by jginsberg on July 5, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Events on FaceBook and LinkedIn have been huge, looking at the networks – we are in the early stages of a major revolution. What do I see coming down the pipeline? How about Events on FaceBook that you can pay for with FaceBook Credits? How about integrating your EventBrite Page with FaceBook? EventBrite claims to have sold over 32 million tickets to events and attributes $12 of revenue for each Share of your Event on FaceBook. How many people do you want to Share your next event? How about creating an incentive for people to check-in at your event on FaceBook – what is this worth to you? The hardest part of Social Events is getting people to invite their friends to your Event, unlock this mystery box and you are sitting on a gold mine.
Social Reviews? Yes, reviews are huge. Google indexes them and attaches them to your Google Place Page. Depending on your industry, you may want to use a service like DemandForce, that will solicit reviews from your customer and publish them in a Tab on FaceBook as well as to a searchable resource such as your Google Place Page increasing your SEO ranking. LinkedIn enabled reviews/recommendations for services and products on Company Pages on LinkedIn. This may be the missing link companies have been waiting for to find value in their company Pages on LinkedIn. Are you getting ready for 2012?
by jginsberg on June 17, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s IPO a few weeks ago got me very excited, Why? Because I LOVE the social space. If you have ever read my blog, you know that I believe social media is a critical tool for social and professional networking. LinkedIn is the first of the social companies to go public and it motivated me to pick up a few shares. Not just because I believe in putting my money where my mouth is, but because I love that LinkedIn is growing by approximately 1 million users per month.
At a little over 100 million users, I think LinkedIn has barely even started growing. Why? Because we are social creatures, given the opportunity to connect and talk, we do! Do you want to make LinkedIn more interesting? Start searching your LinkedIn newsfeed (top right of newsfeed). You can filter your feed by keywords and fine tune the posts you see by degrees of connection. If you are not listening to the conversation, you are missing opportunities. LinkedIn is HOT like New York City in August – Start listening and engaging in the conversation!
by Jamie Ginsberg on May 14, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
I have always been convinced eating is a social experience, yet the number one comment against Twitter and FaceBook is “what do I care what you had for breakfast?”
There are a few topics we cover in small talk that covers the spectrum of our lives in relationship to the world…the weather, food and entertainment. These are the conversations that make up the social fabric we live in, the foundation of our constructed reality.
How can you participate in the conversation? Check-in on FaceBook next time you get to a restaurant. See if anybody comments. No smartphone? Write a review on FaceBook as a status update or even on Yelp. Maybe post a reply to someone’s check-in, tell them what you ate or what movie you went to afterwards. See what happens. Find out for yourself if anybody cares what you think about a movie or concert or sporting event…
Do you know what I had for breakfast?
by jginsberg on April 30, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
Now that you have built up your natural social network, what do you do with it? Get Coffee!!! For real, to harvest that Pot of Gold you have to get together with people. In person! Your local coffee shop or even bar for drinks. Get on your mobile phone and schedule meetings with the people in your network. Be a resource to them, help their business grow. Lend your talents to what they are working on, or simply listen! The Pot of Gold is right in front of you, Dig In!!!
by jginsberg on April 21, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Social Media enables us to reach more people faster than ever before. You can share more effectively and reach the entire world, for free. Sounds great right? What’s the catch? There is not enough of you to go around and you need to go around a lot more.
We are not chasing Rainbows here…we are looking for the Pot of Gold. Get in your car, buy your plane tickets, take the train or bus. Get together with your people in person and develop the deeper personal relationship that makes your social media come alive. This is going to take time, money and a commitment to being authentic in everything you do. Are you ready?
by jginsberg on April 18, 2011 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
So, you landed the job you wanted, proudly added the new job to your LinkedIn profile and started working. Now what?
1) Update your company website in your profile so it is accurate. You can customize this by selecting Other as your type of website and putting in some details.
2) FIll in the description for your new job and update your summary and specialties as needed. yeah, this might feel strange as you have just started, but it is key for people to understand how and why you are a resource. Maybe even post a Status Update telling your network about your new position.
3) Connect to everybody you meet at your new job, better yet, continue to connect to lots of people just like you did when you were hunting for a job. Your network must NOT become stagnant just because you have a new job and are busy. You will always need a strong network/community. Continue to nourish and grow your network, it will make you a more valuable employee!
by jginsberg on March 28, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Laying on the beach this week (Spring Break rules), I watched a tall built guy spray sun screen on the attractive woman in a bikini next to him. For the first time in my entire technology loving life, my heart sank. In the old days, this guy would have been rubbing the cream into her skin, an intimate experience worthy of envy. Even more intimate and far more accesible for most of us, is the hug. Whether you are a 30 second bear hug person like my old college friend Ross, or a single shoulder lean pat on the back kind of person, we all need to hug more.
How can you use technology to create more intimate relationships, rather than create space and barriers between us? I am convinced FaceBook is the cream we all need to rub on more, the hug that is personal and engaging without being inappropriate. How do you hug more people on FaceBook?
Start with high fives. These are easy forms of personal contact that will not invade your space or make you feel uncomfortable. High fives are fun, quick little bursts of energy that will motivate you and somebody else. What is a high five on FaceBook? The “Like” button. Go ahead, try it. Clicking Like on one of your friend’s posts is easy and let’s them know you are there and you hear them. It is the most basic acknowledgement of your mutual existence, it is a high five.
