Category: Networking

Article Contributed by Kristina Jaramillo

1) The press release generated publicity can provide you with instant credibility with your LinkedIn profile visitors.

For example my client Sara LaForest’s headline reads like this: “Top Management Consultant Featured in Business Week, Fast Company & WomenEntrepreneur.com – Connect and Find Out Why”. This shows readers immediately why they should trust her and why they should trust what she has to say.

Here are some of the other ways you can highlight your publicity on your LinkedIn profile:

Create a quoted media positions
Showcase your media mentions within your summary
Add the publications section to your LinkedIn profile
Create a media kit on your LinkedIn profile using Box.net

2) Showcasing your press release generated publicity will prove to journalists that you are media worthy.

On LinkedIn you should be looking to connect with journalists, editors, online radio show hosts and other media professionals.  Now for those media professionals to accept your invitation, you have to prove you are credible and newsworthy.  When your press release is published by a top publication, you have completed half the battle because you have given yourself expert status. Now, you just have to build a relationship with the media professionals you connect with and show them that your information is relevant to their audience.

3) Use press releases to promote your LinkedIn group and community.

We recently created and distributed a press release that promoted Skip Weisman’s Workplace Communication Strategies group – and it was published on CNBC.com. This helped him:

Increase his LinkedIn group membership by making more people aware of his group.

Give him a reason to re-announce his group again to his email list as well as any LinkedIn connection that were not already members of his group. Any time you have a success, you should be letting your connections know.

Give new connections a reason to join his LinkedIn group when we sent out group invites.

4) Your press release placements can position you as a thought leader in your LinkedIn group – and those other groups you belong to.

I like to create discussions around a topic and link the discussion to a press release or article I’ve written that gives more information on the topic and is featured on a top website. This automatically gives me a third party endorsement which offers more credibility than if the information was just placed on my own website or blog.

5) Use your press release placement as a springboard for discussions.

For example, I distributed a press release titled “More Journalist on LinkedIn Than Any Other Social Network, Study Shows”. I then created this discussion within LinkedIn group:  “How are you using LinkedIn to get you more publicity?

In the LinkedIn discussion summary I put “In the press release below, I reveal that 82% of journalist are on LinkedIn and that is more than any other social network.  So now I am asking you, how are using LinkedIn to build and maintain relationships with media professionals to get you more publicity?”

I then linked the discussion to my press release on Yahoo News.

This helped me:

Get more exposure for my press release

Create a discussion among publicity professionals as they provided their insights. I then responded to their feedback with other ideas and explained to them how I can help them with their LinkedIn publicity efforts

Start a discussion among small business owners and other business professionals who wanted to learn how to get more publicity by using LinkedIn

6) Getting published or featured all over the Web on top websites and blogs will give you access to more people who will want to connect with you on LinkedIn.

You will have people coming to you seeking your advice.  They will see your press release and then look you up on LinkedIn wanting to connect with you.  For example, as I was writing this article, I received an invitation to connect that said, “Hi Kristina, I just read your tips in Canadian Advisor’s Edge Magazine – I’d like to connect with you and learn more.”

Your Next Steps

Now that I have shown you how online press release distribution can help you with your LinkedIn marketing efforts, it’s time you take action and start writing your press releases. If you need help, check our my Instant Press Release Templates at http://www.40InstantPressReleaseTemplates.com

About the Author:

LinkedIn marketing expert Kristina Jaramillo helps small businesses and organizations get more publicity, prospects and profits using effective LinkedIn. Now, at http://www.HowtoGetMorePublicitywithLinkedIn.com, you can gain full access to her FREE 14-Day LinkedIn Publicity E-course that shows you how to create an expert LinkedIn profile the media will love, how to build relationships with the media plus sneaky ways to get more PR using LinkedIn.

Article Contributed By Suzen Pettit

If kids, soon-to-be-adults and millions of not-so-young adults are your future audience, then you need to have a Facebook Business Page as you need to be where your audience is. And, today, our children, teens, young adults and even older adults like my former room mates and my ex (who deny they are addicted to Facebook) can be found updating their profile, commenting and changing their status updates regularly.

The New York Times even wrote an article recently that showed kids are finding crafty ways to get around the increasing number of Facebook bans their schools are implementing. One eighth grader, who preferred not to be named, said he coached a school administrator on avoiding the ban last year. “She hated not being able to get on Facebook at work and asked for my help one day in the office,” the boy explained, more than a little sympathetic to her plight. “What could I do?”

