BrandLove, LLC

Before getting into the six ways to use LinkedIn to generate leads, let me say this: one of the keys to success with LinkedIn, as with all the other social networking platforms, is to use the site often especially when it comes to your profile. You’ll want to get yourself in the mindset to check in on and engage with LinkedIn on a daily basis, if not more often. It is hard to find the time, but in my experience, diligent use of the site will pay off, an incentive that likely makes up for the investment of your time and resources. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn if we’re not already connected.

I’ve spent some time scanning the Internet to find useful tips on ways to generate leads for your business using LinkedIn from several different sources. Read on to gain insights.

This is one of the more useful and under-utilized tools on LinkedIn. It’s a section where people who want to ask questions about business go to get advice. Just browse the current questions, whether you look at those posed by your network or narrow them down from one of LinkedIn’s recommended categories. When you find one that you can answer, go for it! What you’re hoping to achieve is to be selected as a “Best Answer.” When this happens, you’ll see a badge appear on your profile saying you’re an expert in a certain category. This will certainly open the door for others to contact you regarding prospective opportunities. 

2. LinkedIn Applications.

LinkedIn Applications allows you to add new and interesting apps that will enrich your profile, share and collaborate with your network and will overall improve the experience people have on your LinkedIn page. You can add your blog posts to your profile page, add what business books you’re reading or you can set up simple polls to find out what’s on the minds of your customers and prospects. Every application comes with easy steps to implement them.

3. Share content.

One of the keys to LinkedIn is remaining visible and active. Think of LinkedIn as a fast-moving information stream. Every time you make a connection, edit your profile, post content or participate in a group, you (and your profile) show up in LinkedIn’s stream. This is a mini-marketing message to your connections and the fact that you’re visible and active on the platform lets them know you’re serious about LinkedIn and it’s power. An easy way to maximize visibility is to share content on a daily basis (or even more frequently, if you can.) You probably consume a lot of content throughout the day, so why not share what you’re reading with your connections? If you want to highlight your expertise or skills, stick to sharing information that aligns with a particular industry or subject matter, and take time to write a couple of sentences that detail your thoughts on the piece when you post.

4. Groups

If you haven’t already joined LinkedIn Groups, consider this your wake-up call. You can join up to 50 groups. Take advantage of all 50. The trick here isn’t just joining the obvious groups in your industry—it’s joining groups that are outside your industry that might help you grow your business. When you post content to your LinkedIn profile, you can also specify that the link be shared to certain groups, which is a great way to cross-post to several different areas at once and gain exposure.  Think of groups as a smaller, more niche networking opportunity, but equally valuable in helping you maintain your LinkedIn visibility, expanding your reach and positioning yourself as a thought leader.

• If you’re not experienced participating in group conversations, spend a week or so chiming in on posts without linking to any of your own stuff. That way, you’ll get an idea of what’s acceptable and what isn’t prior to injecting your content.
• Pay attention to how many posts are made in each group. If it’s just a few per day, then you don’t want to leave posts for the group every day. If you go into the group and notice every other post is from you, then you’re posting too much.
• Start group conversations based on the premise of your blog posts while referencing them. *Warning – Do not come off as self-promotional. There is a “promotions” tab for that. Be sincere by requesting honest feedback or input on content.

If you’re heading to a sales or other business meeting or even an interview, it’s not a bad idea to spend a little bit of time doing some preliminary research. Look up the meeting attendees on LinkedIn to familiarize yourself with their backgrounds and work experience. You’ll also be able to see if you have any connections in common and, if so, name drop a mutual friend’s name as a conversation starter. Any time you can demonstrate that you’ve done your homework and have taken the time to get to know the people and the businesses with which you’re working, you make a far more effective impression.

