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Posts Tagged ‘LinkedIn’

5 Social Media Stats for Marketers

December 27th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

The more you know about social media and its expanding user base, the better you can harness its communication powers for your marketing campaign. Luckily for you and me, the people at HubSpot and MarketingCharts regularly compile exhaustive data about social media sites and the folks who use them. I downloaded their PowerPoint presentation chock-full of revealing statistics that can guide you as you plan and implement your social media marketing campaign. I chose a handful of stats to share with you here.

If you’re not a numbers person, I promise it won’t be too painful. But, if you like to see exactly where your social media marketing efforts stands, roll up your sleeves and dig in!

1. People love hanging out on Facebook

You probably know that Facebook dominates the social space, but did you know just how dominant this powerhouse is? Facebook users spend an average of seven hours, 46 minutes per month on the site. Users of runner-up AOL Media Network spend only two hours, 52 minutes per month. So, users spend five more hours per month on Facebook than on its closest competitor, time-wise. These results are a good indicator of where you should be spending your time, too!

2. LinkedIn is great for marketing and PR

Don’t count out LinkedIn. Research shows a trend in LinkedIn’s growth over the past year. In one month (August – September, 2011), LinkedIn grew its U.S. market share of visits from 0.57% to 0.64%. It’s also a favorite among journalists; 92% of business journalists have a LinkedIn account. If PR is part of your job, you may want to try pitching on this site. And if you’re a B-to-B marketer, you should absolutely be using LinkedIn Groups to communicate with your customers, as the site hosts numerous professional and industry networking Groups.

3. Go mobile

Marketers should be watching the convergence of social and mobile closely. This year, twice as many people age 55 and over visited social networks on their mobile phones, compared to last year. Your customers are mobile, and you should be, too.

4. Social media influences purchases…

Social sites impact 35% of buying behaviors. That’s right–your tweets and wall posts have the power to directly affect purchasing decisions. Why not offer coupons and specials through social media channels to entice your customers even more?

5. …but is still intimidating to marketers

If you’re intimidated by social media, you’re not alone. 68% of CMOs reported being challenged by social media. Respondents described feeling unprepared for the demands of marketing on social networks.

Even after dividing respondents into two groups (outperforming and underperforming), 66% of the top CMO’s reported feeling unprepared for social media marketing.

So, what do you do? Do as I do, and look to the top experts for advice. I subscribe to tons of industry newsletters and read loads of reports and blogs just to stay on top of what’s coming next in social media marketing.

With so many opportunities for engagement and an ever-expanding reach, social media is proving to be a commanding force in digital marketing. To access the full PowerPoint presentation, visit HubSpot’s website.

Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae

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Tags: Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, marketing statistics, mobile, online buying, pr, public relations, social media
Posted in Marketing, Social Media | 1 Comment »

5 Ways to Use the New LinkedIn Company Pages to Grow Your Business

December 20th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

Are you doing all you can to leverage LinkedIn’s engagement opportunities?

Recently, LinkedIn made some changes to provide even more ways to communicate with clients, employees, and industry peers through its Company Pages. Now companies can make status updates on their pages, enabling followers to receive news directly from them. Since keeping up with changes to all the social media networks can be a job in itself, I’ve studied tips for getting caught up with everything LinkedIn.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Optimize your Company Page for better engagement

There are over 2 million businesses with a company page on LinkedIn, so how do you make yours stand out?

First, you’ll want to make sure your company page is appealing and primed for engagement. LinkedIn allows you to use rich media content, such as YouTube videos, images, and hyperlinked banners, to make your page more engaging and visually interesting, so be sure to take advantage of these features.

Next, use your company overview page to tell potential customers what you can do for them – don’t forget to use keywords to attract your target market. The overview page is a great place to pull in your blog content by inserting your feed URL, too.

Another place to focus some attention is your products and services pages on your profile. Including images, lists of key features, links to promotions and even videos can help customers find the information they want about your offerings.

After sprucing up your page, be sure to enable the page for status updates and designate who can post updates. Now, you’re ready to begin updating.

2. Build your LinkedIn community

Just as on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll need to build your community of followers before you can really see any payoff from your efforts. Even if your business is very small, you can create a vibrant community of super-targeted followers to expand your reach on LinkedIn.

If you haven’t already, ask employees to follow your page and share status updates with their LinkedIn connections.

You can also follow the pages of vendors, customers, prospects and companies within your industry or geographic location–hopefully they will follow you back.