If you are high fiving with ease, try hugging. What is a hug on FaceBook? It is a comment!!! Commenting on FaceBook is the way we create conversation, it is a longer touch that opens the door to deeper insight into each other, it is the Hug. Comment on basic banal details of life, from “I love that restaurant” to “I can’t wait for the sun to come out.” Commenting on the little boring details of life turns our black and white pictures into kodachrome. These gentle hugs are the glue that binds us together.
As you comunicate more on FaceBook, it will be easier to comment on more personal posts and even to make your own status updates. This is where we can engage in public conversation and share our thoughts. Stop waving at people and start hugging people more.Get to know each other better today. I don’t want to be the guy spraying sun screen on my wife at the beach, I want the physical connection of rubbing the cream into her back. I don’t want to be the friend you wave at either, give me a high five or better yet a hug.
Be Social, Hug More People.
by jginsberg on March 16, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
I always tell people the best thing they can do for themselves is to promote somebody else. This is incredibly difficult when they networks we use are based in self-promotion. FaceBook asks you to post a status update with “What is on your mind?” Your mind! LinkedIn encourages you to “Share an Update.” Yes, it is all about you. Can you make it about someone or something else? If you do, you will receive a greater benefit than you ever could with self-promotion.
Sounds great, what should you do? Start by Sharing a FaceBook Page for something else than your business. This is a link to the FaceBook Page for Imagine, a great organization that is working to end Human Trafficking. Try using the Share button on their Page to promote them, it is 10x easier than sharing what is on your mind and it helps someone else.
You can do the same thing on Twitter, start using the Re-Tweet functionality to raise awareness for causes you believe in. We are doing the same thing on Twitter for Imagine. Re-Tweeting a message is the best way to promote a cause and share it with your community. Looking for a cause? Check out http://sharedwith.me – we built this amazing software so you can sign up with a cause once and you will automatically Re-Tweet one message a week for them. Could it be any easier to do something good with your status update?
Yes, you can donate your status on LinkedIn as well. Is there anything else you can do? Sure, write a recommendation for someone who you know that works at an organization doing good. Follow their company! Or the easiest action you can take is to Like or Comment on one of their status updates, exposing it to your newsfeed.
With all of these ideas, what are you going to do to Donate Your Status for Social Good?
by jginsberg on March 12, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Lately search engine optimization (SEO) has been on my mind. Why? Because when I am searching on Google I find links to content on FaceBook Pages, LinkedIn profiles, YouTube, Tweets and of course Blogs. The ability to drive traffic to your web site may be the only reason you dive into social media. If you can take over an extra link on the first page of Google, wouldn’t you?
5 Easy things you can do to improve your SEO with Social Media:
1) Optimize your Social profiles. Yes, clean up each profile with links back to your website on FaceBook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter.
2) Post weekly updates on LinkedIn – Promote your content with links to your Blog.
3) Share your videos on FaceBook and include links to your site in the post.
4) Embed your videos on your website, increasing the links between your site and YouTube.
5) Blog. Yes, it is that simple. Blogging will increase your presence and give you content to share with your networks. This is great content to share on Twitter and will Feed into your LinkedIn profile as well as your FaceBook Page. Make sure you add your keywords as Tags or Labels and put relevant meta data into your blog.
Yes, you can have a positive impact on your website traffic. Yes, this will take some time commitment. If you are committed to using your website to drive revenue for your business, then use your social presence to improve and support your search engine optimization efforts.
by jginsberg on March 4, 2011 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
Do you have a daily LinkedIn Practice? Start with the 2 minute drill.
- Log-in to LinkedIn and scroll down, look at your newsfeed. If you see anything interesting “Like” it or Comment on it.
- Spend 1 minute looking for a new contact.
Why do this daily? It is a simple GREAT habit. You will stay current with the news on LinkedIn directly from your network. If you do this Monday – Frday, you will easily add 250 connections into your network.
Want to be more Aggressive? Do the 2 minute drill 2-3 times a day. Do the 2 minute drill on FaceBook 2-3 times a day. What are you waiting for?
by jginsberg on February 28, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
Every since De La Soul hit the scene in 1989, we have been reminded that Three is the Magic Number. What is the Magic Number and how do you put it to work for you? The Magic Number is daily practice that will contribute to your long term business development. Identify 3 people in your network and reach out to them every day. This simple daily practice will result in you contacting 1,000 people a year!
What does “reach out” mean? It can be calling, texting, an email (FaceBook counts) or simply liking or commenting on a post on LinkedIn or FaceBook. Can you call 1,000 people a year? Unless all you do is sales, probably not. It just takes too much time. Being personal and staying in touch with your network is not accomplished with a mass email or status update on one of your networks. You probably don’t have the time to meet people for coffee, breakfast or drinks 1,000 times a year either. Should you throw in the towel?
No! Start every morning by identifying 3 people (friend, cousin, ex-coworker, schoolmate) who you want to stay in touch with. Pick the network must appropriate and communicate with them. This should take less than 5 minutes total!!! Avoid excessive communication, make it simple and easy for them to reply to you or simply acknowledge your existence (think like button). Three is The Magic Number – Ignite your business with this daily practice.
by jginsberg on February 8, 2011 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
Writing a recommendation on LinkedIn is the most positive action you take on the network. Why? Because the activity is promoted in the news feed and on the profiles of the writer and the beneficiary. If you are going to write recommendations, you need to have a few simple rules to live by.
- Always Be Honest – Really, all of your credibility is tied into each recommendation you write.
