LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform

This morning LinkedIn sent out an email regarding their newest “test” platform, publishing. 

“We're offering our members a powerful new way to build their professional brand — publishing on LinkedIn. When a member publishes a post on LinkedIn, their original content becomes part of their professional profile, is shared with their trusted network, and has the ability to reach the world's largest group of professionals. “

From what I can gather, this is more of an archive, so that you are able to access more than just your last ten posts.  Additionally, it is long-form format so you can say even more.  The feature is still in the testing phase and LinkedIn is asking people to sign up initially.  Just for fun, I did so. However, I am reluctant and think this might be a short lived addition to the Linked In menu.  Blogs provide the same features and it is just as easy to post a link from your blog as it is to provide content directly to Linked In. 

What do you think?  Useful feature?

Learn more about the platform and how to apply for early access here.

LinkedIn Gets a Little Facebook-y

I have been monitoring my LinkedIn status views and engagement to try to establish trends.  First, we have heard it from many Social Media experts already, but posts with photos get a lot more action.

Something else I noticed was posts that are more personal and less about business have been getting a lot of traction. Granted LinkedIn is thought to be more of a B2B platform, it seems that people are still excited about content that has nothing to do with business.

Here are my most popular posts from the last couple weeks.  What are your thoughts and most popular posts?

Things to know about your business' Digital Brand and Digital Footprint

I attended a workshop yesterday that focused on digital brand and digital footprint.  The presentation started out with some good stats including:

• In 2010 consumers used 5 sources of information to make a buying decision, this increased to 10 in 2011, and estimated to increase to 15 in 2014
• 83% of buying decisions are made before entering a store
• 90% of consumers use online reviews to make buying decisions
• A user will leave a site in 8 seconds or less if they don’t find what they are looking for

Marketers have been touting for years how important digital marketing is and this was one more presentation to spread that message.

Here are some of the take-aways:

• Make sure that all of your business’ local listings are claimed and accurate
• Be sure you have consistent branding among all your digital channels
• Get on board with Google +
• Make sure to have a mobile site and ditch the Flash
• Make sure digital ads direct to relevant information like coupons, event info, surveys etc.  If you mention a product, make the landing page that product, no additional searching required.
• Get online reviews so when consumers are researching, they are finding content and make sure to respond to reviews (both positive and negative)
• Use bad reviews to train your staff or correct policy issues, never ignore them and try to take the resolution offline.  For example, “I’d like to correct please give me a call at this number to discuss.”
• If you’re trying to market to Millennials, make sure you have a presence on Social Media, it’s a necessity!

I have said it before and will continue to say it, it’s time to get digi with it!

Enhance Your Portfolio with Behance

Behance, as described on the site, is “the leading online platform to showcase & discover creative work. The creative world updates their work in one place to broadcast it widely and efficiently. Companies explore the work and access talent on a global scale.”

I started using Behance over a year ago to showcase some of my graphic design projects. It is easy to upload your image, video and audio files, organize by client or project and to generate a link to add to Social Media sites.

You can also embed files from: Vimeo, YouTube, Adobe TV, Blip.tv, Veoh, Mevio, Yahoo Video, MySpace Video, Fast Company, Dailymotion, SoundCloud, Mixcloud, Bandcamp, 4shared, Scribd, Google Maps, Wufoo, SlideShare, Flickr Photostream, Blurb, ExposureRoom, Prezi, Sunglass, Sketchfab

Text can be added to the display page to explain your work. Before launching your profile, you will also be prompted to add key words and a description.  Visibility controls are available to make your profile as public or private as you would like.

So far the site communicates well with LinkedIn allowing projects to be placed under the position you completed them.  I find this to be a great way to jazz up a profile for anyone in a creative field.  To do this, simply: Go to your Edit Profile feature in LinkedIn.  Under “Experiences” there is an icon that looks like a square and plus sign.  Click on that icon to “Add Link.” 

In Behance, find the link of the published project and copy the URL.  Once that URL is placed in the link box a title and description box will be generated in LinkedIn.  Edit as needed.

I have added several projects to my profile that you can check out.  When it comes to design, having samples readily available is important to stay competitive.  It is even better to have samples easily accessible from your networking profile.

Social Media Conference Recap (Engagement)

This year I attended the IN-NW Conference in Seattle which focused on the latest trends in Social Media.  Representatives from big-name corporations like Coco-Cola, Starbucks, and EA Sports discussed what they are doing in the marketplace.  The room was packed with over 200 attendees clambering to find guidance in a topic that is evolving daily.

Unfortunately, like most Social Media presentations, the theory is that the campaigns are successful but there is nothing necessarily measurable to support it.  When you are striving for management buy-in, results are essential.  The suggestion was to not focus on the numbers as much as the response rates.  For example, instead of reporting that you have 400 likes on Facebook, reporting that you had 15 shares on a post indicate better results.  The effectiveness is shown by the ability to leverage Social Media to increase connectivity and inspire your online community to take action in sharing your content. 

To achieve the response rate, several speakers agreed that it is the proactive and personal approach that engages the community the most.  Brands must have a relatable “face” to create two-way communication and increase the probability that your audience will help guide your content.  By tracking the posts that are responded to or created organically by your audience, you can refine your message to speak to what is important and relevant to them.  This could be current events, charitable efforts, or an inside view of the company and staff. 

One of the best quotes of the event was “personalization breeds passion.” By tailoring your content to be more personal, people are hypothetically more willing to follow and contribute.

Engagement was just one of the discussions.  More to come….