6. LinkedIn Mobile.

Yes, LinkedIn has a mobile application. If your schedule is anything like mine, you’re constantly on the go—and you probably always have your smartphone in hand. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t maximize the LinkedIn mobile app to stay up-to-date with your profile and connections. You don’t necessarily have to be at your computer to update your profile, do a bit of research or find out what’s happening with your other connections. It all goes back to maintaining your visibility on the site, and the mobile app is a key and convenient tool when it comes to facilitating a steady stream of LinkedIn activity. 

Blogging can be tricky. Do you ever wonder if anyone out there is reading your posts, if it’s worth your time or if you’ll ever get advertisers, or sales or comments? The answer is… yes! But, it won’t happen overnight and there are many keys to success. I’ve spent some time scanning the Internet to find some useful tips on how to craft and promote a great blog from several different sources. Read on to gain insights.

1. Short, Catchy Headlines.

You have only a few seconds to help the reader decide whether they want to read your post or not so a headline that compels and teases the visitor to your blog or who sees your headline on a Tweet is a must in driving readership. List posts such as “10 Ways To..” or The 5 Top …” are always effective. These might seem redundant and overused but the fact remains they work.

“Your headline is the first, and perhaps only, impression you make on a prospective reader. Without a compelling promise that turns a browser into a reader, the rest of your words may as well not even exist.” —Copyblogger

2. Add Share Buttons.

Make it easy share your posts by adding share buttons at the top or bottom of the post for the major platforms where your audience is hanging out.

3. Promote Your Blog. 

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are important for bloggers not only in the “B2C” sectors but also for “B2B” industries. Posting your blog headline description and linking to your news feed is vital. The combination of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are where most of the planet is plugged into and making it easy for your ideas to spread is now essential not optional. Integrate your Facebook posts with Twitter by “connecting” both accounts. Your Facebook posts will automatically feed Twitter.  And, if you’re integrated with Twitter, and add #in after your Facebook posts, your posts will automatically post to LinkedIn as well.

4. Add Media.

Mix up your text posts with images, screen shots, graphs and online videos but remember to not make it too cluttered or overdo it.

5. Subscribing by RSS.

Make sure you are pushing your latest content out to those readers by having a “Subsrcibe by RSS” button.

6. Write About Industry News, Trends & Customer Pain Points.

Write about industry News – whats happening today, this week and this month. Read and develop content on industry trends – where is the industry going and what are the emerging hot segments. Finally, write posts that provide solutions for your customers problems

7. Feature Popular Posts.

Featured posts provide a guide for readers to quickly discover what your blog is about and why readers are turning up. It can also provide additional page views as they click through.

8. Make Your Content Scannable. 

Help your readers’ eyes by making your copy stand out. Here are some ways to do that:

• Lists: Lists with bullet points are easy to scan and read. Lists help you break up and organize your thoughts in way that is easy to comprehend. 
• Headings and Sub Headings: Large, bold words act as visual cues, and your eyes travel to them without even thinking about it. 
• Blockquotes: These help make main points stand out on the page. 

“Most people read online by scanning the page for individual words or phrases, headings and other visual cues. Studies have shown that reading from a screen is more tiring and therefore about 25% slower than reading from paper – hence scanning becomes a technique that most employ.” —ProBlogger  

I promise you if you just use some of these tips, you will be surprised by the increase in the traffic and the the interaction and engagement that results. Happy blogging!

If you are a novice Twitter user and have been wondering what the # symbol means, this post is for you. #Hashtags are simply text or key words and can be placed in the beginning, middle or end of a tweet and are integral to the Twitosphere*, helping users categorize trending topics. For example, using #ff or #followfriday** is a #hashtag. Just decide on the keyword you are targeting, place a pound sign in front of it, and you’ve created your first #hashtag.

Clicking on a #hashtag in a tweet shows you all the aggregated tweets on a topic from the Twitosphere.  This is a great way to search for people with common interests or in a job search. You can also use a third-party monitoring tool such as HootSuite to search for #hashtags. Just decide on the keyword you are targeting, place a pound sign in front of it, and you are all set! 

#Hashtags are created organically by Twitter users; some are used regularly and others come and go—like one created for a specific event.