You can even send calls to action to follow your page to your personal connections, your database of customers, as well as post similar calls to action within relevant LinkedIn groups.

Like any other online community, you’ll have to work to grow your LinkedIn company page following, but the targeted connections made here can be well worth your efforts.

3. Provide helpful, industry-related updates

LinkedIn provides the perfect platform for building your credibility as a knowledge leader or industry expert. The professional aspect of LinkedIn’s community means its members are focused on improving their knowledge base and careers. Spark their interest by posting tips and insights that will help them succeed.

If your company helps businesses with their marketing, provide free content that will help your followers achieve their marketing goals. Likewise, if you sell software applications, teach your followers how to leverage these technologies to make their companies more efficient.

4. Engage with others through their updates

Don’t be shy–if you want to get on the radar of companies that are important to your business, engage with their status updates. Publicly thank them for information, make suggestions you think they’d appreciate, and by all means share their valuable content.

LinkedIn is a great place to talk shop about issues surrounding your industry, so jump into the conversation with potential vendors and partners. Maybe they will reciprocate your kindness and promote your business, too.

5. Measure and monitor for success

LinkedIn has a useful Analytics feature, which can help you see how well your efforts are paying off, but the best way to see how well you are engaging your target markets is to study your company profile’s landing page. Check here often to see who has communicated with or commented on any of your company’s updates.

Monitor the updates from the companies you follow by checking under “Companies” on your home page. Or, visit the “LinkedIn Companies” home page to see a concentrated stream of the same updates. Checking these places often will help you stay on top of the conversation in your industry and jump in with comments when appropriate.

Have you taken advantage of LinkedIn’s new company page features? If so, let us know how you like them by leaving a comment below.

Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae

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Tags: analytics, engagement, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Company Pages, Marketing, social media
Posted in Marketing, Social Media | 1 Comment »

7 Ways to Integrate Social Media with Your Marketing Plan

December 8th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

Social Media B2B recently published a fantastic blog post with very practical tips for integrating social media into your marketing plan. I have added to their tips other ideas I have seen used – or used myself – to bring you these 7 straightforward ways to improve your marketing efforts across the board.

1. Put your website in sync with your marketing plan.

If you are promoting something via social media – from a white paper to an ebook, guide, free trial or sample, or demo – make sure you send people somewhere on your website where they will find what they are looking for. It could be a landing page specifcially created for the campaign, or just an existing page on your website. Whatever it is, you need to make sure that it will lead people through the necessary steps they need to follow to get whatever it is you are promoting.

2. Make it easy for visitors to discover useful content.

Once you have someone on your website, whether it is that campaign-specific landing page or an existing page, keep them there with more useful content. Add links to additional content they might like, like other blog posts, ebooks, free samples, etc.

3. Add social buttons everywhere.

Add links to your social profiles wherever it makes sense – your blog, home page, landing pages, “contact us” page, and even in your team’s bios (linking to their accounts, obviously – as long as they are using them for work-related purposes only). Make sure you tell your Web visitors what kind of information they can expect to receive when they follow you on Facebook or Twitter.

4. Support advertising.

If traditional print advertising still generates enough leads to make it cost-effective, don’t stop. Help it deliver an even higher return on investment by creating a blog post that provides more information on what you mentioned in the ad. You can also add a QR code to the ad that links to a page on your website.

5. Socialize email.

Go beyond adding social media buttons to valuable email marketing messages. Use social media to ask people to sign up for your email list and announce when those emails are going out.

6. Generate leads with keywords.

Search Twitter and LinkedIn for keywords that aren’t just industry-specific, but pain-point-specific as well. People complain about problems when they are looking for a solution, so take advantage of that!

7. Promote events.

Promote events on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and, if you are a bricks-and-mortar business, Foursquare. Add links to information in a blog post, a landing page with more information, and/or a site where they can RSVP or buy tickets (like EventBrite). If you use Foursquare, add a special badge for the event – or a special badge for your best customers only.

Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae

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Tags: Email marketing, Facebook, Foursquare, keywords, landing page, LinkedIn, Marketing, marketing plan, social media, Twitter, Website
Posted in Marketing, Social Media | 4 Comments »

13 Niche Social Media Networks You Need to Know About

December 1st, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

You have a Facebook page, Twitter account, and LinkedIn profile and company page – and you actively use all of them. But have you considered expanding to niche social media networks to really micro-target your audience?

