While LinkedIn might be the old dog in the Social Media race, it still remains as one of the most powerful tools in Business Building and Connecting online. Where Facebook might be getting all of the press, LinkedIn offers something that Facebook cannot – a “Business-Only” platform for building your brand, product, and personal profile.

Just one look at the statistics and it is apparent that LinkedIn must not be ignored, but should be embraced.

• LinkedIn has over 70 million members in over 200 countries.
• A little over half of them are from outside the US
• A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second
• 85% of them are online everyday
• Over 7 million are Business Decision Makers
• There were more than a billion people-searches through the site last year
• 50% of Fortune 100 companies hire through LinkedIn

4 Types of LinkedIn users

According to a great report by Anderson Analytics there are 4 types of LinkedIn users all with their own personalities and way of using the site.

1. “Savvy Networkers” (est. 9 million) are likely to have started using social networking earlier than others, are more tech savvy, and more likely to be active on other SNS sites like Facebook. Savvy Networkers have the most connections (61 on average) and are more likely than other segments to use LinkedIn for a wide variety of purposes other than job searching. Savvy Networkers have the second highest average personal income ($93,500) and may often have the word “Consultant” in their job description.

2. “Senior Executives” (est. 8.4 million) are somewhat less tech savvy and is using LinkedIn to connect to their existing corporate networks. They have power jobs which they are quite content with, and are likely to have been invited by a colleague and then realized how many key contacts were on the site and started building connections (32 on average). Senior Executives have the highest average personal income ($104,000) and have titles such as Owner, Partner, Executive, or Associate.

3. “Late Adopters” (est. 6.6 million) are likely to have received numerous requests from friends and co-workers before deciding to join. They are somewhat less tech savvy and are careful in how they use LinkedIn, tending to connect only to close friends and colleagues and have the fewest number of connections (23 on average). Late Adopters have the lowest average personal income ($88,000) and have titles such as Teacher, Medical Professional, Lawyer, or the word “Account” or “Assistant” in their job description.

4. “Exploring Options” (est. 6.1 million) may be working, but are open and looking for other job options often on CareerBuilder.com, perhaps in part because they have the lowest average personal income ($87,500). They are fairly tech savvy and use SNS for both corporate and personal interests.

With 70 million people on LinkedIn and tons of people actively using LinkedIn your profile needs to stand out.

9 Tips To Maximizing Your Exposure on LinkedIN.

1. HAVE AN SEO KEYWORD HEAVY PROFILE
There are over a billion people searches a year on LinkedIn. This means that most likely they are searching for keywords, different types of people, positions, and brands. Your profile should be rich in the keywords that relate to you. These keywords should be the ones that people want to find you by. They should range from broad to highly specific and targeted. A good place to put these besides your bio is in the “Specialties” category.

Think in terms of SEO here, content is King. The more keywords you have the better chances you have of being found. This goes for an internet search as well as a LinkedIn search. Beyond getting you more visibility on LinkedIN it will also get more click through traffic from the internet.

2. MAKE YOUR HEADLINE POP!
Your headline is the first thing that people may read so you want it to be catchy. For example, Social Media Guru, doesn’t really do the job because there are millions of people out there claiming to be one. Mini-Social Media Mogul on the other hand might grab the attention of more people. Lure them in with your headline and wow them with your expertise. Remember you only have 120 characters to lure them in…so think about it and make it standout!

Another tip – if you want to open yourself up to new ventures and opportunities is to add your email to your headline. As many people do not have the upgraded feature and thus won’t be able to email you through the LinkedIn service. I have seen many profiles do this, and when it comes to outreach on my side, it made my life much easier!

3. BE A BLOGGER!
Now you might be saying, what does a blog have to do with LinkedIn, and I will get to that in the next tip. But for now read on and see why blogging is so important.

Blogging is the key component to building and branding yourself as an expert. It also adds trust.  The more information you give, the more likely someone is to trust you.  I think everyone should have a blog or at the very least own their own domain with their name in it. – StephanieFrasco.com – for example. (That’s me).

Now you might be saying, blogging, ugh how am I supposed to find the time for that. While it might be time consuming, it is very important for your overall success and branding of your name. This could be a microblog or even blog clippings from other blogs relating to your industry and the news around it.

If you absolutely don’t have time to blog, buy your domain name and hire SEOARTICLEWRITINGPROS.com, They are an amazing company that produces great quality, keyword heavy work for very low prices. Like I said before, the blog is crucial.

4. OPTIMIZE THAT BLOG
So here is why that blog is important on LinkedIn. Once you have the blog set up, you can connect it to LinkedIn. Just as NetworkedBlogs autopublishes to facebook, LinkedIn has a similar application that allows you to autopublish to your profile. Everytime you publish a new blog it will be published into Linkedin. (To set it up go here.)

5. ADD OTHER APPLICATIONS TO YOUR BLOG
Like all Social Tools these days LinkedIn has added a lot of new applications to enhance your profile. They are there for a reason…USE THEM! Some of my favorites are:

A. Twitter Connection to LinkedIn
If you have looked at your LinkedIn homepage recently you will see the most recent updates from your connection’s twitter account. They have set this up by using the Twitter App. This is important to do because it means your name will be shown more often on news feeds and if the information is relevant new people will follow you and or the organization. This goes the same for Updating your status.