- Be Concise – Short and to the point. The point of negative returns sets in after 3 sentences. 5 minutes or less to complete, or write one for someone else.
- Never Ask & Always Return – Yes, Giving is Better than Receiving! Just write recommendations, let LinkedIn encourage the recipient to write one back for you. If someone writes one for you, write one back for them the same day. If you can’t write one back for them, do not accept their recommendation. If someone asks you to write a recommendation, NIKE…just do it. Now you have an IOU with them.
Whatever you do, become an active engaged member of LinkedIn. We have been waiting for you.
by jginsberg on February 4, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Video
As you evaluate your current state of marketing, social media is an exciting potential part of your plan. How should you get started?
1) Adopt a social media policy – This will give you guidelines to protect your staff and organization.
2) Select the Tools that are right for you – Every plan today HAS to include FaceBook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. Depending on the content you are creating you should also consider a Blog (This is a BIG Tool).
3) Develop Goals – You have to be able to measure success and return on your investment. Goals will help you monitor and adjust.
4) Create your messaging/content – Wow! Step 4 may be the most dangerous step! You are not creating “Advertising.” You are feeding a community! Put on your creative hat and figure out what your community wants to eat!!!
5) Implementation and Training – Some of this is easy, some will take some research and resources. Your distribution and/or publishing platform must work cohesively and your team must become experts. This is where training is critical to your success.
by jginsberg on February 3, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
Today, I was fortunate to work with 2 classes of PR and Marketing students at John Carroll University. Today, as I do at the end of each presentation I do, I give out my contact information. Suddenly, I feel like the naked guy in front of the room. Why? Because if you can reach me via FaceBook, LinkedIn or Twitter or even my phone – you will see my entire life. Social Media empowers you to lead a very transparent life. This transparency is the key to our success. Why? Because it is the only way we will get to know each other better. Social Media is only interesting if we are sharing the relevant to banal details of our life. Start living more transparently today.
by jginsberg on January 30, 2011 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
Why do you want more friends on FaceBook and more connections on LinkedIn? Because as your network reaches a critical mass these sites become more interesting. On FaceBook your News Feed will become more engaging as you cross 450 Friends. Your local network will be large enough to have more action happening in it. On LinkedIn, as your connections grow your search improves (more first and second degree connections) – you should know at least 500 people in the world on LinkedIn.
Now that we have some goals, What are the top 3 ways to find more friends/connections?
1) Check your email monthly – new people you are emailing will be picked up by the filters.
2) Participate in the activity on the network. “Liking” content and commenting on Posts and Updates will expose your name to a host of new people. If the conversation is interesting enough you will make new friends! At the very least, you will become one step closer to your second degree network (friends of friends).
3) Live with the 24 hour rule. Connect up with someone within 24 hours of meeting them in the real world. If you are not meeting new people in the real world, take steps to increase your odds of meeting people. From coffee shop meetings, to breakfast, lunch and dinner – if you get out and socialize you will find people you like and want to get to know better.
by jginsberg on January 19, 2011 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
How do you find your network on LinkedIn in 3 EASY Steps?
1) Take out that stack of Business cards in your desk. Look your people up and connect to them. It will be like meeting them all over again.
2) Look thru your friends Contacts. You know a lot of these people, connect up with them.
3) Find your FaceBook friends on LinkedIn. I don’t generally look for LinkedIn users on FaceBook, but connecting to your FaceBook friends on LinkedIn is the fastest way to make sure your friends know what you do for business.
* Whatever you do – Set a goal and achieve it. “I will add 20 connections this month.” You can do it!
by jginsberg on January 16, 2011 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
LinkedIn has been quietly upgrading the features in your Company Profile. What was once a useless functionality relegated to hires and departures, is now possibly the most important FEATURE in LinkedIn. Check out our Cleveland Groove Profile on LinkedIn. You can see the services we offer and even a sample of our work. Even more important, we now have a reason to promote our company profile! What should you do? Dig in. Edit your company profile. LinkedIn is heating up in 2011…
by jginsberg on December 30, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Video
2011 is going to be a great year for social media as the perfect storm of audience and content mix together. Are you ready?
Top 7 Social Media Tips for 2011
- Clean up you personal FaceBook Page. Start by doing an inventory of your security and privacy settings, then edit your friend list. Delete some dead weight that you can not remember why you are friends with them, add each and every friend to at least one List.
- Review your LinkedIn Profile. Is your job description accurate, have you taken on any new skills or projects that are not listed in your profile? Have you joined any organizations? Are you missing any jobs that should be included?
- Delete anybody not following you back on Twitter. Really, cut the Fat. Anybody that is offended by this can start following you, at which point you can follow them back. The people that do not follow you back will not see your content, lose them.
- Get your YouTube Channel on!!! Put a little effort into adding in the details, flush out your profile and subscribe to some channels. If you have a Twitter account, integrate it in. Make 2011 the year you “Like” videos on YouTube and share them on FaceBook!!! Better yet, start making your own videos or hire my company Cleveland Groove to make you engaging and very “Shareable” videos. Video is the future and the light is getting closer, catch this train!
- Upgrade your Mobiles access to your network. Learn how to use that smart phone (or buy one), download applications that enable you to update your network and view what is going on. You MUST have applications for FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter loaded on your phone and easy to access. Start “checking in” on FaceBook, comment and Like more pictures and updates. Interact with your network, do not simply lurk. Mobile makes it easy!
