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One of my LinkedIn connections — we’ll call her Julie — recently asked, in essence, “How can I improve my status as an industry expert, without others stealing my ideas? I’m writing a book, and this concerns me. I don’t know how to offer value without sharing everything I know.”
Julie had hit upon a common conundrum. Our Internet age requires great content, and lots of it, to generate attention. As well, lots of valuable, free content is required to achieve expert status. How can one avoid getting ‘ripped off’…or is this even an issue to worry about?
The answer is…yes…and no…and, it depends.
Space does not allow us to delve into trademark and copyright rules here. Much excellent information is available to help you become familiar with the rules. For today, however, we’ll limit our discussion to LinkedIn.
What Is Expert Status, Anyway?
Expert status is a somewhat indefinable combination of transparency, visibility, influence and accuracy. Experts are made, not born. Julie is on the right track as a soon-to-be-published book author, a nearly instant expert status symbol.
Not everyone wishes to be perceived as an expert. Most of us are content to maintain a smaller sphere of influence among clients, prospects and colleagues. If our increased visibility leads to interesting connections, paying work, maybe even a cool joint venture or two, terrific.
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What about those who lie in wait for flashes of your brilliance, because they’re too lazy to think for themselves? It happens. Groupthink is the order of the day. One person writes an original blog post on a hot topic, and hundreds of other bloggers pick it up, writing a post about the original post. Senseless? Maybe. Lazy? No doubt. But a rip off? No. Actually, all of those reposts add to the writer’s sphere of influence and, therefore, his or her expert status!
LinkedIn Success Begins with Information Sharing
Without connection, engagement and sharing across millions of members, there would be no LinkedIn. Certainly, achieving expert status requires consistent, high quality information sharing. For example, my blog posts here on GreenBuzz give tips, tricks and strategies to enhance your LI experience. I could say, “I’m not going to give all my knowledge away for free. People have to pay me for this stuff!” But this attitude is shortsighted. Yes, I need to make a living, but it is the unbridled sharing which draws quality clients to me…clients who recognize I can help them achieve their goals, and who are willing to pay for specialized help.
The fact is, I would have to blog 24/7 to dispense everything I know about LinkedIn and, still, there would be new topics to write about. Am I hurting myself by giving away so much information no prospect feels the need to conduct paying business with me? Absolutely not. In fact, the opposite is true.
So what is the solution? Create lots of fresh, vibrant, meaningful content, share it with your LI network, then wash, rinse, repeat. Forget what others might be doing. Honestly, most people will read your thoughts, leave a comment, and move on to something else. In terms of sheer stats, it is rare that your work will be swiped.
American author Fran Lebowitz once said, “Original thought is like original sin: both happened before you were born to people you could not have possibly met.”
That Fran…she was a smart lady, don’t you think?
Next Week: The Hot Debate Over LinkedIn Profile Ownership
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: ModelloMedia@gmail.com
Feel free to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers, and Brittney Grove. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.
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I am often asked, “How do I invite people on LinkedIn?” Invitations are so fundamental and, yet, many remain frustrated about the “right” and “wrong” ways to connect.
So let’s go back to basics and review the LinkedIn invite process.
First and foremost, LinkedIn requires an invitation for two people to connect. One must invite; the other must accept. If you invite someone who is not yet an LI member, he or she must become a member to accept the invitation.
When you send an invite, and the person accepts, he or she is now a “first degree” connection. LinkedIn strongly suggests you thoughtfully select whom you will invite, choosing only those you know and trust, i.e., family, friends, current or former classmates or colleagues…
LI assumes that, at some point, you will request a recommendation from a first degree connection, or vice-versa. This is why quality is far more important than quantity. Sure, it’s fun to brag about having thousands of connections. However, unlike Facebook, LinkedIn network members are not collected; they’re selected.
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Additionally, recommendations can improve page rank within the LI network. Someone exactly like you, but with more recommendations, would ostensibly rank higher than you in LI network search. A higher rank might mean enhanced connections and better lead generation.