*On Friday’s, using #followfriday or #ff in a tweet along with 1 or more @names means you recommend those people as worth following.

**Twitosphere means Twitter users from all over the world.

Cheat Sheet of #Hashtags.

To Find an Employer

These are the tags to plug into Twitter’s search engine to connect you with companies with openings.

• #hiring: Here it is, your No. 1 word to find a hiring company is … hiring.
• #tweetmyjobs: It’s a pretty clunky phrase, but #tweetmyjobs has been tagged nearly a million times, so include it in your search.
• #HR: The folks handling the headhunting for the company will be from human resources, so go straight to the source.
• #jobopening: Now we’re talking. This tag is almost exclusively used by people offering people work. Easy.
• #jobposting: “Jobposting” is another efficient tag to search, only it’s used a bit less than #jobopening.
• #employment: Often listed along with #jobs at the end of a tweet, #employment is a major keyword used by businesses in the market for talent.
• #opportunity: There will be some quotes and other tweets that don’t help you, but there will be plenty of hookups toemploymentopportunities.
• #recruiting: Search this hashtag to find not only employers that are hiring, but inside info on the recruiting techniques they’ll be using.
• #rtjobs: Many Twitter users are there helping you out by retweeting job openings they come across.
• #jobangels: The JobAngels are a volunteer group working to help unemployed people find jobs, and they have a strong presence on Twitter.
• #jobsearch: Sometimes this will be the only hashtag a hiring company will use, so be sure to make it one of your search terms.
• #joblisting: Attention! I’m a hiring employer and this is my way of telling you that I’ve got a job right here just waiting to be filled.

To Attract an Employer

Strut your stuff and get yourself out there with these hashtags to help employers find you.

• #hireme: Don’t beat around the bush. #Hireme is short, sweet, and to the point.
• #MBA: Have an MBA? Shout it out in a hashtag to direct employers to your top-shelf business acumen.
• #linkedin: If you’re unemployed, you’re no doubt already networking away on LinkedIn, so let them know you have a viewable profile.
• #profile: While you’re at it, go ahead and tag “profile” too, and couple it with #facebook, #linkedin, #monster, or any other place your details are posted on the internet.
• #unemployed: It’s what you are, so own it and let employers know you are totally available for engagement.
• #resume: If you’re tweeting about your resume posted online, be sure to hashtag it.
• #CV:Curriculum vitaeis basically a more fleshed-out résumé, but#resumeis nearly twice as popular. Use both to be safe.
• #needajob: Thousands of the unemployed have tacked this phrase onto the end of their tweets in the hopes an employer will stumble across it in a search.

To Find a Certain Type of Job

If you don’t want just any old job, try searching these hashtags for that special placement you have in mind.

• #freelance: This is a hugely popular tag used by job hunters who want to leave the option of part-time, freelance work open.
• #homebusiness: If you’re eyeing a job being self-employed, try searching this term for entrepreneurship ideas and tips.
• #greenjobs: Here’s one for the truly unselfish people who put the environment before employment.
• #dreamjob: If you aren’t sure what you want to do with your life, search this tag and get some ideas of what other people would do if they had their druthers.
• #hotjobs: Hot jobs call for a hot hashtag.
• #consulting: Another in the potentially temporary job category, #consulting is a nice tag to widen your net and earn some income.
• #consultant: It might seem silly to use two tags that say virtually the same thing, but those three letters might make the difference in connecting you with your new employer.

Environment, Social Justice and Human Rights.

• #humanrights: Use to discuss human rights or oppressive actions taken against individuals.
• #poverty: Use this to start or join a discussion about poverty.
• #hunger: Discuss subjects related to hunger.
• #aid: Discuss financial or humanitarian aid.
• #sustainability: Discuss topics related to sustainability.
• #health or #healthcare: For use with tweets related to health.
• #green: This popular hashtag relates to the green movement and, more broadly, environmentalism.
• #eco: This hashtag is focused on improving the environment

On a Lighter Note, Funny Hashtags.