- Share more pictures. January of 2010 we had 17 Billion photos on FaceBook, growing at 2.5 Billion Photos per months with 400 million people on FaceBook. If those numbers held steady, we have at least 47 Billion Photos on FaceBook. My guess is as we grew to 500 million FaceBook users and beyond, we added more than 2.5 Billion photos per month. Are you contributing to that massive collection of 47 Billion + photos on FaceBook? Are you setting up logical album names and maxing out the 200 photos per album like you should be? Are you getting people tagged in your photos?
- Go Out More. Really. Make plans with people or simply show up and make a new friend. This is the Gold at the end of the Social Media Rainbow!!! Connect up with people you meet out in the real world on LinkedIn or FaceBook, get to know them, include them in your world!
Follow these simple tips for 2011 and you will have an engaging and interesting year.
by jginsberg on December 13, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
Your second degree network is magical. Pick someone, whether it is a co-worker, friend, partner or spouse – look thru their friends and connections. You will find a few familiar faces and/or names you should be connected to. This is a “best practice” and a “good habit” that you should do monthly. The FaceBook friend finder is a great tool and blows away the LinkedIn tools. That said, nothing beats hunting and pecking – find the gold in your second degree network.
by jginsberg on November 29, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
Is your network growth feeling stagnant? Start the month off by checking for new connections on LinkedIn and FaceBook. This is a great habit to implement the first Monday of every month. Let LinkedIn and FaceBook check your email or contacts for new potential connections. Add a few new people and open up the activity in your network. Set yourself a goal for December, “I will add 10 new connections on LinkedIn and FaceBook.” Do It.
by jginsberg on November 17, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
You’ve just received an invitation to connect on FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter – from someone you do not know. What should you do?
1) Research. Click on their profile. If you know them (recognize their picture or have a significant number of mutual friends) on FaceBook or LinkedIn, go ahead and accept them. If you are on their LinkedIn profile, check out their website and Twitter account if it is linked to their profile. This should give you the information you need to make an educated decision. Really we are trying to justify why we should not accept them.
2) Twitter – Follow them back. Give them a chance to be annoying. Don’t waste the time researching them unless you are interested by something.
3) FaceBook – Watch out for the surprisingly good looking girl you do not remember from your high school. She is just cute enough that you really would have remembered her. Click on her profile, notice all of the guy friends and odd wall posts like “where do I know you from?” Do Not Accept her as a friend and do NOT write back to her. Be annoying like I am…report her as Spam.
*Build a strong and vibrant RAINBOW of connections if you want to find that large pot of gold!!!
by jginsberg on November 4, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
Start by talking to people! Seriously, this is why we get together and learn as a group. The exchange of ideas in a public forum requires conversation. Every conversation is based on the exchange of knowledge/information. Part of this information must be contact information! Yes, you will exchange cards at a conference…the real question is, what do you do with them?
What are cards anyway? Post Modern History? How about the best research tools ever? Take the information and do something with it. You have 24 hours to connect with anybody you meet at a conference. Look them up on LinkedIn, connect to them. Depending on the length of your conversation, make your best call on whether you should personalize your connection request. Whatever you do, take action within 24 hours.
by jginsberg on October 22, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
Looking at my network statistics on LinkedIn, I can’t help but think that 80 million profiles on LinkedIn is amazing! It was only August of 2009 that LinkedIn hit 40 million profiles. While this pales in comparison to the growth on FaceBook (over 500 million),many of these profiles are open – public profiles. LinkedIn is investing the resources in improving the quality of the experience, particularly the mobile tools (check out the iPhone App – it rocks).
What is really important to remember, is that your search and the quality of your experience is limited by the size of your network. Grow your network and the quality of LinkedIn as a research tool grows exponentially (second and 3rd degree growth). Do you have a strategy for how you are using LinkedIn?
by jginsberg on October 13, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
As you build out your social presence, look around at your “printed collateral.” Have you included links to your social presence? Start with your business cards, have you included your LinkedIn address? This is the easiest low hanging fruit. Make it easy for people to find you.
Do you have your website on your business card? Your FaceBook address may be far more valuable today than your website will be tomorrow. Are you printing a mug, travel cup or other corporate shwag? Think about how you can include links to your social presence. This is the easiest way for you to dynamically promote your community and grow your presence. Do you mail products to people? Can you put stickers with your social address on the box or packaging? Think Outside the Box, Think Social.
by jginsberg on October 5, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn, Twitter
That is kind of amazing news. 165 million accounts. Yeah, the redesign is interesting. I am sure some people hate it and others love it. Personally, I kind of miss the minimalism of the old site. That said, most people use software to access or tweet anyway. I am grateful to have a real number to think about with Twitter. 165 million. That is a fantastic size community, more than twice as large as LinkedIn which has 75 million accounts (look under your network statistics).
The real question is, how do you participate in a community of 165 million people? Are you connecting with strangers, friends, people in your local area or people/businesses that share you passions and interests. If you are not connecting with any of the above, what are you missing out on? Get involved, dive into this community. It is not FaceBook or LinkedIn or YouTube. It is Twitter and it is here to stay.
by jginsberg on October 1, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
As more and more people work remotely or out of a home office, it is critical to stay social. Isolating yourself in an office can be destructive to your mind as well as your business. What about if you work in an office large or small? Should you eat lunch by your self and hide behind a closed door? No! Visit the water cooler. Get coffee with someone. Whatever you do, get out and see people.
by jginsberg on September 17, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
Last week I spoke with the Spa community in Chicago as a guest of Spa Exec and Questex. There was a fantastic panel discussion hosted by Lenny Lacour with Pete Hillman, Tracie Wertz and Rick Duarte – leaders in the mid-west spa community on customer acquisition and retention. Listening to Rick Duarte, the Executive Director of Sundara Spa, talk about how he is managing his advertising now that his budget has been reduced by almost 70%, I shuttered as I heard him utter these words “Print is Dead.”