Specific Steps for LinkedIn Invitations
Now, on to the good stuff, with a few simple connection options:
1. Invite one contact at a time:
Enter the person’s name and email address using the “Add Connections” link on the home page.
2. Invite one contact at a time and add a personal message:
Click the “Add ___ to your Network” link (right side of the other person’s Profile.)
3. Invite “who you already know”:
a. Click on the green “Add Connections” link at the top right of your home page.
b. Find the box titled “See Who You Already Know on LinkedIn”.
c. Enter your email/password to access your email address book.
d. Click “Login to…” or “Continue” (the button varies depending on your email server)
e. Log into your webmail account.
f. LI will download your contacts from the webmail service into a box.
g. Select those contacts you wish to invite.
h. Click on “Invite selected contacts”.
4. Invite Colleagues or Classmates:
Colleagues have worked or do work for one of the companies you have listed on your Profile, during the same time periods you have listed.
To connect to colleagues:
a. Click on the green “Add Connections” button located at the top right of your home page.
b. Click on “Colleagues”.
c. Click on “Find New” under one of the companies you have listed on your Profile.
d. Select former colleagues to invite. Consider including a personal note.
e. Click on “Send Invitation(s)”.
Classmates have attended the same educational institutions you have listed on your Profile, during the same time periods you have listed.
To connect to classmates:
a. Click on the green “Add Connections” button located at the top right of your home page.
b. Click on “Classmates”.
c. Select a school from one you have listed on your Profile.
d. Click “Invite”, to the right of the person’s name you wish to invite.
NOTE: LinkedIn will not allow you to insert web site URLS or links within an Invitation. This information can be shared only after a connection is accepted.
Consider this article a LinkedIn Connection Primer, because these methods are just a few ways to get connected. More to follow on this topic in the near future.
Next week: How to Showcase Your Expertise on LinkedIn…Without Giving Away the Farm
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: ModelloMedia@gmail.com
Connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jared Lee, and Jennie Ryon. And join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.
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ANNOUNCEMENT!!!: Moving forward, Victoria Ipri will be writing a weekly article on the Green Buzz Agency Blog that will run on Tuesdays. If you like the article below, check back every Tuesday for more insight on LinkedIn and check out the blog archive for the many other articles she has contributed since July.
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So here you are, following all the rules for LinkedIn lead generation. You’ve got a few hundred ‘connections’, joined a bunch of groups, and update your status regularly. But still, nothing is happening! No conversations, no leads, no business!
What are you doing wrong? Maybe you’re not as connected as you think.
Building your community is just one step towards engagement. If your relationships with other LinkedIn members have not moved beyond that initial, “Hey, thanks for the connect!”…you may actually have a disconnect.
This disconnect occurs when you perceive LinkedIn to be something it is not. You believe the hype, extolling the virtues of lead generation via social media. But what that hype doesn’t tell you is this: LinkedIn is just a tool. It can only get you so far in the lead generation process. The rest is up to you, and good, ol’ fashioned conversation with other members. Yes, I mean emails and…gulp…that amazing invention we call the telephone.
You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: social media, LinkedIn specifically, is about building relationships. You can’t expect to connect with someone today and sell your product tomorrow. It wouldn’t work that way in the real world. Why do we expect it to work that way online?
The All Important Follow-Up
When it comes to follow up, the advice is simple. Just do it, while you’re still fresh in the prospect’s mind. Did you ever get an email or phone call from someone you simply can’t place…..then he says, “We met at the ABC seminar about two months ago. Do you remember me?” Awkward.
Once you’ve connected , don’t let that trail grow cold. Reach out with an email, thanking the person for connecting. Ask a question. Offer a compliment. Point out that the two of you share a group. Anything to create an ongoing dialogue! If common interests exist, move on to a phone call and, perhaps, a meeting in person.
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What’s Happening in Their World
What are your connections up to? Are they talking about a new venture? Can you lend some expertise? Have they RSVP’d to a local event? This is your chance to get involved. Look for opportunities to grow your relationships in the “real” world.
