LinkedIn is a great way to market yourself as a professional. It's not much use for a business as a whole, but if you're a freelancer, contractor or independent consultant it's one of the most important digital business cards you can have, and you neglect it at your peril. Despite being around for a while, I'm amazed at how some people just fail at using their LinkedIn profiles to sell themselves.
Before I make a list, there's just one thing I want to say about LinkedIn - it is not Facebook. That means that Facebook rules and customs do not apply. You want to be connected to everyone you've ever met, and everyone they've ever met - because you never know when one of those connections will turn into a business opportunity.
1. Your profile picture
As I just said, this is not Facebook. Don't have a picture of you in your bikini, or chugging beer with your bros. Get a professional picture taken, or use a good one of you in a suit. The more professional you look, the more seriously people will take you. And don't forget to smile - it's not a passport photo.
2. Think hard about your professional headline
Your LinkedIn profile allows you to add a "professional headline". This isn't a Facebook status to be changed every day, or a place for you to be funny. It needs to be 10 or fewer words describing what you do, and it needs to be as specific as possible. A good example is "Online Marketing and SEO Consultant for the medical equipment sector." A bad example is "I'm an online marketer, casual baseball player and a follower of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour amen". You get the idea.
3. Spend time organising your portfolio
Whether or not you work online, you can usually find something to add to your portfolio on LinkedIn. It takes a little bit of fiddling to get the hang of it, but it is well worth devoting time to. Get rid of the default descriptions like "my website" and put something interesting in there that tells recruiters and businesses what the website/project is, and what your involvement in it was.
4. Create a vanity URL
Vanity URLs are something that Facebook introduced a few years ago, and LinkedIn followed suit. It changes the URL of your profile from "LinkedIn.com/23u409832ur0u" (for example) to LinkedIn.com/JoeBloggsConsulting. If you can't get your name, then get something close to it. Don't use a nickname like "Jojo99" - it's not MSN messenger.
5. Write a good summary, and don't forget SEO
You have the opportunity to write a 2,000 word summary. You don't have to use up the word count (and nobody will read the whole thing if you do) but spend a good hour or so drafting a good page of writing here. Focus on keywords that are good for how you're trying to market yourself (use the Google AdWords Keyword Selector Tool for ideas). Divide it into sections with sub-headings if it helps, but for the love of Batman use paragraphs!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6832109
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
5 Content Marketing Tips To Include In Your Social Strategy
Content is king. That’s not the first time you’ve heard that, nor will it be your last. I do have a question though" Why aren’t more dealerships creating more content? One of the most effective and low-cost ways to drive traffic is through the creation of relevant and engaging content.
Content can be blog posts, videos, podcasts, status updates on Facebook, Tweets and much more. In this post I’m going to give you tips on what to include in your content marketing strategy that will help you to attract and influence more people to become your customers.
Keep in mind though, while reading this post, that it is but one part of your overall inbound marketing plan, a big part, but it is just one piece of the overall puzzle. Get this right and the rest will fall into place without much problem. So, are you ready?
Create A Content Creation Calendar
That’s right, plan! An editorial calendar will help you stick to your overall content marketing goal. By creating and sticking to an editorial calendar you will limit the time scratching your head wondering what to write about. Also, you should continually add to the calendar as you move along. I like to stay a month ahead, that way I’m never fighting for something to write about.
Another idea is to download the Evernote app to your iPhone or Android device so that whenever ideas strike, you can write a note to yourself to add it to the calendar. Of course you can use any app you like but I like the fact that Evernote syncs to both your desktop and the web, ensuring that no matter where you are you will have access to your notes.
Out of ideas? Read. Read as many in industry blogs and out of industry blogs as possible. Seek out the blogs of other non-competing dealerships for ideas. Also, remember that you can repurpose your content. What is a blog post this week can be a video a month or so later. Or even a slideshow, podcast, status update or even an image. In other words, one idea could be half a dozen
Optimize Your Content For Search
When writing your titles make sure that you do a little research to figure out what people are searching for in your local market. Then ensure that your key phrases are sprinkled throughout the body of your post or in the descriptions of your video or podcast.. Don’t overdo it, be natural and stick to your topic. As an example you could write a post about finding a repair shop and title it, “5 Things Your Need To Know Before Choosing A Repair Shop In Denver.”