Here are 13 of the most popular niche social media hangouts, which probably includes some you may not have heard of yet:

Reddit is a social news site where users submit content and vote for the best–and worst–submissions.

Tumblr is a microblogging platform that allows users to post and share text, images, videos, links and more.

Keek is a social network that allows users to share status updates by posting videos, rather than simply using text.

Freezecrowd is a social platform for sharing photos, allowing users to comment and tag to encourage conversation.

HelpAroundTown is a localized job board where the community can find and post all sorts of jobs.

Food Genius is a hub where users rate dishes at restaurants and recommend favorite fare to others in the community.

TaskRabbit is a location-based network for finding people to help you with routine tasks, as well as a space to advertise your services to others.

Foodily is a space for foodies to share favorite recipes and discover new ones.

Pinterest allows users to create a pinboard for their favorite things they find online.

Snapette is a social networking community for fashionistas to share photos of the latest shoes and handbags.

Jig allows its community to ask and answer questions about various topics.

Miso is a network for users to socialize around their favorite TV shows.

Care2 focuses on green living and is a great network for reaching this audience.

What social networks would you add to this list? Share your favorite networks by leaving a comment below.

Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae

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Tags: Care2, Facebook, Food Genius, Foodily, Freezecrowd, HelpAroundTown, Jig, Keek, LinkedIn, Marketing, Miso, niche social media sites, Pinterest, Reddit Tumblr, Snapette, social media, TaskRabbit, Twitter
Posted in Marketing, Social Media | 12 Comments »

Small Biz Resource Tip: HubSpot’s How to Generate Leads Using LinkedIn

November 2nd, 2011 :: Maria Valdez Haubrich

HubSpot’s How to Generate Leads Using LinkedIn

While it may sometimes seem like the forgotten social media platform with all the hubbub over Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn is still a major contender in the business world, and many important business connections can be made on LinkedIn if you know how to use the platform correctly. HubSpot’s new ebook How to Generate Leads Using LinkedIn can help you increase your direct and indirect marketing, find new customers, do market research, announce new product lines and more. The eBook explains how to know if LinkedIn is right for your business, the best way to set up your LinkedIn profile and a 7-step program that can help you generate new leads.

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Tags: LinkedIn, small business resources, small business technology, social media
Posted in Marketing, Networking, Resources, Small Business, small business, Social Media, social media | No Comments »

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid on LinkedIn

October 18th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

I love LinkedIn. It’s the best way to network with other professionals and generate leads, but it continually amazes me how many otherwise smart, capable people don’t use it properly. The most common mistakes people make are related to their profile and networking.

Here are 7 basic things to make sure you are – and are not – doing on LinkedIn as you expand your network and grow your company:

Your Profile

1. Fill it out completely

Yes, this means adding a photo, preferably one that has been professionally shot by a photographer. But it also means filling out all the fields completely: your current position, past jobs, awards, affiliations and education. Take your time and put some effort into it – you might be surprised by how often your profile gets viewed.

2. Ask for recommendations

Every time you complete a project with a client, ask them to write a two- or three-sentence recommendation that addresses what problem they had and how you solved it. Every time you get a recommendation, everyone in your network will see it and be reminded how good you are at what you do.

3. Write a summary that makes people want to work with you

Don’t just recite your CV. Get creative with your summary and really sell yourself by focusing on all of the benefits of working with you. Explain how your products and services solve your clients’ problems. Keep it friendly and approachable, rather than stiff and formal.

4. Keep your profile updated

Set a recurring note on your calendar to review your LinkedIn profile on a regular basis – every month or two. Make sure your products, services, capabilities, recent projects, etc. are up-to-date. It’s also a good time to think about asking people for recommendations and looking up people you have recently met.

Networking

5. Think carefully before contacting strangers

I am always shocked by how many invitations and messages I get from complete strangers. Contacting strangers out of the blue is a huge faux pas on LinkedIn. First check to see if you have any mutual connections, and if you do, ask that person for an introduction. If you don’t, see the next tip.

6. Always include a personalized message in your invitations

When sending someone an invitation to connect on LinkedIn, always include a personalized message. It could be a friend, someone you work with, someone you met last week, or a stranger (see above). Just remind that invitee why you want to connect with them – and how you know each other. If it’s a stranger, this is doubly important to do. Be very specific as to why you want to connect with them.

7. Keep messages brief

Need I say more? We are all busy. Be friendly, but get right to the point.