Rick is not the first person to say they have cut their marketing budget over the last 2 years. But this conclusion came after shedding his print budget, working on smarter marketing deals and having positive revenue growth in a challenging environment. Doing more with less is possible if you are creative and willing (or forced) to take some risks.
What I realized, is it is not the cost of print or even the lack of effectiveness of print. It is the distraction of print that really kills a campaign. I hear a lot about integrating traditional media advertising and social media, I am not a believer. The effort that Rick was spending on managing print advertising had reduced his time, focus and energy for more creative and innovative advertising opportunities. The potential with social media is less time spent on advertising, more time invested in developing and managing relationships.
This reminds me of an area we all need to think about. “What tools are you putting in your utility belt Batman?” Pick your networks and platforms carefully and dedicate an appropriate amount of time to finding success. Don’t let print advertising kill your potential in social marketing. Start with LinkedIn and build out your profile, then your network. Take a deep breath and dive into FaceBook. There is a brave new world out there and Social Media is King.
Kimberly Rhoten of Spa Exec took this photo of the speakers at Spa Exec Chicago 2010. From Left to Right is Jamie Ginsberg (me), Lenny Lacour (LH Connects), Tracie Wertz (Universal Companies) Pete Hillman (Sir Spa), Rick Duarte (Sundara Spa).
by jginsberg on September 9, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
It is impossible to know who all the right people are. Drop every notion you have as to who a “star” is or who is a “great” connection. This is especially true when you are at a conference or event. When you are open to connecting with people and dedicating your time to each individual you are engaged in conversation with, you will be “Meeting All The Right People.”
by jginsberg on August 12, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
This piece was done with Alex Sukhoy of Creative Cadence in mind. I’d also like to credit Susie Sharp who connects people on a weekly/daily basis and actively promotes opportunities in the greater Cleveland area. You don’t have to be actively searching for a job to use these tips to grow revenue at your current company. I could have called this, “things you know if you have read every one of my posts on this blog.”
1) Complete your LinkedIn profile.
This should be a 1 hour work session. Fill in the details, make sure your personality and experience shine. This is your “living resume,” make sure you are well represented from your professional experience to your education to your interests. The more information you share in your profile, the easier it will be for people to connect with you. You must have a decent head shot that shows your eyes, an easy to share link to your profile (that should be included on your resume and in the signature line of your email), and your specialties included as keywords. Never ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn, give them weekly until you run out of people to write them for. Giving recommendations on LinkedIn promotes your profile keeping you in front of your network and builds social capital. Write a recommendation for everyone that has worked for you, that you have worked for, that you know professionally or personally. Keep them short, simple and honest, remembering these recommendations build your credibility and communicate how well you write to the reader.
2) Lock down your FaceBook profile.
Yes, your potential employers can look you up on FaceBook and see all of the posts in your newsfeed, if you let them. My rules for FaceBook privacy settings are very simple. Everything should be set to “friends only,” except for Search and Messaging which should be set to “Everybody;” and “Pictures and Videos,” which I encourage you to set to “Friends of Friends.” When you lock down your privacy settings under Account, you do not have to worry about potential employers or school admission teams looking thru your profile. That said, CLEAN IT UP. If you are not comfortable with your mother seeing what is on your FaceBook profile, it should be deleted. You are responsible for what you post and the pictures you are in. If someone posts inappropriate pictures of you, untag yourself and politely ask them to remove the picture. Yes, you must put in your education and employment history on FaceBook. Although FaceBook is your “social network,” it may be your most valuable (especially since it has 500 million users and is growing faster than ever before). Give your friends the chance to know you professionally as well as personally.
3) Tell your network what opportunity you are looking for.
People have to know how they can help you. The worst thing that can happen is people will not respond or they will say no. You must get comfortable telling people what you are looking for and asking them for help with specific goals. Asking to be introduced to specific people or even types of companies is the best way to empower people to help you. You can use the status updates in LinkedIn, FaceBook and Twitter as well as direct email followed by a phone call.
4) Do your research.
Look up companies you are interested in on Google, LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter. Do the same thing with people you are meeting or interviewing with. If you are doing your research you will find connections, common ground and areas of focus. How you use this information will play a role in your success. What kind of information will be useful to you? Anything form a shared interest, to a mutual friend, to the alma mater of your potential employer to recent news about the company. You have access to an unlimited power, knowledge. Use it!
5) Expand your connections.
I call this the Rainbow Theory. The connections in your Network make up the rainbow of your life. Each of them is a unique color representing some aspect of you and your relationship. We want a large beautiful rainbow (friends and connections), why? Because at the end of that rainbow is a pot of gold, only you can limit how big that pot of gold is. Expand your connections, friendships and relationships and you increase the potential of that pot of gold. How do you find that pot of gold? See #6.
6) Meet up in public as often as possible.