• #MomQuotes: This hashtag was created by Jimmy Fallon for his “Late Night Hashtag” @LateNightJimmy bit on his show. Everything a typical mom would say categorized into one great hashtag.
• #GenericTweet: Simply pokes fun at those who tweet about nothing special (we’ve all done a boring generic tweet without realizing it.)
• #LessAmbitiousMovies: Think of a movie- then change its title to something less ambitious. It’s a fun little game to play with a group of friends as well.
• #TwoThingsThatDontMix: It’s simple- what two things just don’t work well together?
• #SoEmbarrassing: People sharing their embarrassing stories in less then 140 characters are always fun.
• #FailedChildrensBookTitles: Here is your chance to recast your favorite book in the worst possible way. 

Viral marketing is, without any doubt, the most effective marketing tool ever. It is social media’s ultimate measure of success and every marketer’s dream. Going “viral” means becoming so over-the-top popular that your content is being retweeted and shared by every Tom, Dick, Harry, Sally and Sue. Why isn’t everybody doing viral marketing then? Creating a successful viral marketing campaign is hard and it takes much trial and error. This infographic details a formula to a successful viral campaign and how to measure it. Good luck!

The older version of Facebook Insights did not deliver real-time data, so it could take up to two days to get analytics on a post. With the new Insights, sellers can now track how a post is doing within five to ten minutes after publishing, allowing them to immediately tweak their posts depending on how they are performing. Sellers can then immediately amplify the reach of well-performing posts by turning them into a premium ad or a sponsored story. Some other new or enhanced metrics include:

• People Talking About Engagement:This is the total number of people that have engaged in any way with your page, including users liking your page, commenting on or sharing a post from your page, or answering a question you’ve asked on your page. Sellers can use this to measure engagement with their brand across all Facebook activities and track the success of their programs beyond “likes” and clicks.
• Friends of Fans:This is the total number of friends all your fans have. Sellers can use this to track the growing (or declining) influence of their fan base. As the average goes up, so does the potential reach for a seller’s campaign or promotion.
• Reach:This is the total number of people who have seen content associated with your page. Understanding how far and wide messages are traveling will enable sellers to optimize their content to generate maximum reach.
• Virality:This is the percentage of people who saw a story from your Page as a result of their friend engaging with it or “talking about it”, such as a like or comment. Again, knowing what’s being shared can help sellers assess what is actually of interest to their fans and customers. 

Read the full article on Mashable by Christian Taylor, founder and CEO of Payvment and developer of the number one Facebook e-commerce platform for brands, agencies and merchants, and the world’s only Facebook Shopping Mall.

Humanizing your brand simply means trying to interact with each customer on a personal level with the ultimate goal of building relationships and a community of
brand advocates or “influencers.” I like to say, creating Brand Love! For a company to implement a human style, there needs to be a shift in how it responds to customers, particularly via social media. Here are 6 ways to help you become more “human” to those who use your brand and/or services.

1. Use your name. Putting a name on your blog posts, tweets or status updates shows your audience you’re not a robot or an automated stream of sales pitches and company news.
2. Post pictures on Facebook.  Let people see what the inside and outside of your office and the employees who work at your company look like in their working environment. Don’t just be words on a screen! Consumers love brands they can relate to—brands that feel accessible and human, that they can easily connect with. 
3. Retweet. If someone says something to you or about your company via Twitter, give them a shoutout. Say thank you. Send them a reply. People like to know that their being heard!
4. Be Present. If you’re going to create a social media presence, you need to engage within the community you’ve created. Those that don’t might be better off with no social presence at all. The reason: to be on social media but not present is a broken promise. 
5. Add Your Personality. You can be professional without being overly formal. Use your true voice! Being funny and using layman’s terms humanizes you.
6. Let Your Customer’s Shine. Nothing makes a customer feel better than being acknowledged — or better yet, honored — by a company. Find a way to give kudos to your loyal fans!