It came as no surprise to me, and it’s speaking volumes of the need for small businesses, as much as they want to continue down that stream of FB Denial, to get on board and create a Facebook business page. It is time
for them to put themselves in front of this next generation of Facebook addicts.

Need more proof?

5 Reasons Why You Must Setup a Facebook Fan Page Fast!

1)  Kids, soon adults, and millions of young and not-so-young adults are your future audience and they are all there, “friending” Justin Bieber under their covers (like my daughter last night) when they should be asleep.

2)  With over 600 million users and almost 50% of them on Facebook daily…. stop…. think about it….., AND over 40% of existing businesses already up and running on it, you want your business to be where your customers and potential customers are going, right? If you knew that your customers were passing by one of the huge billboards in Times
Square every day and those billboards didn’t cost millions per month to be advertising there, you would want to be up there…wouldn’t you?

3)  Your Facebook business page is like the huge billboard in Times Square  except for the fact that it’s free. Your customers are there, their friends are there. And you can say a heck of a lot more on a FB page than you can on a billboard.

4)  The search engines love a Facebook Business Page. Because a business page is a public URL and not a private one, your site will have a much easier time making it to the top of a Google search than your website. That’s unless you’ve invested a lot of $ into SEO (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

5)  As mentioned earlier, your competition already has a Facebook business page, and not because they want to share about their favorite rice and beans recipe. The “like” button has become the new “link.” Many online marketers, myself included now believe that the Facebook “like” button is becoming just as significant as backlinks to a website. In other words, the more “likes” your page has, the greater the chance of it ranking high in the search engines for your specific field and keywords. So think of it as a link and encourage your customers to press it. Every time you update something on your page these customers will now see it as they have been “linked” to it.

There are so many good reasons to create one of these Facebook business pages I could blather on and on about them forever. For now, think about the math. The average Facebook page has 140 friends. When you post to Facebook, your “friends” and all their “friends” will view your post. Can you spell V-I-R-A-L? As insane as it might sound, there’s a reason why Shop Rite wants you to “like” them on Facebook.

About the Author:

Suzen Pettit specializes in designing, building, marketing and maintaining optimized websites and social media profiles for busy small business owners. By using her strategic internet marketing techniques you will ensure your business is being found and that clients are seeing what YOU want them to see on the internet about you. For even more free tips, tools, strategies and resources, read her free articles at: http://www.omaginarium.com/blog/

Article Contributed by Kristina Jaramillo

When you take control of your social media interactions on LinkedIn you will build, develop and have command over your own community.

For example, when Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber and I created and launched our Instant LinkedIn Marketing Templates we:

1. Reached out to our LinkedIn Group members.  Eric has over 800 people in his group alone, which is a target rich environment for us to get more sales.

2. We created articles that demonstrated ways LinkedIn should be used to generate more profits for you.  We created articles that showed top mistakes people are making on their LinkedIn profiles.  At the end of all these articles we added a call to action to grab our Instant LinkedIn Marketing Templates.
3. We used a simple learn, lurk and link strategy to capture other prospects that belong to other groups.  Some of these groups have more than 25,000 members.  I cannot tell you how many times we saw an order that had “LinkedIn Group” as the answer to: “Where did you hear about us?”

Here’s My Simple Learn, Lurk & Link Strategy Explained in Detail

1. Learn – Before you can create content that your LinkedIn prospects can connect to you must uncover what challenges they are facing, the latest thinking, mistakes that are being made and what questions are being left unanswered.  The best way to achieve this is to be where your prospects are. That means you should join the LinkedIn groups your prospects belong to.  Then move onto the next step.

2. Lurk – Go to the group and view the discussions. Look what kinds of questions are being asked within the group.  See what kind of content is being created and distributed.  Check out the different debates that occurring, this way you can see other points of views.  This is one of the best ways to see the latest thinking and philosophies.  Then find out how you can add value to the conversations by revealing information that has not been said before.  Offer a new twist or insight on a popular topic.  This will make people want to listen to what you have to say and learn more about what you have to offer.

3. Link – The final step is linking to these prospects.  Invite people to connect that have commented on your articles, posts or previous comments.  Reach out to prospects by asking them questions and inviting them to join the conversation.  The point of this is to get people to like what you have to say so they will view your website, buy your products, use your services, ask for your advice and so on. When you can show that you are an expert in your field others will listen.