Be sure to include the name of the city, it well help to keep your content local. Notice how the title draws you in with a promised list of 5 things you need to know. That brings me to my next tip.
Create Interesting Titles To Peak Interest
Think of your title as your headline, it’s what people will see that will encourage them to want to click on your content in order to consume it. I’ve always liked short lists, if you take a look at my blog you will see that I use the number 5 a lot, even in this article!
5 Steps To Connecting With The Movers And Shakers On LinkedIn
5 Reasons To Aim For Social Depth Over Social Breadth
5 Things You Need To Know BEFORE Designing Your Social Media Strategy
I use 5 because it’s not to long and it’s not too short and gets people to act. In fact Two of the above posts were syndicated on SocialMediaToday.com and have over 20,000 combined views! If the titles were poorly thought out, people wouldn’t have clicked on it, no matter how good the content was.
Have A Call To Action
Everything you create should have some sort of call to action. If it’s a picture that you post on Facebook, ask a question about it to get people to respond. If it’s a blog post ask people to leave a comment giving their opinion of something you said. If it’s a video tell people to give you a call to schedule their next vehicle check-up. Whatever it is, ask people to act even if it’s to check out another piece of content that you’ve created.
Create A Downloadable eBook
Create something of value to get people to download so that you can add them to your email list. A few ideas:
The 10 Irrefutable Laws Of Car Shopping
5 Ways To Spot A Bad Car Deal
7 Tips To Ensure That You Get Top Dollar For Your Trade
10 Maintenance Tips That Will Keep You Out of The Repair Shop
The list can go on and on, the idea is to create compelling content that people want to read. From there you can create a lead nurturing campaign to turn those people into leads
Content can be blog posts, videos, podcasts, status updates on Facebook, Tweets and much more. In this post I’m going to give you tips on what to include in your content marketing strategy that will help you to attract and influence more people to become your customers.
Keep in mind though, while reading this post, that it is but one part of your overall inbound marketing plan, a big part, but it is just one piece of the overall puzzle. Get this right and the rest will fall into place without much problem. So, are you ready?
Create A Content Creation Calendar
That’s right, plan! An editorial calendar will help you stick to your overall content marketing goal. By creating and sticking to an editorial calendar you will limit the time scratching your head wondering what to write about. Also, you should continually add to the calendar as you move along. I like to stay a month ahead, that way I’m never fighting for something to write about.
Another idea is to download the Evernote app to your iPhone or Android device so that whenever ideas strike, you can write a note to yourself to add it to the calendar. Of course you can use any app you like but I like the fact that Evernote syncs to both your desktop and the web, ensuring that no matter where you are you will have access to your notes.
Out of ideas? Read. Read as many in industry blogs and out of industry blogs as possible. Seek out the blogs of other non-competing dealerships for ideas. Also, remember that you can repurpose your content. What is a blog post this week can be a video a month or so later. Or even a slideshow, podcast, status update or even an image. In other words, one idea could be half a dozen
Optimize Your Content For Search
When writing your titles make sure that you do a little research to figure out what people are searching for in your local market. Then ensure that your key phrases are sprinkled throughout the body of your post or in the descriptions of your video or podcast.. Don’t overdo it, be natural and stick to your topic. As an example you could write a post about finding a repair shop and title it, “5 Things Your Need To Know Before Choosing A Repair Shop In Denver.”
Be sure to include the name of the city, it well help to keep your content local. Notice how the title draws you in with a promised list of 5 things you need to know. That brings me to my next tip.
Create Interesting Titles To Peak Interest
Think of your title as your headline, it’s what people will see that will encourage them to want to click on your content in order to consume it. I’ve always liked short lists, if you take a look at my blog you will see that I use the number 5 a lot, even in this article!
5 Steps To Connecting With The Movers And Shakers On LinkedIn
5 Reasons To Aim For Social Depth Over Social Breadth
5 Things You Need To Know BEFORE Designing Your Social Media Strategy
I use 5 because it’s not to long and it’s not too short and gets people to act. In fact Two of the above posts were syndicated on SocialMediaToday.com and have over 20,000 combined views! If the titles were poorly thought out, people wouldn’t have clicked on it, no matter how good the content was.