Image by Flickr user Dave Halley (Creative Commons)

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Tags: lead generation, LinkedIn, Marketing, networking, social media
Posted in Marketing, Social Media | 6 Comments »

10 Super Useful iPhone Apps You Need, Part 1

October 3rd, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series 10 Super Useful iPhone Apps

Social Media Examiner published a great blog post recently on social media marketing apps that I tucked away for future use. While I don’t really think they are social media marketing apps, they are definitely good ones to know about. So, since there are some super useful apps on the list, here are the first 10 I liked the best. Look out for Part 2 soon.

Analytics App: This is a Google Analytics app that lets you view 55 reports via your iPhone. Caveat: There have not been enough reviews to rate the app; however, it’s only $6.99, so it’s worth a try.

Chomp helps you finds apps you want, so you can search based on what apps actually do. Super useful, as an app’s name usually tells you very little about it. Just search by keywords to start finding apps by category.

DocsToGo: Want to work on the go? DocsToGo lets you view, edit and create Word and Excel files and view PowerPoints and PDFs.

Dragon Dictation: This is a really, REALLY useful app, as it lets you speak your text, email messages, and Facebook and Twitter updates right into your phone.

Dropbox: If you don’t know about them yet, time to check them out. This free service lets you bring all your photos, docs and videos anywhere.

Flipboard: This app is basically a magazine for the stuff you care about. It lets you flip through the news, photos, videos and updates your friends are sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Flickr and Instagram.

Homebase: If you are time-crunched, you can blast your announcements to all the social media platforms you use, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Flickr and Foursquare.

Instapaper: If you travel a lot by plane and don’t want to pony up for an Internet connection, use Instapaper to save Web pages for later offline reading.

LastPass Tab Browser: How many passwords do you have? A zillion, right? Store your passwords here and access them on any device anywhere.

LiveProfile: This is another really cool app that will make your life a lot easier. It is a free, cross-platform messenger for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android smartphones that lets you send messages, photos, videos, post status updates and customize your profile.

Image by Flickr user Yutaka Tsutano (Creative Commons)

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Tags: analytics, apps, blogs, Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, Google Readers, Instagram, iOS, ipad, iPhone, LinkedIn, Marketing, smartphones, social media, Twitter
Posted in Marketing, Social Media | 1 Comment »

How Using Q&A Sites Can Boost Your Business

September 21st, 2011 :: Rieva Lesonsky

By Rieva Lesonsky

Are you using questions and answers to grow your small business? If not, you’re missing out on a profitable opportunity. New data from Compete, reported by eMarketer, recently took a look at three popular Q&A sites and what kinds of users each attracts.

Compete looked at Ask.com, Answers.com and Quora.com, an expert-oriented site Quora that answers questions posted by users with information from trusted specialists. Quora also has a social component that helped it garner a lot of buzz on launch. According to the Compete data, although it has less traffic than the other two, the users are more engaged. Quora’s users are younger (18- to 34-year-olds accounted for 50 percent of its users) and also affluent, with 27 percent making more than $100K annually.

Compete found that most Quora users got there via search, which suggests that users start off using Google and then click on Quora as the most trusted result because of its focus on expert answers.

What does this research mean to you? If you’re looking to get known as an expert, consider checking out Quora to see whether it can be useful to you—especially if you’re targeting younger and affluent customers.

But Quora isn’t the only game in town. LinkedIn is an even better-known resource for engaging in questions and answers. Make sure you’re taking advantage of LinkedIn’s Answers feature by answering questions related to your field of expertise or your business.

Really want to get known as an expert? If you’ve got a little more time to invest, consider approaching bloggers in your industry and offering to write guest posts where you answer questions posed by their readers have or common questions that many readers ask.

There are many ways question and answer sites can help boost your reputation, give you credibility and improve your business’s sales. All you have to do is ask.

Image by Flickr user Marco Bellucci (Creative Commons)

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Tags: LinkedIn, quora, small business marketing, social media
Posted in Marketing, Small Business, small business, Social Media, social media, Thought Leadership | 1 Comment »

How to Build Your Personal Brand Online

July 28th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

As a small business owner, I’m always looking for ways to build my brand online. I’m active on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, but I decided to explore taking branding further and really connect to potential clients and professionals in my industry.

While doing some research online, I came across a video of Michael Stelzner interviewing Mari Smith on how she leverages her personality to strengthen her brand online.

First, a quick intro to the difference between the terms “brand” and “branding.” Your brand is the experience you want your audience to have when they come in contact with you, while branding is everything you do to get your brand out there.

