by Alice Heiman on May 17, 2012
Would you attend a networking event with a bag over your head? Of course not. But people do it all the time.
This was the analogy I used this week while running an online training for a client. It got a good laugh. But the more I thought about it the more it is exactly right. Why would anyone put up a profile on a networking site without their photo?
I am an early adopter of technology and social media; I have been using LinkedIn for a long time. LinkedIn has over 100 million users and has been around for about 10 years so it is a bit difficult for me to believe that so many people still haven’t caught on. It’s not for everybody, but if you are in most businesses it is a powerful tool to help you find resources, employees, funding, people to collaborate with and customers. Why not be on LinkedIn?
I am not a social media expert and I don’t bill myself as one, but I do use it and I do get results. I find myself constantly having to convince people as to why they should use social media. I will tell you this, it is time consuming, especially at first when you are learning and then if you really want to get results you must have a plan and follow through.
For LinkedIn, I am still learning. I post mostly myself, but my intern does put up the events. I answer all the connection requests and almost always send a personal note in return with some LinkedIn tips. If I don’t know the person, I research them and decide about connecting. If I choose to connect I start to build a relationship and work to add value.
I don’t want to be connected to people I don’t know, because those connections aren’t useful. My friend Caryn asked me to make an introduction the other day to someone I was connected to on LinkedIn. I looked her up and had to tell Caryn that I didn’t know her or the person I was connected to her through. I told her I would be happy to write a compelling note and send the request on anyway. Well, it didn’t work. I didn’t expect it to, why would anyone introduce someone they don’t know and can’t vouch for. For all they know you are just trying to sell them something.
I spend a lot of time networking online and off. It is my best lead source next to referrals. Sales takes time. I like to keep my funnel full and networking helps me do that.
P.S. If you still don’t know why you should use LinkedIn or how to use it to get connected to get results, join me on May 24th for my webinar; I’m on LinkedIn, Now What?
by Alice Heiman on May 1, 2012
Written by Kristin Stith, MBA intern. This article was originally posted on www.kristinmstith.com.
I have been researching a lot of businesses in the area, and their use of social media. I have met some wonderful business owners and I seen some stellar displays of brands upon Facebook. However, I have also come across many business pages that are…well… perhaps, misinformed. Here is my top-10 list of things businesses are doing wrong on Facebook.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work!”-Thomas Edison
- Using a personal page as a business page- This is probably the biggest faux pas I have seen. If you are a business or an organization, you need to create a business page- not a personal. It is a Facebook violation, and they have every right to delete your page if you are caught.
- Shouting!- Put the megaphone down and stop making announcements. Keep your content 20% about you, and 80% about your fans. Thinkinbound…Offer content which allows for your fans to respond and interact.
- Over-posting- If you are posting more than 2 times a day, this can
get a bit “spammy.” If you post too much, people will tune you out. It’s important to stay consistent, but don’t post too often.
- Selling- There is a time and a place, but not here. Facebook is not for sales. If you try to sell to people, you will have zero fans. Let your page be a space for your customers to interact with your brand and create an online community.
- Self promoting on other pages- If you worked for Coke, would you set up a booth inside of Pepsi and sell Sprite? No. Don’t utilize someone else’s space to advertise your business, unless it has been requested.
- Forgetting a social media policy- This is something that is frequently overlooked. If your business is being represented on Facebook it is important to implement policy and procedures so that your business is not misrepresented.
- Deleting complaints- Social media for your business can be great, but it can get difficult when it comes to dealing with complaints. It will happen. Rather than deleting these complaints from your timeline, DEAL WITH THEM!
- Neglecting to interact with fans- If your fans are asking questions and making comments, respond to them! You will soon lose their attention if you ignore them.
- Not posting current info- If I scope out a business’s Facebook, and their last post was weeks ago- I will move on. It’s important to keep your page updated.
- Not having a Facebook page at all- Why wouldn’t you want to hang out where all of your customers are gathering? There’s a big, very big, conversation occurring on Facebook, I highly recommend joining it.