LinkedIn has recently added the Like & Comment feature Facebook uses as well, which will increase your visibility if people like and comment on your statuses.  (Of course follow me on twitter.)

B. Creative Porfolio
This is essential for anyone in the creative arena of work. Whether you are a designer, photographer, fashion stylist, makeup artist, costume designer, artist, or anyone who has a portfolio to share. Now this application is a joint venture with the Behance network, which if you are a designer or artist you are most likely already on this network, thus you can pull your work directly from there. If you are not already on the Behance network – sign up now!

This will allow people to browse your work and hopefully hire you! It saves time and lost opportunity as LinkedIn users can browse all the necessary aspects of who you are straight from your profile without getting lost in the sea of information out there.

C. My Travel (powered by TripIt.com)
This is a great application for business travelers and public speakers. Often times we have many contacts abroad and this application allows you show your trips planned. Perhaps if it works out you can meet up with contacts and actually build a relationship face to face!

This is also an application based on an online site called TripIt – if you have an account you can easily add your trips from your account or directly from the application on LinkedIn.

D. Google or Slideshare Presentation
Google and Slideshare presentations are a professional way to introduce yourself and your work. Add a presentation to your LinkedIn profile to showcase a recent talk or presentation, display a visual portfolio of your professional accomplishments, introduce yourself to recruiters and professional contacts viewing your profile.

E. Real Estate Pro
This is essential for Real Estate Agents and Brokers in both the commercial and residential spaces.
Real Estate Pro is the easiest way to stay informed about your local real estate and office space marketplace. Use it to find office space listings for lease and property for sale. Follow and connect with active brokers and professionals, track new property listings and see the latest deals in your market.

Real estate professionals: Use Real Estate Pro to feature property listings and promote client transactions on your Linkedin profile. Easily share your work and completed deals with your business connections, track your market, create a following, promote your expertise and develop new business.

Family Shoutout - If you are looking for commercial real estate in the Greater Los Angeles Area, do contact the one and only Bruce Frasco. He is my dad and a life long real estate professional.  Tell him I sent you and he will hook you up!  Frasco – style!  You can also reach him on LinkedIn.

6. BECOME A GROUP LEADER AND ENCOURAGE CONVERSATION
Make an interesting group that is relevant to your industry and invite your contacts. That is the easy part. Encouraging conversation, now that is the harder part. Talk about relevant news, introduce yourself and your company and keep the conversation flowing. By doing this, you and your profile will pop up all over the place. It will pop up in the group, in the email digest, and throughout the site. So even if you aren’t connected to certain group members personally, you are branding their name by sending out messages and discussions in the group.

6a. Join Other Groups that are related to your industry
SIMPLE ENOUGH! But you will also want to contribute relevant and interesting content. Post news, articles, share your blog, etc. Any conversation starting is a good thing!

7. ANSWER QUESTIONS IN THE Q&A SECTION
Being and expert is everything! Answering questions can help you achieve that status. Search for and answer relevant questions that will brand you as an expert. These will be seen by everyone and can be searched by anyone so this is a very important aspect.

TIP: Set up an RSS Feed for LinkedIN Questions, so that you can be notified of the related questions that interest the business or industry you are branding yourself in. This way you don’t have to waste time.

For more on Questions for Facebook See Here

8. TRANSLATE YOUR PROFILE INTO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
LinkedIn now has the option to translate your profile into different languages. This will help you get found by those in different countries. It might be a good idea to translate to a language of the country you do a lot of business in to build your presence there. It is simple to use and will expose you to a whole new audience!

9. USE A VANITY URL
If you haven’t done so already, claim your own LinkedIn vanity URL, to solidify your own professional brand. In a world where everything is searchable…You need to own YOUR search.

You can get your vanity url here

Of course don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn here!

Do you have any tips for LinkedIn? What are they and how do you use LinkedIn?

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Social Media Marketing :: The Value Lies Within Those Involved

In the game of Marketing, especially word-of-mouth and peer-to-peer marketing, testimonials and endorsements have always stood as the most valuable type of messaging out there. There is no doubt that when you hear an appraisal of a product from a friend, family member, colleague or anyone else close to you, your trust level of the product will increase. As humans, and as consumers a recommendation goes a long way. In fact, that basis is foundation of my business in Social Media Marketing. My goal is to get people talking about a product, and hopefully in a good way.

However, recently the FTC has come out with some new rules about endorsements that will forever change the way we as marketers, advertisers and business owners, can play the game. The FTC’s has updated its “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising,” which address endorsements by consumers, experts, organizations, and celebrities, as well as the disclosure of important connections between advertisers and endorsers.

Some of these rules include:
1. Bloggers are now required to indicate the existence of any financial relationship when they are writing about a product.
2. Celebrities have a duty to disclose their relationships with advertisers when making endorsements outside the context of traditional ads, such as on talk shows or in social media.
3. Endorsements on your website should only be from current clients or customers
4. You may be liable for marketing done by affiliates selling your product

While at first glance it looks as if the FTC has a strong hold on what you sell and how you brand it in the marketplace. You may be thinking, how do I get around this new rule and keep your product “word-of-mouth” friendly and keep the endorsements updated, fresh and from current clients or customers? Consider Nils Andres for example.