Have A Call To Action
Everything you create should have some sort of call to action. If it’s a picture that you post on Facebook, ask a question about it to get people to respond. If it’s a blog post ask people to leave a comment giving their opinion of something you said. If it’s a video tell people to give you a call to schedule their next vehicle check-up. Whatever it is, ask people to act even if it’s to check out another piece of content that you’ve created.
Create A Downloadable eBook
Create something of value to get people to download so that you can add them to your email list. A few ideas:
The 10 Irrefutable Laws Of Car Shopping
5 Ways To Spot A Bad Car Deal
7 Tips To Ensure That You Get Top Dollar For Your Trade
10 Maintenance Tips That Will Keep You Out of The Repair Shop
The list can go on and on, the idea is to create compelling content that people want to read. From there you can create a lead nurturing campaign to turn those people into leads
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
6 Google+ Tips For Businesses
Has your business set up a Google+ page?
Google+ is growing at an impressive rate. In less than one year, Google has reached over 90 million registered users—far exceeding expected growth rates.
According to CNN’s Mark Millan, it took Facebook about four years to grow to that many users. It took Twitter almost five years to grow to the same size.
There’s No Leap of Faith With Google+
You already know Google is important to your business. Just check your analytics. Which search engine are people using to find your website? Google. And if you’re using YouTube effectively, chances are YouTube is driving traffic to your site too. News flash: Google owns YouTube.
If Google is sending you the majority of your traffic, doesn’t it make sense to figure out how to help them send you more? Google+ is the answer.
It’s like Facebook: On Facebook, people can “like” your business. That allows your business’ page updates to have a shot at getting into readers’ timelines. People can do that on Google+ too; it just involves adding your business page to a “circle.” This similarity may help people feel more comfortable trying a new platform.
But it’s not Facebook: Facebook does weird things with the information on pages. But Google wants the information to be found, so it uses Google+ to impact search results.
It’s easier for your customers to share your posts than on Facebook: Like Twitter, Google+ has made sharing much more targeted for your customers. If you post something about a new type of bacon you sell, they have the ability to share it with only their friends who are interested in bacon.
google+ getting started 5 shared circles
Your customers can share your business' updates with the people most likely to become customers.
And if they’re using Google+ in the Chrome browser, they can have an extension like “Replies and More for Google+,” which lets them share posts with their Facebook friends and Twitter followers at the same time they’re sharing on Google+.
replies and more
Google+ works well in all browsers, but extensions like "Replies and More" make Google+ even better in Chrome.
Six Google+ Business Page Tips
Here are six steps to help your business grow in Google+ influence and in search engine results.
These steps will increase your chances of getting seen on Google+, and more importantly, help Google drive traffic to your page.
#1: Fill Out Your Page
The first thing you need to do is create a page for your business. For step-by-step directions, check out Kristi Hines’ How to Set Up a Google+ Page for Your Business.
As you’re setting up your business page, focus on using keywords as you fill out the Introduction in your Google+ page’s About section. Use both the keywords you want to rank high on and the keywords your customers are using.
And as you fill out this section, be sure to think about what would be attractive to your customers. The day Google opened business pages, Chris Brogan tweeted:
brag tweet
Read over your page and ask yourself if it's bragging about how great your business is or if it's engaging your customers.
#2: Add Links Throughout Your Page
Google+ business pages allow you to add links in lots of different places. Take advantage of it! You are able to create links in the Introduction section.
In the image below, you see examples of inserting links as phrases (like “fundraising training”), as a web page (like “FundraisingCoach.com”) or as a straight web link (like “http://fundraisingcoach.com/subscribe/).
google plus about page link opportunities
Help drive traffic to your own site by using all the link opportunities on your Google+ page.
These links will help you get found in searches. And more importantly, they will help customers go directly to your website.
#3: Make Use of the Hover Text
As with setting up personal Google+ profiles, you can influence what people see when they mouse over your business name in Google+. They might do this when searching on a topic or simply responding to a post.
So you’ll want to have a compelling, short tagline.
hover card
The tagline both explains your business and fills in the "hover card" on other parts of Google+.
google plus hover card
The extra words on this hover card come from the business' tagline on their Google+ page.