Be an MVP
Don’t wait for folks to come to you. Be useful. What are your groups and connections chatting up on the LI home page? Can you add valuable insight or advice? Give it freely. Just as you seek out others for their expertise, people will seek you out after you’ve established yourself as a valuable player. Keep the dialogue moving by answering your connections’ requests for advice.
Make the Most of Travel
Going to a seminar in Des Moines? Contact a few worthwhile connections in the area and ask them to coffee. Face-to-face is still the most powerful medium there is. Because we’re all doing so much less of it, it’s even more impressive.
There is more to the game of engagement than simply clicking “connect.” LinkedIn can help you build solid, rewarding relationships when used correctly. If increased referrals, more highly targeted lead generation, and new business are important to your survival, you owe it to yourself to get it right.
Need help? Please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: ModelloMedia@gmail.com
Feel free to connect with the newest members of Green Buzz Agency Marketing department on Linkedin: Jennie Nowers, Brittney Grove, Jared Lee, and Jennie Ryon. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.
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If your business requires that you showcase creative work online, you may feel exasperated that no singular professional site exists for combining both your profile and samples. I’ve often wondered about this myself.
Creative businesses (graphic designers, fashion designers, architects, photographers, videographers, film makers, digital media firms, and even copywriters) must maintain numerous profiles and samples on many sites to stay in front of prospects. Then there is keeping up with your own portfolio, perhaps on your web site, and resume updates as well.
Let your Creative Work Shine
LinkedIn has heard your pleas for help. Joining forces with the Behance Network, LinkedIn now offers a new application: the Creative Portfolio Display. Launched in July, the Creative Portfolio Display application lets you create a good looking online portfolio right there on your profile page.
Behance Network is free, but you must register to use the application. Then simply install the application and upload your portfolio. Create any number of multimedia projects. Control which projects take center stage on your LinkedIn profile.
(BONUS! Post your portfolio to other sites via the Behance Network too. The company website states, “From one central portfolio, your work can be displayed within LinkedIn, Behance.net, AIGA, MTV, and other networks/galleries around the web.”)
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Behance Network CEO Scott Belsky, creator of the app, explains his vision. “Personal websites don’t adequately broadcast your work for discovery by industry peers and top companies and neither is it tied to your professional identity on the web. Plus, keeping your work samples up to date on multiple websites is inefficient, resulting in portfolios becoming outdated and forgotten.”
If showcasing creative work is integral to the success of your business model, get this app going ASAP.
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: ModelloMedia@gmail.com
Feel free to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers, or Brittney Grove. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.
You’re probably familiar with the basics of search engines and Google rankings…but did you know that LinkedIn lets you manipulate your profile information to achieve higher rank?
LinkedIn profiles rank high on Google organic search. If you want to influence ‘getting found’ on Google, an optimized LinkedIn profile will get you there.
Here’s how it’s done:
1. Create your public profile
2. Select Full View – very important
3. Create a ‘vanity’ URL…i.e., instead of the default URL, customize your profile with your name. For example, mine is www.LinkedIn.com/in/VictoriaIpri
4. Use this link in your email signature, on your web page, when you comment on a blog, and other places across the web to boost your visibility
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Along with optimizing your vanity URL, promote your website to Google and other search engines through the links right there on your profile page. You know that spot that says “My Website”? Don’t leave it that way! Edit the tag by clicking on ‘Edit’, then ‘Other’, then type in your actual website name so it appears on your profile page.
As well, if you have a blog, use the new blog App to link your blog posts to your profile page. Then be sure to add the URL of your blog in the additional available line back where you modified your website URL a second ago.
Ta Da! Instant Optimization!
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile is not difficult if you know what to do. We know what to do…so let us help you. Contact me, Victoria Ipri, at 800-614-4619, or email me at ModelloMedia@gmail.com to learn more about affordable, professional profile optimization that can bring stunning results.
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Ontogeny, Inc., a full service Internet marketing firm with an emphasis on copywriting and social media. She welcomes your questions and comments about optimizing your LinkedIn profile. Look around the Green Buzz Agency Blog for her other excellent articles on Linkedin.
Feel free to send an invite to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers, Brittney Grove, and Jennie Ryon. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.