Social networking is not a competition to see who has the most “friends” or “contacts.” It is the opportunity to get to know people better. You must dig thru your contacts and set up meetings every single week. When you travel, find people in your network and get meetings, breakfast, coffee or drinks with them. Your next opportunity may live in another city yet have a great connection for you. By meeting in public places you will see other people you know, this is not an accident. Follow-up with these people and participate in your community. Remember to stay actively engaged in the process of helping other people with opportunities they are looking for.
7) Be more generous.
Share your skills and time liberally. Volunteer. You can do more good for your reputation and search for opportunity by giving your time and the most valuable skills you have, until you are “running on empty.” People will see the value you bring to the table, you will meet new people in real working situations and you will have positive situations to talk about with potential employers and clients as you look for your next opportunity. You are the most valuable asset you have, the more you share your skills and talent the more valuable of an asset you become to society. Increase your value, be more generous.
by jginsberg on August 12, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
This piece was done with Alex Sukhoy of Creative Cadence in mind.
1) Don’t stalk.
It is ok to connect with people after you meet them and even engage with “randoms” as long as the interaction is real. Your communication must be authentic or you will do more damage than good to this developing relationship. It is great to connect with people you don’t know on these networks and get to know them better. As a rule of thumb keep the “fat” in your network limited to 10%. If you are going to connect to “randoms,” tell them why you want to connect with them. Give them a reason to accept your connection, then give time to let the relationship develop normally.
2) Don’t be negative.
Social networks are overwhelmingly positive. Note the “like” button, ever wonder why there is not a “dislike” button? Add your voice to the conversation if you have something to share, if it is negative, save the thought for a few hours and re-evaluate whether you should share it. It is too easy to gripe, avoid being a “Debbie Downer.” If it really is negative and you have to go there, create a conversation and enable people to discuss the situation. Don’t talk badly about any place you have ever worked or a current or former boss. Posting on any social network may be taken out of context and/or become part of the “permanent record.” Your next employer may be one of your “friends” on FaceBook or even a “follower” on Twitter. Make the glass half full.
3) Don’t “cross the streams.”
Keep your voice authentic on each network independently. FaceBookers do not get Twitter or post with #hashtags or in #140 #characters. You must keep your voice appropriate for each network. Yes, FaceBook can send out Tweets and your LinkedIn Status can be a Tweeted simultaneously. No, your Tweet that you are at the Bar at 1:30 am should not update your LinkedIn status. These networks can work together efficiently, make sure you understand your settings and whatever you do – “don’t cross the streams.”
4) Don’t post your business on your friend’s wall.
Keep your business private. Business is happening via email, chat, instant message and the phone. You can offend someone pretty easily by attempting to use their wall or post as an advertising ground. If you do promote your self in someone’s post or content, try and keep it light-hearted and always be fully transparent (don’t promote yourself as a source without declaring you are the source).
5) Don’t “set it and forget it.”
Your social networks take time and nurturing. A good rule of thumb is you should spend at least 15 minutes a week on each network you are on. You may need to spend 15 minutes a day or have the time to spend 3 hours a day. You will get out of it what you put in to it. If you don’t put in the time, don’t expect to harvest the rewards.
6) Don’t be somebody else.
Be yourself, it is that simple. If you try and be somebody you are not, it will be awkward and weird. Finding your true voice on these social networks is different for everybody. Start slowly, test the waters. Get comfortable with sharing and post regularly. The more you post the easier it will get. If you don’t have anything good to say, allow yourself to “like” someone’s picture or link and move on to something else.
7) Don’t avoid social networking.
Even if you don’t go to the party, the party is still happening. You are the only limitation in your life. By participating in these networks you control your profile, improve your ability to show up in search on Google and create business opportunities. By nature we are social animals, by nurture we can be effective communicators. Come to the party, we are all waiting for you.
by jginsberg on August 4, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
A common question I get is, “how much time am I going to have to spend on this social media stuff?” I usually suggest a minimum of 15 minutes per week, per network. There is an upfront investment of 2 hours per network to learn how to use the various websites. The real question people should ask me is, “how much time can I invest before I start to see diminishing returns?” This is about an hour per day per network. The truth hurts.
This summer I got to spend a few days in the Sierra Nevadas with my family, including a brief visit to Yosemite. As I looked out at Half Dome, waterfalls and the expansive mountains, I thought about how long it took to make all of this (see picture below). We spent almost 5 hours driving, just to see this view (nothing compared to how long it took Ansel Adams to get to see this view). If you want to build mountains in your business, you are going to have to commit the time, energy and brain power to getting these networks to work for you. The amount of time you commit to your efforts will directly correlate with your success.
The real question I have for you is, “how successful do you want to be?” If you can answer that question, I can tell you how much time you need to invest in your social and professional networking.
by jginsberg on July 20, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
I try and export my LinkedIn contacts at least once a year. Why? Because I want to stay in touch with all of you and every now and then I get paranoid that LinkedIn will delete me and we will be disconnected forever.
Exporting your LinkedIn contacts
- Sign in to Linked In.
- Click on Contacts and scroll down to the bottom – on the right side next to “Sent Invitations” (you can delete these!) is the “Export Connections” button.
- You can also navigate here by clicking on http://www.linkedin.com/addressBookExport
- Leave the default format of “Outlook CSV;” or select whatever format fits your need.
- Type the CAPTCHA word, then click “Export.” Good luck, I always have to type this 3 times.
Save the file to your downloads folder or your desktop for ease of access.