You can see that only the first five words of the tagline made it onto the hover card, so make them count!
#4: Promote Your Business Page Everywhere
One of the best ways to get people to follow your Google+ business page is to let them know you have one! In addition to putting the link in your email footer and on all of your other social media pages, you can add a badge to your site.
Google+ offers a way to make a badge. But a prettier way to make a badge is to use a site like Widgets Plus. This site allows for an impressive amount of customization.
Widget
Adding a badge to your site allows people to circle your business without having to go over to Google+.
Including an interactive badge helps people circle you while on your site. They don’t have to go to Google+ to do it. As soon as they circle you, they’ll be able to see your updates in their news feed.
Getting people to circle you is crucial. Being in more people’s circles, or having more Google+ followers, improves your position on regular Google searches.
And at this point, businesses can’t circle people until people have circled them first! You’ll want to be aggressive in telling people about your Google+ page so you’ll be able to share with them too.
#5: Get Your Employees on Google+
Because your posts are generally only seen by the people who’ve circled you, you want to encourage your employees to set up personal Google+ profiles. You can’t tell them how to use those profiles. But you can ask that they add your website as a link in their Links section. You should also ask them to share your business page and its posts with their friends.
#6: Be Interesting
Steps 1-5 set the foundation for Google+ dominance. But only interesting posts will keep you there. Unfortunately, interesting is defined by your customers. Here are some tips to make your posts interesting:
Experiment across platforms. Try posting the same updates on Facebook and Google+ and see where you get the better response. You’ll be surprised at how the followers interact differently.
Try posting your blog in Google+. If you already have a blog, rather than simply posting a link to it in Google+, try posting the text and the link in an update. Posts that take up more of someone’s news feed seem to gain more traction than the Twitter-like 140-character updates.
Use pictures and video. Pictures and video work incredibly well on Google+. People are far more interested in sharing images then straight text posts.
Be quirky. Google+ users are very interested in sharing and commenting on quirky posts. So if there’s any way for your business to do something quirky, it will help people become interested in you. One great example is this picture of a Crockpot from Jeremiah Owyang. Posted soon after Google+ opened, his question generated lots of conversation about food and workplaces.
quirky update
Being interesting on Google+ involves a willingness to be a bit quirky.
What could you ask your followers that would make your company seem more “human” and generate comments?
Google+ Is Open for Business
While still new, Google+ is open for business. And it will benefit your business both in search engine results and increased interaction with customers.
What do you think? What businesses have you seen using Google+ in remarkable ways? Leave your questions and comments in the box below.
Google+ is growing at an impressive rate. In less than one year, Google has reached over 90 million registered users—far exceeding expected growth rates.
According to CNN’s Mark Millan, it took Facebook about four years to grow to that many users. It took Twitter almost five years to grow to the same size.
There’s No Leap of Faith With Google+
You already know Google is important to your business. Just check your analytics. Which search engine are people using to find your website? Google. And if you’re using YouTube effectively, chances are YouTube is driving traffic to your site too. News flash: Google owns YouTube.
If Google is sending you the majority of your traffic, doesn’t it make sense to figure out how to help them send you more? Google+ is the answer.
It’s like Facebook: On Facebook, people can “like” your business. That allows your business’ page updates to have a shot at getting into readers’ timelines. People can do that on Google+ too; it just involves adding your business page to a “circle.” This similarity may help people feel more comfortable trying a new platform.
But it’s not Facebook: Facebook does weird things with the information on pages. But Google wants the information to be found, so it uses Google+ to impact search results.
It’s easier for your customers to share your posts than on Facebook: Like Twitter, Google+ has made sharing much more targeted for your customers. If you post something about a new type of bacon you sell, they have the ability to share it with only their friends who are interested in bacon.
google+ getting started 5 shared circles
Your customers can share your business' updates with the people most likely to become customers.
And if they’re using Google+ in the Chrome browser, they can have an extension like “Replies and More for Google+,” which lets them share posts with their Facebook friends and Twitter followers at the same time they’re sharing on Google+.
replies and more
Google+ works well in all browsers, but extensions like "Replies and More" make Google+ even better in Chrome.