Where the rules might have changed for your own website, the new FTC regulation makes the case for having a presence in Social Media even stronger.

Why Use Social Media for Endorsements?
Social Media is a place for clients, consumers, and customers to talk in an open forum. It gives the consumer the power to endorse freely without the constraints of the product. How can you make sure you are not liable for the endorsements?

Step 1….Make a Facebook Fan Page. (If you need help with this, my company, SocialMediaPlans, will handle this for you)
Step 2…Build your fan base. (Again, if you need help with this, SocialMediaPlans, is your go to destination)
Step 3…Encourage your fans to endorse your product.

CASE STUDY

Last week, a company I help, SEO ARTICLE WRITING PROS, a company that specializes in creating content all things internet marketing, came to me asking me about the new rules and regulations. They wanted to build their presence on Facebook and since they were brand new to the Facebook Fan Page game, they wanted content on their page so new clients and customers could see that they had a following and they would be trusted.

How did we do this?
Step 1. Create a fan page. (SEE HERE)
Step 2. Come up with a strategy that would entice people to write on their fan page. In this particular instance we used a contest.
SEO Article Writing Pros agreed to give away $100 of free content to a member of the fan page. To be entered all you had to do was Join the Fan Page and write a short greeting on the wall. (With contests, the easier the entry level, the more entries you will receive, so for the short-term goal of getting content and endorsements on the page, this contest was an easy solution.)

The contest was a big hit for the current fans as well as a way to gain new fans through facebook marketing. (A general rule of Facebook marketing is getting your name on people’s homepage and profile. Likes and comments are a Facebook marketers best friend!)

In one week SEO ARTICLE WRITING PROS gained 100 new fans without spending $1 dollar in advertising. In addition, they also received 62 wall posts, which means they have 62 new endorsements! 62 new endorsements that the FTC can not complain about because they were written by the people themselves as User-Generated Content.

Fans offered up their opinions, praises, and regards at their own will. Whether they did it to win or whether they did it to voice their opinion makes no difference. The fact of the matter is that consumers on Social Media are willing to offer up their voice and as a marketer, business owner, you should take advantage of that.

Lastly, you can also use the fan page badge as a way to show the endorsements received on facebook on your own website. (The picture below is a screen grab of the fan page badge that I have on my website SocialMediaPlans.com)

Besides the reasons listed above, a fan page is also important because it spreads your visibility, as your page will be indexed and searchable on Google, Bing, and other search engines as well as Facebook.

• You can have an unlimited number of fans, unlike your profile page which only allows you to have 5,000.
• When people add your page, comment, or like something you have posted it will show up on their feed which filters out to their friends and network for increased virility.
• You can establish your brand further
• You can create exclusive deals, offers and content
• You can use it as a forum for customer support and/or praise
• You can use it as market research into your brand at a low cost.

If you like what you have read and what you have seen, make sure you go ahead and fan this innovative company! And of course you can become a fan of SocialMediaPlans while you are at it.

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1. How To Optimize Your Blog On Facebook – Networked Blogs
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I just can’t get enough of the Holiday Marketing Buzz.   Check out my newest podcast on The Intersections of SEO & SMO with Jason Clegg.

• Affiliate Marketing for the holidays
• Top SEO strategy for last-minute holiday marketing
• What online retailers and offline stores can be doing to drive traffic and sales during Online Shopping Season.
• How Peter Shankman’s “HARO’s List” can help with social promotions
• And much more!

Listen Here

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2. The Intersection of SMO & SEO – Social Advertising
3. How to Brand Yourself As An Expert and Get More Business with Facebook Questions

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There is a powerful relationship between Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Marketing Campaigns.  According to this article, some 34% of social media site users who are exposed to a particular advertisement are taking their curiosity to a search engine like Google, Yahoo, or Bing to find out more about it.

This is supports my case for my love of Social Ads and gives more reason that all businesses should have at least a simple Social Media Marketing strategy for themselves or for their business.

PROS
1.  Cost Effective For Business
Since you can pinpoint target who you want to see this ad, the exposure is not as large as you would get on a search engine, but it is much more direct.  Since there is less demand for the keywords the cost per click is also lower than on a traditional search engine.  Low Cost with High Brand Recognition = WIN!

HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE:
Use a CPC campaign on Facebook.  In this case you are paying only for those who click on your ad.  With a well branded ad (that includes your logo) hopefully you can take that 34% who remembered your ad then searched for more information, as a bonus freebie!  (assuming that your search engine strategy is in place)

For a $90 campaign ($20/day), the ad gathered 455,280 impressions.  Each click on average cost only 69 cents.

With that same budget ($20/day) and similar keywords you are paying much more for a click.

You can listen to what else I have to say about the Intersection of SMO and SEO on the SEOSMOPodcast with Jason Clegg and good friend and “in-house” twitter expert, Marlooz.

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