

*Raise your visibility

* Showcase your knowledge

*Ask & Answer Questions

* Join local groups that have meetings

* Start discussions so your icon is shown- make them worthwhile

*Don’t argue- this is a business environment not a social one

*Quit dead unproductive groups

*Get daily emails so you can respond quickly

* Start a Group

*LinkedIn Groups

*Found under the “Answers Tab”

*Only way to get “Expertise”

* Power Tips:

*Create a blog post to answer the question

*Create a signature

*Write a blog post asking a question and post the question on LinkedIn

*Questions

*Can be anything- F2F, Virtual, Open, Paid, VIP only…

*Become listed in your newsfeed to all your connections

*RSVPs expand viral spread

*Invite your network, or a portion that is applicable.

*Invite Groups

*Invite Influencers

*Send reminders to RSVPs

*Add lots of details

*Events

*Best Practices

*Consider LinkedIn as a business social function and behave accordingly

*Post sparingly -1,2 times per day

*Never feed from FB/Twitter

*Use Hootsuite/Tweetdeck to post and follow updates

*Repeat, Like and Comment

Lab: Working LinkedIn

*Exercises:

*Find my boss (or a boss)

*Find someone who used to work at Ripple 6 and now works elsewhere

*Examine your competitors profiles

*Find company pages for your competitors

*What can you improve upon?

*Plan your company page