Now try my learn, lurk and link strategies with your LinkedIn marketing and see if you can get results like Help My Website Founder Adam Hommey who received 150 new

subscribers, four new coaching clients, $6,259 in immediate profits and two media interviews!  After receiving these results here is what Adam had to say:

“Leveraging the full power of LinkedIn® has been the secret ingredient that has taken me further during the last couple of months toward achieving “authority” status as a website conversions expert than I moved in three years PRIOR.”

Now are you ready to learn, lurk and link?

About the Author:

LinkedIn marketing Expert Kristina Jaramillo, the creator of the first LinkedIn marketing templates at http://www.InstantLinkedInMarketingTemplates.com helps business professionals network more effectively on LinkedIn so they can get more website traffic, prospects and profits. Now, with her free special report, you can uncover how you can become “the trusted source for your industry on LinkedIn” by avoiding her top 14 mistakes. Get this information for free at: http://www.GetLinkedInHelp.com

Dear Ms. Social Networking Manners,

I’m a professional athlete who sometimes gets bored off the field. There’s only so much television you can watch, so that’s why I like to hop on Twitter. I especially like to do this when I’m really angry about something. But I’ve discovered I get a big backlash when I do this. I’ve blamed the Mad Twitter Hacker, but the problem is no one believes there is a Mad Twitter Hacker and they still get mad at me. I don’t get it — nobody is really reading Twitter anyway, right?

Any professional athlete, any city

Dear Any Athlete,

Ah yes, it may come as a big surprise to you, but people actually do read tweets. And (brace yourself) they also read what you post on Facebook, Linked In, your blog, etc.

I know it can sometimes feel like you’re just typing away and no one is paying any attention, but that just isn’t true. People ARE reading, even if they don’t always comment. And let’s not forget what you put out there in the Internet Universe tends to stay out there.

Ms. Social Networking Manners also suggests that when you’re angry, you may want to count to ten BEFORE you tweet or post on Facebook. That little tidbit works nicely regardless if you’re face-to-face with someone or over social networking. And it’s just good manners.

Dear Ms. Social Networking Manners,

I’m a politician who recently got caught sending naughty pictures of myself through the Twitter Direct Message. Apparently the Direct Message wasn’t private, it showed up on the public stream. I blamed the Mad Twitter Hacker, but I still ended up resigning because no one believed me. I don’t get it, Twitter DMs are supposed to be private. Should I sue Twitter for ruining my career?

A.W. New York

Dear Mr. W,

I realize it’s a sad state of affairs when you can’t trust that Twitter DMs remain private but unfortunately you get what you pay for. And what exactly have you paid for Twitter?

I rest my case.

It’s always wise to keep in mind when you’re using social networking platforms, you are playing in someone else’s sandbox. Which means their rules apply. And since your financial investment in these social networking platforms is roughly zero, you really don’t have much of a leg to stand on when things go awry.

And, it bears repeating that nothing on those social networking platforms should be considered private. Even direct messages or direct emails. If it’s not something you would mind your mother, your children, your boss, your clients, etc. seeing, you probably shouldn’t be stating it on any of those platforms.

Dear Ms. Social Networking Manners,

I work for a professional sports team and I was very upset about a trade they made. So I went on my Facebook account and posted that my sports team sucked. The next day I was fired. That wasn’t fair, was it?

Unemployed and unhappy sports fan, Pennsylvania

Dear Unemployed,

Alas, my mailbag is full of stories like yours. From the “Fatty Cisco Paycheck” debacle to the consultant who dissed the headquarters of his client’s hometown, there seems to be no end to people who post seemingly innocuous Tweets and Facebook updates only to be fired or forced to resign.

As stated above, if you’re not comfortable with the world reading whatever you posted, then you probably shouldn’t post it. And if you ARE caught, then all you need to do is blame the Mad Twitter Hacker.

Article Contributed by Kristina Jaramillo

I spend hundreds of hours on LinkedIn every month researching, testing, tweaking and seeing what works and what doesn’t – and that’s on top of the hours I spend marketing my business and my clients’ businesses on LinkedIn.  So in a week’s time I view thousands of different professional profiles.