What can you do with this file? The first thing I do is email it to myself so I have at least one back-up not on my computer. You can also edit this file and import it into other social programs or even your rolodex. Get smart, export and back up your LinkedIn contacts easily.
by jginsberg on July 17, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
LinkedIn and Twitter have a great marriage going on. You should have your Twitter account integrated into your LinkedIn profile. If your company employees are anti-Twitter, then integrate the company Twitter account into the employees profile (think about the power of this).
Ok, now that you have Twitter integrated in, what should you avoid? Set your Twitter account to only post to LinkedIn if you have #in the Tweet. Why? Because if you or your company Tweet frequently you create too much noise on LinkedIn. The value of your status updates goes down. I start to ignore your status updates because they are not really relevant. You must have your Twitter account included in your LinkedIn profile, make the tool work effectively for you!
by jginsberg on July 14, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Recently I asked some friends on FaceBook for “requests,” something all DJs hate. The topic of Time Management was suggested by one of my peers, Heidi Cool. Heidi is a great Cleveland resource for website and blog design and implementation, who also leads our local blogging meet up – the Lake Erie Moose. I get asked regularly, “How much time is this going to take?” The simple answer is as much time as you can afford. The obnoxious answer is, “depends on how much you want to increase your revenue.” The true answer is 15 minutes per week per network.
That is a lie. It generally takes about 2 hours to get your profile set-up and learn how to use the network. Once you are set-up you generally need to dedicate another 2 hours to expanding your presence on that network. Now you can start using your time efficiently. Some networks need to be checked daily. For example, I log into LinkedIn every day, but only spend a few minutes checking my newsfeed, looking for long lost connections/friends and replying to emails. Once a week you should spend 5 minutes writing a recommendation. If you want to dive into Questions and Answers, prepare to dedicate 15 minutes per question. I generally don’t advise newbies to invest their time in Questions and Answers. Why? Because they are a great way to establish your knowledge base and credibility, but they take an enormous time commitment most people are not willing to give. The ROI is 8-12 months on answering questions. I’d rather see you writing recommendations on a weekly basis. End conclusion, use your time wisely on LinkedIn and you can do very well with 15 minutes per week.
FaceBook. 15 minutes. Yeah right. FaceBook is way too engaging to limit yourself to 15 minutes. But, if you are maintaining a Fan Page then 15 minutes may be perfect. Check the Wall every day and delete any junk posts as well as respond to posts. Once a week make a post (aim for between 2-5 pm EST) and once a week add some pictures. 15 well spent minutes every week on FaceBook.
Twitter. Oy Vey. The first couple of weeks take hours. You should be making posts, Re-Tweeting and finding niche people to follow, adding the ones who follow you back to Lists. Once you get thru the ramp up period, you can settle back into a 15 minute per week routine. Check your List, Re-Tweet someone who has posted something valuable, Tweet, Follow back your new Followers and Follow a few new people. Week in and week out this is the perfect 15 minute routine.
Blogging. Good luck. The 15 minute rule doesn’t apply here. Good blog posts can take hours, sometimes minutes. You determine the frequency, quality and quantity. Be considerate of your readers and avoid doing what I have done here, share excessively.Sometimes a picture is a brilliant Blog Post and it takes just a few seconds to post. Be that bold.
Niche networks. I participate in a variety of niche networks based on my interests and I encourage you to do the same. You will find the conversation more stimulating and the content more engaging, because you are following your passion. How much time do these networks deserve? The real anser is how much time can you afford. Every network we participate in can take hours of each day. Since you control the flow of information you must prioritize based on work/passion balance. All answers are correct here, but I encourage you to keep the 15 minute rule in mind. Limit the number of networks you participate in to the ones you can afford to commit time to.
Real world networking events. This is a tough one. Meet everybody, but invest your time wisely in getting to know new people. You are the best judge of who you want to meet. When you meet interesting people, take the time to get to know them. It may be the only time you ever get to talk in person. If you are at an event and see someone from your network that you have not met before, introduce yourself and remind them how you know them. A few weeks ago I was at a concert and saw a guy I had connected with on faceBook, but never met in person. I shed that uncomfortable feeling and introduced myself. If I didn’t, I would have felt obligated to delete him from my friend list (basic rule – only stay friends with people you would say hi to if you saw them in a random situation – like the supermarket or a show). Whatever you do, know when to say when and move on from a conversation and meet someone else. Use your time effectively!
In conclusion, the 15 minute rule can apply per day or per week on each network. Explore the networks beyond FaceBook and participate in communities based on your passion/hobby. Share you knowledge, your life and your media; but, respect your time and use your time effectively when networking in the real world and online.
by jginsberg on July 3, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
How does the Rainbow Theory work? You must build up a vibrant beautiful rainbow of connections, that represent all of the phases and aspects of your life. At the end of that Rainbow, is a pot of gold. How do you find that Pot of Gold? Get together in the real world with your online connections. Make times to meet your friends, family, connections for coffee or breakfast or drinks. When you get together in the real world with your online connections, you are exploring the pot of gold. Finding opportunity where only potential existed before.
So, how do we balance Quantity vs. Quality as we build out our network? Your strategy should be – Connect to everybody you know, or want to get to know better. 10% of your network should be Phat. people you don’t know, but might be interested in getting to know better. As your connections expand, the Phat factor is going to increase. Make the effort to get to know your connections and your Phat factor will decrease. Each year you should cut some Phat and give your network some room to expand with fresh Phat. You get the idea, make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold.
