Businesses today are realizing that they need to have a presence on one or more of the popular social media platforms. LinkedIn is a good place to start, since it is the most business-focused of the social media options available to all users. At this seminar, Mike Lesczinski, the public relations manager of Excelsior College will help you to discover ways that business professionals can use LinkedIn to their advantage. He will run through functionality that can be used to generate leads, recruit, seek advice and demonstrate thought leadership. Mike also serves as communications chair of the Capital Region Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Use his expertise to get your businesses LinkedIn account to start working for you! Presented August 9, 2011 at Albany-Colonie (NY) Chamber of Commerce.
- 1. Business Success Seminar: Leveraging LinkedIn
Mike Lesczinski
Public Relations Manager, Excelsior College
August 9, 2011
2. Mike Lesczinski
Resume
Current:
Public Relations Manager, Excelsior College
Communications Chair, PRSA Capital Region
Blogger, www.HigherEdPR.com
Past:
PR & Social Media Manager, Portfolio PR Group
Communications & Media Coordinator, NYS Assembly
Local & State Assembly Campaign Management
3. Excelsior College
Regionally-Accredited, Private, Nonprofit, Distance-Learning
Institution in Albany, N.Y.
30,000 students; Over 140,000 grads worldwide
Four schools: Liberal Arts, Business & Technology, Health
Science, Nursing
Motto: What You Know is More Important Than How or Where You
Learned It
4. Overview
Making the Case for LinkedIn
Optimizing Your Profile
Building a Brand Page
Advanced People and Company Search
Power of LinkedIn Groups
Crowd-sourcing Solutions
5. II. Optimizing Your Profile
Offers level of privacy distinct from other social networks
Must be willing to put yourself out there
Resume on Steroids
Optimize profile for SEO
Robust bio, specialties, tags drive Google page rank and LinkedIn
search
Customize profile URL
Customize company/personal links
Provide specific interests and contact information to streamline
turning virtual connections into real-world relationships
Custom heading makes personal statement; memorable profile
LinkedIn Today tracks industry news
6. Optimizing Your Profile (cont.)
Sections/Recommendations
Promote your honors and awards/organizations
Demonstrate your experience/success
Bundle those awards to you!
Outline specific projects
Recommendations
Thoughtful recommendations (only those you truly recommend!)
Two-way benefits
Recommendations show up on connections profiles
Reciprocation; Demonstrates youre someone worth knowing
7. Optimizing Your Profile (cont.)
Applications
Integrating other social networks
Create and share valuable content
RSS your blog
Display slideshare presentations or your portfolio
Promote events
Collect and share information that others display
Share files
8. III. Building a Free Company Page
Profile is for humans, company page is about humanizing your
company
Boost visibility
Help public, job seekers, media, industry, employees understand
your company culture
RSS Feeds
Social network integration
Basic analytics
9. Building a Company Page (cont.)
Premium benefits
Content adapts to viewers LinkedIn profiles
inMail automatically send messages to anyone on LinkedIn
Track who views your page
Promote employee stories, introduce video testimonials
More detailed analytics
Determine what you want out your page first, then determine if
premium version is necessary!
10. IV. Advanced Search Market Research
Company Profiles
Access basic information
Discover connections that work there
Keep updated on company news
Lead Generation
Filter by keywords and parameters
Location, industry, connections, company size, network popularity,
revenue, even whether hiring on LinkedIn
Keep updated on company news
Business Trip?
Identify potential business
Leverage connections for introduction
11. Market Research (cont.)
Market/Competitor Research
Keywords/parameters to find companies
Advanced People search
Search company name
Click on Past Not Current
Get introduced
Why? Ex-employees likely to be more honest on your competition or
willing to discuss problems within market
Remember that business trip? Use advanced search to get to know
which members of company share key characteristics
12. Market Research (cont.)
Job Recruitment
Set parameters/keywords by previous position, location, skills
sets, etc.
Premium Membership filter for groups, seniority level, years
experience, etc.
Reference Tool Premium Membership
Identify previous employers, candidate
Ask for introduction!
13. Thought-Leadership/Networking
Join an industry/interest group
Virtual networking
Share important industry news or other peoples work
Demonstrate your expertise, offering up advice, best practices,
etc.
Promote your upcoming events, translating virtual connections into
real-world ones
14. Thought Leadership (cont.)
Create a group
Brand yourself as an independent industry leader
Build an online community where you set the rules of
engagement
Invite industry competitors, media, experts, etc.
Share industry news and invite honest discussion
Provide a platform for people to congregate around your company
brand
Soft sell
Interject periodically for feedback on new products, white papers,
announcements, etc., but keep group focused on industry, not
you
Build trust, earn respect
15. Crowd-Sourcing Advice
LinkedIn Q & A
Thought leadership works both ways
You offer solutions
You ask the important questions
Broadcast inquiries to both industry members and to your own
contacts
Expand network, get higher value answers
How much does a VP make?
Should a tech start up place more focus on PR, Marketing or
Advertising in year one?
16. Questions?
Contact Information:
Michael.Lesczinski (at) gmail.com
MLesczinski (at) excelsior.edu
Social Connections:
Michaellesczinski
@MikeLesczinski
Gplus.to/MikeLesczinski
