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Posts Tagged ‘LinkedIn’
Saturday, March 28th, 2009
You’ve probably heard some statistics about who’s on LinkedIn. The “average” LinkedIn subscriber is a 41 year old male, with a median household income of $109,703. And while statistics might be skewed, it does tell me a few important things. People who sign up are using LinkedIn for business and networking purposes. So it sounds like LinkedIn is a great business party that’s online and a perfect place for small businesses to connect with other professionals.
LinkedIn has even more relevance in today’s economic light. Male or female, everyone is scrambling to either keep their job or find a new one. Networking is more crucial than ever. Small businesses need these connections to diversify, make stronger ties, and locate new marketing opportunities.
LinkedIn has many uses, and when handled correctly it’s quite appropriate to make business contacts through this social media network. And you should–there are over 8 million professionals on LinkedIn, and they represent over 130 industries. Nowhere else do you have this kind of chance to work your way up or over the ladder of success. You can ask for an introduction, form a partnership, or find out about an employment opportunity–all while increasing your online presence.
You have to do more than sign up for a LinkedIn account and then set up a profile. You have to learn how to “work” it. Increasing your visibility is crucial to making LinkedIn work for you. Type in every business associate name you know. Go down your rolodex, get out all those business cards you never use–and start typing in names and asking for a connection.
But I already know these people! Yes, I’ll give you that, Do you know who they know? Bingo.
That’s where the connectivity really starts. You can “name drop” on LinkedIn. “I’m a business associate of Joe Bob, will you join my LinkedIn network?” That’s how easy it is. Not only will you connect with Joe Bob, you’ll also be privy to all of his friends and networking associates. Hundreds of names for you to peruse–many of those people will agree to connect with you because of their association with Joe Bob. It’s well known that people in the business world like to have a reference for a future employee, or business partner. LinkedIn, when handled appropriately can will have something in common with you.
So to continue with our party analogy, don’t just agree to show up at the LinkedIn social networking party–and don’t just grab a drink and stand in one corner–get out there and mingle.
Tags: LinkedIn, Social networking for small businesses
Posted in Networking for Small Business, Small Business Internet Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
If you`ve been following this blog for any amount of time or if you have ever attended one of my live workshops, you`ll know that I`m a fan of social media, LinkedIn in particular. There`s a very good reason for this . . . it works.
The problem that many people face, however, is not knowing what to do once they have signed up for LinkedIn. Are you in the same boat?
This social media site can be very powerful and really enhance your business if you use it properly, but if you`re stuck at the first step, it won`t work. That`s why I`m going to be offering my very first workshop of 2009 on this very topic. In fact, here`s what we`ll be covering:
- What LinkedIn is and why you should care
- How to network on LinkedIn
- The essentials of creating a power-packed profile that shows up in the LinkedIn search results
- How to use LinkedIn to find new clients or customers and grow your sales
How to Attend:
Cost: $50
Location:
BlueChip Advisors, LLC
8441 Wayzata Blvd.
Suite 200
Minneapolis, MN 55426
Date: January 29th
Time: 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Register here or call 888.712.0075 with questions and to register.
Tags: LinkedIn, Social Media, workshop
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »
Friday, November 7th, 2008
Social media is something I talk about a lot because it`s an important part of promoting your business. You can easily network with hundreds, if not thousands, of people all at once with social networking.
I`ve talked before about signing up for LinkedIn, but many readers have written in, wanting to know what they should do now that they`ve signed up. This is a common problem, not knowing how to actually get started in social media. So, I`ll be holding a Workshop mini-series to help anyone interested in social networking learn to do it well.
You`ll get the training that will enable you to move forward in your online business promotion and also written materials to allow you to train others to promote your business, as well. You can register to attend here. Or call 888.712.0075
Cost: $50
Where: Byerlys Community Center Ridgedale, 3081 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305
When: November 11th, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Hope to see you there!
Tags: LinkedIn, Social Media, workshop
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »
Thursday, October 9th, 2008
LinkedIn is one of the newer social networking sites online. You can really benefit from all types of networking, but when you combine the right techniques and online networking, it can be a very powerful thing.
The latest opportunity for networking with your small business can be found at The Laptop Lounge. There are three levels of networking groups to join, The Rookie, The Pro and The Elite. Each one is specifically aimed at a level of LinkedIn usage. For example, if you have never used the networking service or signed up without doing anything with it, then you`ll be in The Rookie Group. Those with over 500 connections can join The Elite for free.
Not only is this a great chance to learn about networking online, it also allows you to get troubleshooting help right there in the Laptop Lounge, a very handy offer. If you`re interested in joining the group and learning to be your best in online networking, you can sign up here.
Tags: LinkedIn, networking, online networking
Posted in Networking for Small Business | No Comments »
Thursday, December 27th, 2007
If you’re ready to make the leap to online marketing and you want to build your business by networking, the best small business networking tool that I’ve found so far is LinkedIn. It’s grown to be quite popular and is one of the fastest growing online networks available.
Unlike other networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, there’s not a lot of fluff. You won’t find oodles of apps and widgets that have no useful business value. No freckle-faced high school kids pinging you to see what your thoughts are on the latest hip hop craze, no graffiti on virtual walls, and no endless streams of surveys asking you what your favorite green vegetable is. At LinkedIn, it’s all about business and that’s why I like it.
The way LinkedIn is set up, you have a network that consists of your central hub – your connections. These are the people you are linked to directly. Probably, when you start, you know these people off line. If you join, you can add me to your network and we’ll be linked.
The next level in your network are the friends of friends, “two degrees away.” These people are potential members of your hub and can be introduced through your mutual friends whenever one of your friends sees that you can benefit each other. It’s like meeting at a convention and having Joe at XYZ introduce you to Tom at ABC because you’re not competitors, you trust that neither will attempt to steal you away from the other, and they can benefit each other. It’s how real life networking is done.
Three degrees away, a friend of a friend, is your extended network. Chances are, if you have five or six friends in your hub, this third degree level is hundreds of thousands strong. But all it takes to get to one of these people in your third level, someone who could be very influential in your business, is a couple of introductions.
There is a reason why LinkedIn is popular and growing among the business sector online. It works. It’s fun. And it’s all business. Networking the way real life networking has been done for centuries.
Caroline Melberg
Small Business Mavericks
Small Business Mavericks Blog
Tags: business, LinkedIn, networking, online
Posted in Networking for Small Business | 3 Comments »
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