There are no easy answers to the question of quantity vs. quality. What I can tell you is that nobody can limit the potential of your network like you can. If you add more connections, you create more opportunity or more potential. In the end, you must convert that potential into kinetic. You must put in the time and energy to get to know your network and understand the resources available to you. Apply the Rainbow Theory to your network, build a great big beautiful rainbow and find the pot of gold waiting for you – then share it with everybody you know.
by jginsberg on June 26, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn
If you have been listening and taking my advice, then you have been building up your network – adding connections on LinkedIn and FaceBook. Finding your friends and getting to know people better. It is critical to check your newsfeed regularly. Why? Because you will see opportunities to help others and yourself by the news in your local network. Having trouble keeping up on FaceBook (I check my FB newsfeed 5+ times a day between my iphone and a web browser)? Implement Lists and organize your friends and family so you can quickly find out what is happening on any given day. With LinkedIn, checking your newsfeed before opening your email is a great habit. On a good day you will be reminded of someone you should be following up with or see an opportunity to promote someone’s business.
Check your News Feeds Daily! Your local news is LIVE and Real – Live In The Moment!
by jginsberg on June 24, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
The art of effective social and professional networking, is getting out of your first degree network and into your second degree network. In plain English, what we are talking about are referrals from trusted sources. As you build out your Fan Page or your LinkedIn presence, think about this. You must have a strong first degree network. These are your friends, family, ex-coworkers, people in your community. These are NOT the people you sell to, this is your first degree network. Tapping into your second degree network opens up a whole new world of business opportunity.
Currently, I have 738 people in my first degree network on LinkedIn. This is a lot of people for me, but it pales in comparison to my second degree network with over 120,000 people in it. This translates to roughly 162 as the average number of connections my connections have on LinkedIn. We have blown past the magical number of 150 connections. That second degree network is where the highest growth and potential value is. Lately, this has been in my head, “if you don’t ask, you will never know.” Ask for the introduction, tell your network you want to meet people who may be interested in your services, product, company. Take the next step, introduce people in your network to each other, build bridges between people who should know each other.
If you build out a Fan Page on FaceBook using your personal network, you will find somewhere between 100 and 1,000 people who Like your page. If you tap into your second degree network your potential grows ten-fold. How do you do that? Work, work, work. Each of us has a different stopping point. Unlock that stopping point and “the future is wideeeee open.” Here are a few easy ways to tap into your second degree network:
1) eat lunch with people out;
2) create a habit that is inherently social and stick with it (think coffee, exercise class, whatever);
3) connect with people you meet and/or are introduced to – you will get to know them better;
4) participate in the conversation going on – whether it is the weather, your local sports team, politics or what is for lunch today; and
5) Be creative.
**Your second degree network is a pot of gold. Build out your connections and you will find a vibrant rainbow that will lead you to the gold. Find your second degree network.
by jginsberg on June 22, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter
It is strange to me, that employees will log in to FaceBook at work, text their friends making plans for later, take smoke breaks and socialize outside – But when it comes to supporting their company online, they are not willing to help. Hear me loud and clear folks, everyone must pitch in to keep your company growing, especially you.
Have you Re-Tweeted something your company posted?
Have you shared your company Fan Page on FaceBook at least two different ways (Suggest To Friends and Share)?
If you are not on Twitter have you asked if you can include the company Twitter account on your LinkedIn profile?
Will you gripe and complain when your company can’t pay you a bonus this year or even afford a raise?
Have an impact on the future of your company, Support your company’s social media initiative!
by jginsberg on June 17, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn
After a long day of working with people on LinkedIn, optimizing profiles and teaching people how to phish for connections, I want to share some basic techniques with you.
1) Search your email for connections, be generous with your friendship.
2) Look for your current co-workers, past co-workers, people you went to school with, family and friends – These people make up your core network.
3) Look thru the contacts of your connections and find people you know also, this is Phishing.
4) Join Groups based on your passions, hobbies, profession, location. You will find interesting people to connect with and you can connect with anyone in these groups without an email address.
5) Email lists are the holy grail of connections. Break your lists up into approximately 2,000 people on each list and load them into LinkedIn. See who is on LinkedIn and if you know them, connect to them. This is the easiest and most boring way to find people you know and it works.
How many connections should you have? At least 150. You probably have 500 connections out there if you try. Grow your connection base and LinkedIn search becomes powerful as does your potential to grow revenue for your organization. Build Your Network every single night!
by jginsberg on June 14, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn, Twitter
Integrating a company Twitter account into your Corporate strategy for LinkedIn is critical to your social media campaign. Why? Best practice is to add a Twitter account to your LinkedIn profile and set the account to update your LinkedIn status when you include #in your Tweet. This accomplishes a few things:
1) You promote your company Twitter account across many profiles, increasing relevant interested followers organically.
2) The company Twitter account can update the employees’ status every 2-4 weeks with a relevant link driving traffic to specific resources (maintain a “best practice” by not over-posting, avoid reducing your employees social capital/value).
3) Your employees will not be polluting LinkedIn with irrelevant Tweets (setting Twitter to update your LinkedIn status all of the time reduces the quality of our news stream, it is that simple).
4) All of those employees on LinkedIn without Twitter accounts can directly help the company they work for.
Yes, all of your employees should be connected to each other on Twitter, this builds your base network effectively. Integrating in a company Twitter account is critical to your corporate strategy for LinkedIn, your messaging can reach a lot more people. Do you see why you want your employees to have 500+ connections each on LinkedIn.
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