Six Google+ Business Page Tips
Here are six steps to help your business grow in Google+ influence and in search engine results.
These steps will increase your chances of getting seen on Google+, and more importantly, help Google drive traffic to your page.
#1: Fill Out Your Page
The first thing you need to do is create a page for your business. For step-by-step directions, check out Kristi Hines’ How to Set Up a Google+ Page for Your Business.
As you’re setting up your business page, focus on using keywords as you fill out the Introduction in your Google+ page’s About section. Use both the keywords you want to rank high on and the keywords your customers are using.
And as you fill out this section, be sure to think about what would be attractive to your customers. The day Google opened business pages, Chris Brogan tweeted:
brag tweet
Read over your page and ask yourself if it's bragging about how great your business is or if it's engaging your customers.
#2: Add Links Throughout Your Page
Google+ business pages allow you to add links in lots of different places. Take advantage of it! You are able to create links in the Introduction section.
In the image below, you see examples of inserting links as phrases (like “fundraising training”), as a web page (like “FundraisingCoach.com”) or as a straight web link (like “http://fundraisingcoach.com/subscribe/).
google plus about page link opportunities
Help drive traffic to your own site by using all the link opportunities on your Google+ page.
These links will help you get found in searches. And more importantly, they will help customers go directly to your website.
#3: Make Use of the Hover Text
As with setting up personal Google+ profiles, you can influence what people see when they mouse over your business name in Google+. They might do this when searching on a topic or simply responding to a post.
So you’ll want to have a compelling, short tagline.
hover card
The tagline both explains your business and fills in the "hover card" on other parts of Google+.
google plus hover card
The extra words on this hover card come from the business' tagline on their Google+ page.
You can see that only the first five words of the tagline made it onto the hover card, so make them count!
#4: Promote Your Business Page Everywhere
One of the best ways to get people to follow your Google+ business page is to let them know you have one! In addition to putting the link in your email footer and on all of your other social media pages, you can add a badge to your site.
Google+ offers a way to make a badge. But a prettier way to make a badge is to use a site like Widgets Plus. This site allows for an impressive amount of customization.
Widget
Adding a badge to your site allows people to circle your business without having to go over to Google+.
Including an interactive badge helps people circle you while on your site. They don’t have to go to Google+ to do it. As soon as they circle you, they’ll be able to see your updates in their news feed.
Getting people to circle you is crucial. Being in more people’s circles, or having more Google+ followers, improves your position on regular Google searches.
And at this point, businesses can’t circle people until people have circled them first! You’ll want to be aggressive in telling people about your Google+ page so you’ll be able to share with them too.
#5: Get Your Employees on Google+
Because your posts are generally only seen by the people who’ve circled you, you want to encourage your employees to set up personal Google+ profiles. You can’t tell them how to use those profiles. But you can ask that they add your website as a link in their Links section. You should also ask them to share your business page and its posts with their friends.
#6: Be Interesting
Steps 1-5 set the foundation for Google+ dominance. But only interesting posts will keep you there. Unfortunately, interesting is defined by your customers. Here are some tips to make your posts interesting:
Experiment across platforms. Try posting the same updates on Facebook and Google+ and see where you get the better response. You’ll be surprised at how the followers interact differently.
Try posting your blog in Google+. If you already have a blog, rather than simply posting a link to it in Google+, try posting the text and the link in an update. Posts that take up more of someone’s news feed seem to gain more traction than the Twitter-like 140-character updates.
Use pictures and video. Pictures and video work incredibly well on Google+. People are far more interested in sharing images then straight text posts.
Be quirky. Google+ users are very interested in sharing and commenting on quirky posts. So if there’s any way for your business to do something quirky, it will help people become interested in you. One great example is this picture of a Crockpot from Jeremiah Owyang. Posted soon after Google+ opened, his question generated lots of conversation about food and workplaces.
quirky update
Being interesting on Google+ involves a willingness to be a bit quirky.
What could you ask your followers that would make your company seem more “human” and generate comments?
Google+ Is Open for Business
While still new, Google+ is open for business. And it will benefit your business both in search engine results and increased interaction with customers.
What do you think? What businesses have you seen using Google+ in remarkable ways? Leave your questions and comments in the box below.
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