Here are a few key points from the interview that stood out for me:

The Power of “Brand You”

Personal branding involves using the persona associated with your name to power your brand equity. Social media has amplified our ability to build brand equity by giving us the opportunity to connect with anyone, anywhere. As we join online conversations and communities, we begin to notice that our names become associated with expertise.

Even if you work at a large company, you can still create a personal brand. The best thing about brand equity is that it’s portable – you can take it with you if you ever decide to leave a job and start your own business.

Why Personal Branding Is a Must

According to Mari Smith, personal branding is the way of the future. Many professional relationships today are forged and nurtured online via social media, so it’s the perfect place to let your clients, customers, and peers get to know the real you.

If you need another reason to build an online presence, Smith predicts that those with the most Twitter followers, Facebook friends, etc., will earn the big bucks in the future.

Establishing Your Brand Online

To build Brand You, you should use your name as your Twitter handle and Facebook URL. If your name is already taken, just add a middle initial or an underscore.

Smith recommends making your name your domain for your Facebook fan page rather than for your personal Facebook profile page. If you’ve already used your name for your personal page, Facebook gives you one opportunity to change it. Simply click Account–Username–Change, and move your name over to your fan page.

Whether you’re self-employed or work for a large company, leveraging your brand equity can help you network, attract clients, and get the most out of your professional life. What personality traits or areas of expertise will you use to build your personal brand?

Image by Flickr user Jerry Kirkhart (Creative Commons)

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Tags: brand, Branding, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mari Smith, Marketing, Michael Stelzner, online branding, social media, Social Mediai Examiner, Twitter
Posted in Branding, Marketing | No Comments »

5 Social Media Crimes to Avoid

July 26th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

Given the prevalent use of social media among professionals, small businesses, huge corporations, and everyone in between, it still surprises me that five social media crimes are continually being committed.

The funny part is that all of these crimes totally ignore the fact that social networking is social. Communicating on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter is no different than talking to someone in person, on the phone, via text, or through email; it’s just a new platform for doing so.

OK, time to get up on my soapbox. In no particular order, here are the five social media crimes you need to avoid commiting:

1. Sending LinkedIn invitations without personalizing the message

“I would like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.” Great, but why? And also, please remind me where we’ve met if we’re not super good buddies. Throw in something you remember me mentioning for extra brownie points. But basically, don’t be so lazy you can’t take 30 seconds to compose a short note to me. It smacks of sloppiness.

2. Sending LinkedIn invitations to total strangers

If I had a dollar for every invitation I’ve received from complete and total strangers (who also always commit Crime #1), I could go to a very nice restaurant for dinner tonight. Doing this is akin to walking up to someone on the street who you’ve never met and asking them to be your friend. It’s weird.

Instead, go through our mutual connections and request an introduction from someone we both know. Or, for Pete’s sake, take 30 seconds to write me a personal note and explain why you want to be connected with me.

When I get one of these invites, I reply very nicely with something like this: “I am so sorry, but your name doesn’t ring a bell. Have we met?” Then I go scream into a pillow.

3. Using Twitter like it’s a megaphone

By now, I can spot the Twitter spammers: They’re the ones who have 10,000 followers and three tweets. But when I get a notification that someone is now following me on Twitter, I generally check out their feed to see what they’re tweeting, if they’re retweeting, if they’re mentioning other people and companies in their tweets, and if they’re having conversations with others.

If you are not doing any of this and are just using Twitter like a megaphone to push out your own content and tweet your own ideas, I have zero interest in following you back.

4. Locking your Twitter account

Will someone please explain to me why it’s OK to restrict your Twitter account so only select people can see it? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of Twitter? A few times a week, I get followed by people with locked Twitter accounts. I have to then ask their permission to follow them back. Not very social, is it? Why don’t they just hang up a velvet rope around their account and hire a big burly bouncer while they’re at it?

5. Not sharing photos or videos on Facebook

Facebook is a very visual medium. If all you do is update your status with text, you are boring, and by extension, so are your brand and company and products and services. I like fun people and companies, as I am sure you do too. I don’t want to work with boring people, and if I think you’re boring, I won’t work with you.

Any other social media crimes that you want to add to the list? Leave a comment below!

Image courtesy of Flickr user Vectorportal (Creative Commons)

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Tags: Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, photos, social media, Social networking, Twitter, Videos
Posted in Marketing, Social Media | No Comments »