Free Custom Facebook Page

Do you want a custom Facebook page but don't know how to code FBML?  Well you're in luck.  Companies are making applications that require zero coding knowledge to yield a professional custom page on your Facebook fan pages.

I just tried out PageModo.  This site allowed me to log-in using my Facebook account information, then I choose a template, added my text and photos, and wa-la....I posted the new page to my Facebook account.

This site allows you to post one custom page for free.  If you want more pages or one that doesn't sport the PageModo logo, plans start for as little at $6.25 a month.

If you have used another site that you love, please share.

What is Foursquare anyways?

If you're a fan of the History channel like me, you've probably noticed their promotions to "check in" on Foursquare, a newer social media site that works with Smart Phones.  Users are able to explore discounts and promotions posted by local stores, earn points by posting their location "check-in," and unlock badges.

Although the site is relatively new there are millions of users worldwide.  It is also free to claim your location and to post your promotions, making it an inexpensive way to have more exposure on the web.

Woods Coffee has taken advantage of this site by promoting a "loyalty special."  By "checking-in" at any of the Woods locations three times, users can unlock an upgrade to their coffee order.

Users can also post reviews and tips.  Having more positive feedback available on the web is always a plus as more and more people turn to internet reviews before making their purchases.

I claimed the page for my employer and within two days of making my first post, we had 94 followers!  That's triple the amount of Facebook followers we received in the first month of launching the our fan page.

If you haven't explored Foursquare, I would recommend you do so.  Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

Building Strong Relationships with Social Media

Social Media can enhance brand awareness and engage your current and potential customers.  Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs should be used to develop relationships rather then funnel direct sales. 

Social Media sites help to develop trust which leads to strong relationships creating more loyal customers.  There are four components to strengthening relationships: time, intensity, trust and reciprocity.

Time:

It takes time to cultivate strong relationships.  Just because you have several sites up and running, doesn't mean new business calls will be coming in non-stop.  However, by placing your brand consistently in front of your customers and prospects, when it comes time to make a purchase, your odds of winning the sale are greatly increased.  It's a game of patience that has paid off for many.

Intensity:

You can create a higher degree of emotional strength between you and your customers by being honest and genuine.  Intensity can also be increased with customer testimonials.

Trust:

Become your customer's trusted source for topics like industry news, product reviews and tips related to your business.  Your brand will be greatly enhanced by establishing your business as a reliable resource.  Keep your sites up-to-date, posting at least once a week.  Also be sure to keep your topics current.

Reciprocity:

Let your customer's have a voice.  A claim of outstanding service is better received if it's posted by your customer rather than yourself.  Also this plays into the trust between your customer and their friends.  A person is more likely to choose a product or service recommended by their friends or family.

Other tips:

Create fun Calls to Action.  Ask engaging questions rather then posting facts, create contests that require your customers to do something and reply to any inquires or comments in a timely manner.

Some Thoughts on Social Media

I get such a tickle out of the Best Buy commercial which features all the updated gadgets available merely minutes after purchase.  If you haven't had the pleasure, click here.

It's one of those instances in which it's funny because it's true.  Technology is rapidly changing and so is the evolution of marketing on the internet.  I remember looking at Facebook for the first time and being unimpressed with it's primitive platform.  Now this network is taking over the web and our time.  Based on a 2009 Nielsen Report, there was an 82% increase in global time spent on Social Media sites with continued growth.

I've also read articles which give the bold statement that if your business isn't participating in Social Media then you'll be out of business in next 5 years.  Wow, that's pretty brash.   I can't say that I agree with that statement but I do see how using Social Media as a promotion vehicle could be extremely beneficial in connecting with potential clients.

Just like the Best Buy commercial, however, Social Media is constantly upgrading and changing.  For those of us who don't spend several hours a day researching trends like the Google +1 or Facebook's new "Places" feature, could easily fall behind.

I also think a difficult hurdle is realizing that even though we don't understand it, marketing practices are changing to parallel with what's getting attention.  I will always argue with my 15 yr old niece that Michael Jackson is 5 billion times better then Selena Gomez, I can't however argue that her manager is laughing all the way to the bank.

Twitter is my Selena.  Although I could be less interested and have no clue why others find it entertaining, there are 75 million users worldwide and therefore a great place to promote.  So yes I have a Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn account with countless others being developed everyday.  I'd also like to congratulate any of you who have also joined the every changing world of Social Media, it is no easy task!

Adding Social Media Links to Your Outlook Signature

Your email signature is a great place to include promotions and links to your Social Media sites.  Taking a few minutes to customize your signature can help you reach a broader audience with minimum effort.

Adding Social Media logos to your signature gives you that extra flare however there are potential issues with using graphics.  While consulting with my IT lead, he brought up an issue I never thought of.  It is possible that graphics will show up as a red X to your recipient based on their network settings and filters, which looks unprofessional.

Some companies use specific settings to eliminate high usage of space on their servers or to block out potential spam.  Our solution has been to add links to our Social Media sites rather then images.  Yes, not as flashy but it gets the job done.

To do this in Outlook, follow these simple steps:

• Go to "Tools" & select "Options"
• Under the "Mail Format" Tab click on "Signatures"- This will bring up your current settings and allow you to "Edit"
• Once in "Edit" mode, add the text you would like to serve as a link (i.e. Like Us on Facebook!) 
• Then highlight your text, right click, and select "Edit Hyperlink"
• Make sure that the type is http: and then you can enter the URL, click OK
• Click OK a couple more times and you're good to go!