meeting presentation to professional services industry group on basic tips/best practices for linkedin use for business

1. Are You Really?
Effective Use of Social Media for Business
• tips for getting the most out of LinkedIn
Presented by: Shauna Gillens, President & Principal
Metropolitan Meetings & Events

2. Social Media
• Quickly outpacing most forms of mass media in
terms of REACH, TIME SPENT, and IMPACT
• A new way to connect with prospects and build
affinity
• The online word of mouth
• Functions to benefit you
– Publish
– Share
– Network
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3. Types of social networking sites
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4. What to expect today
• Basic Tips for Use
• Optimizing your LinkedIn profile
• Engaging Others on LinkedIn
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5. Top 10 for LinkedIn
1. Profile Key Elements
2. Align & Maintain
3. Add/Remove Connections
4. Improve Your Ranking/SEO
5. References & Recommendations
6. Advanced Search & Blind Reverse
7. Ask/Answer Questions
8. Find Targeted Connections in Groups
9. Apps/Tools
10. Success Measurement
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6. LinkedIn’s latest
• LinkedIn has over 65 million members in
over 200 countries across 7 continents.
• A new member joins LinkedIn
approximately every second, and about
half of its members are outside the U.S.
• Executives from all Fortune 500
companies are LinkedIn members.
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7. Historical summation
 Started in May 2003 with 4,500 members 30 days into
establishment
 Rounded out the end of 2003 with 81,000 members
 April 2004 marked milestone of half a million members
 2005 – 4 million
 2006 – 8 million
 2007 – 15 million
 2008 – 33 million
 2009 – over 40 million
 Currently over – 65+ million
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8. Business social media tools
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9. Setting Up
LinkedIn
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10. Get Started – Sign Up
How to Use
The basics are FREE!
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11. Edit your profile
• Include a photo
• Add previous jobs
• Add education
• Seek recommendations
• Grow your connections
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12. Does your profile need a tune up?
• Personal tag line
• Focused appearance
• Elevator pitch
• Identification of relevant skills/reinforce your credentials
• Explain your experience
• Include affiliations (industry/non-profit) – connections can be made
in most any atmosphere
• Links-Links-Links – send connections to environments you control
• HOW ARE YOU DISTINGUISHED FROM THE CROWD????
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13. Align & Maintain
Update profile when you or your business experience:
– Change(s) in products/services
– New or shifting campaigns
– Territory changes
– Vertical changes
– Web site changes
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14. Add/Remove Connections
Network statistics
• Six degrees
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15. Basic •Improve Your Ranking
LinkedIn Tips
•-Search Engine Optimization-
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16. Optimize your profile summary
• Make your profile
public
• Use your name in the
custom url of your
profile
• KEYWORDS
• Use links in other
places
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17. Post regular status updates
• Let your network know what is going on in
your industry, share your interests and
activities
• Creates dialog opportunities
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18. Optimizing Your
LinkedIn Profile
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19. References & Recommendations
• Seek meaningful recommendations
• Make request supporting previous roles you may have
worked and various positions
• Request recommendations from
colleagues, clients, supervisors, etc.
• Ask for recommendations from your current employer… It’s
easier to get a recommendation while you are employed.
• Ask satisfied customers/clients
• Return the favor if appropriate
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20. Write a Recommendation
• What better way to build good will than to help another person
build their profile?
• If you enjoyed this presentation, feel free… 
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21. Advanced search & Blind reverse
• Find important connections
• Search options (title, name, geography,
company, keywords, and more)
• Identify patterns in other businesses
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22. LinkedIn Answers
• Answer someone’s question
• Ask questions or create a simple poll
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23. Use Groups to expand your network
• Groups have targeting
discussion forums
• Helps grow your connections
• Keep you informed and
abreast of critical issues
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24. Applications/Tools
• Enhance value
• Easy to implement
• Allows connection with
broader audience
• Gives people a reason to
return to your profile
and/or pursue your
business further
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25. Measurement
Web Analytics Tracking:
Fan/Like
Links
Coupon codes
Email Distribution
Phone calls
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26. Engaging Others
on LinkedIn
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27. Profile Lucky 7
Maximize your profile for SEO, business growth, and lead generation
1. Complete your profile 100% - but remember 85% quality
trumps 100% nonsense!
2. Use a quality photo as your profile image
3. Use your email address as your last name – some say it works
4. Incorporate as many keywords as possible in your summary,
specialties and other sections
5. Upload contacts – real contacts not your entire email database
6. Recommendations
7. Status Updates – frequent updates
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28. Questions?
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29. Are you LinkedIn?
LinkedIn.com/in/sgillens
Twitter.com/metromeetings
sgillens@metropolitanmeetingsandevents.com
www.metropolitanmeetingsandevents.com
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