I see people who write there profile in 1^st person. Others will write in 3^rd person. Even the LinkedIn marketing experts say different things when it comes to whether or not you should write your LinkedIn profile summary in first person or third person

So, today with this article, I am putting the debate to rest. I’m giving you the definitive answer to whether you should write your profile in 1^st person or 3^rd person – along with the reasons why.

7 Reasons to Put Your LinkedIn Profile in 1^st Person And Not 3^rd Person.

Reason #1:

When you write your LinkedIn profile in 3^rd person it reads like a boring a resume and seems very technical. Or, it can sound like you are writing a biography which is not very personal or interesting.   It does not give the reader a true idea of who you are as a business person, thought leader or individual.

Reason #2:

When you write your LinkedIn profile in 1^st person it says to the reader that “I have character and confidence in my abilities. I’m willing to tell you in my own voice.”   It tells the reader that you actually wrote your profile on your own words and took the time to personalize it.

Here is an example from one of my clients, Dan Janal, who took the time to pay attention to detail when writing his profile:

Imagine being featured on the front page of USA TODAY — and then being able to double your speaking fees immediately just like PR LEADS client Patrick Snow of Creating Your Own Destiny. Imagine the website traffic and sales you can generate if only you can find a way to get more publicity so you can speak to millions for free!

Now, small business owners, solo PR firms, speakers, authors and entrepreneurs can get name-brand publicity tools and publicity coaching they can afford. I’m talking about the same top-tier publicity tools that major corporations use to get mega media placements – but you can get it at a fraction of their cost.

For example, my PRLEADS.com service puts you in touch with reporters who are writing articles and need to find expert sources like you! We’re talking journalists from big name publications and media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Redbook.

You can read Dan’s entire profile at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/danjanal

Reason #3:

When you write your LinkedIn profile in 3^rd person you create an automatic disconnect. It’s too distant and pompous. And, it automatically makes me think of the back cover bio of an author in a book.

Let me show you what I mean.  Here is a real example of someone’s LinkedIn profile summary – the name has been changed to protect the guilty:

Chris Baton is an attorney who specializes in immigration law. A large percentage of his practice is focused on immigration trials and appeals.

Chris was the former chairperson for the American Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Division, Immigration Law Committee. Throughout his career, he has served on many local, state, and federal government boards and commissions. He speaks professionally on a variety of immigration and political issues.

Many of the profiles are done this way because the user has copied a biography from their website or another source where 3rd party format is more common. This shows me that you did not put any thought or time in to creating an effective LinkedIn profile.  You need to show viewers that you care enough to connect with them on a personal level.

Reason #4:

LinkedIn is a virtual networking platform for business professionals who want to do more business. It is the first step in building a relationship with someone. You wouldn’t introduce yourself in the third person if you met someone at a networking event. – would you?  Then why would you introduce yourself on your profile in 3^rd person when writing in first person gives you a more genuine and personal touch.

Reason #5:

Your profile should be more about the reader than you. It should provide as much value as possible to the reader and it should be used to create discussions and conversations about you, your company, your products and how you can benefit others.  It should be focused on what will or can be provided to the reader should they engage with you. Your profile is a “marketing piece” not a resume. And, marketing pieces are in 1^st person!

Reason #6:

It’s YOUR profile. You are not a reporter writing a story about somebody. Nor are you putting together a press release. You have to personalize your profile to enable a reader or prospect to relate to you.  Writing in first person gives the other person more confidence and trust in you. You are telling your own story.  You need to write your Linkedin profile for the audience MOST LIKELY to read it. Remember, you write to be read.

Reason #7:

You want to sound like you are speaking directly to someone, face-to-face, and telling them a story about your background and how they can benefit from your expertise.  By writing in first person you are able to show your true character as a person and business owner.

Remember when writing your LinkedIn profile to personalize it by writing in the 1^st person.  Show your audience that you are just like them.

Now, do you still think you should be writing your LinkedIn profile summary and experience sections in 3^rd person?

About the Author:

LinkedIn marketing Expert Kristina Jaramillo, the creator of the first LinkedIn marketing templates at http://www.InstantLinkedInMarketingTemplates.com helps business professionals network more effectively on LinkedIn so they can get more website traffic, prospects and profits. Now, with her free special report, you can uncover how you can become “the trusted source for your industry on LinkedIn” by avoiding her top 14 mistakes. Get this information for free at: http://www.GetLinkedInHelp.com