The newly changed and redone background was customized by a combination of information. We cannot disclose the methods to the madness, but now that the method has been proven to be effective, we will explore and implement other changes later down the road. Digital Blasphemy was the source for the background change.
The minute we stop changing is the minute that we fall behind. Adapting is a very important ability to have. Most of us don’t like changes. We get comfortable and when we find things has changed, we tend to panic because we have become used to the way things were. Life is short, change is good, until the end of time. Tupac was one who understood that resisting change would eventually cause society to eventually accept change. This sign below is not directed at Barack Obama, but the United States is ranked #24 on the list of LEAST corrupt nations, while Hong Kong and Qatar are higher on the list. Does that not say something about the U.S.? The United States of America has seen better days. Long gone are the peace love and happiness of the 70s. Long gone is the rock and roll musical revolution of the 80s. Long gone is the Technology gold rush of the 90s. After Y2K, everything went downhill in a slippery slope, unstoppable like an avalanche. The problem is that people don’t like change, and THIS is what happens, when you don’t change, you end up looking like this:
LinkedIn profiles are our one and only place to build connections and a network around our experience. Sure, other social media platforms give us an opportunity for us to talk about our experience but our LinkedIn profile allow us to showcase our capabilities without having to repeat numerous times.
The LinkedIn blue box is what is seen first when your profile is clicked. Your name, headline, location and industry are displayed at the top. Thereafter, the information displayed is what makes networkers want to connect with you or move on to someone else. The items displayed beneath this basic information is some of the most important as people want to know what you bring to their network – whether that be an alumni connection, a job connection or shared information.
8 Tips to Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile
1. Status Updates. Your status update is displayed immediately beneath your basic information. Status updates have become increasingly popular with the LinkedIn integration with Twitter. Automating posts from twitter to post on LinkedIn has been used extensively but not widely accepted. Different audiences. Your LinkedIn status is business and not what you ate for dinner, where you went or how your children are destroying the house. Be selective on what you share in your status but be sure to update at least 1x per day to show that you are an active networker.
2. Current Employer. Your current employment is what stands out when people are looking for people within their industry to connect with, are looking for a referral to do business with OR want to cross check your resume. Your most recent experience needs to match your headline and summary. If you are job seeking your opening paragraph of your summary will reflect that however the body should match your career aspirations and your experience.
3. Past Employment. Your past employment is where some get queasy. A position that you only held for a few months or admitting that you worked for a company that was an “in-between” job is never pleasant however long gaps are almost worse. Adding your previous employment for 5 to 10 years (up to 10 years only if it relates to longevity in a field) not only shows that you are employable but that you are eager to work (also can show that you jump around). This is also a great way to connect with coworkers that you have lost touch with. Also, remember, beneath the blue box you can add information about each position you held and your role in the company. Suddenly that “in between” job may have a whole lot more meaning than just paying the rent.
4. Education. Your education in the blue box is not much more than where you attended. This is pretty much letting people know that you did further your education and also for an alumni connection. Beneath the blue box allows you to expand upon your your degree, years of attendance, additional information about the school and activities you participated in.
5. Recommendations. Your recommendations are highly regarded as people want to see that you are well liked, trusted and respected within your industry. When seeking employment or trying to build a business, your recommendations are taken into consideration as if you have performed well for others, then you will perform well for them. The question always arises as to whether ask for the recommendation or to wait for it to be provided. This is never an easy question as some do not think to give a recommendation as they are either not as active on LinkedIn or are unsure as to what to say. Best practice is to consider the person that you would be asking. Have they freely given out recommendations with out being asked or from your experience with them, do they need that nudge?
6. Websites. Websites is set to the default of my website, my company, my blog, my RSS, my portfolio and other. The option of other allows you to add your actual company name for the website and the name of your blog. A common mistake made by many is not changing the default. Changing the default to Other and customizing your links not only introduces the names but also provides a familiarity to them.
7. Twitter. Since the development of the app and the integration with Twitter, you can add your Twitter account as a separate line item. Cross connecting is always encouraged however cross posting, as discussed above, is not always welcomed and generally warrants a “hide” of your profile. Why? People share items that are now always LinkedIn worthy. Best bet is to set your LinkedIn Twitter to “Share only tweets that contain #li”. This way you can hashtag your tweets of an article, a quote, etc to be posted on your status.
8. Public Profile. Your public profile is customizable to your name or something of the like should your name be a common one. This is another common mistake that people make by not creating a custom profile. Your custom profile does not contain a series of. For example, your custom profile would be: www.linkedin.com/in/yournamehere and not www.linkedin.com/pub/name/seriesofnumbers. To customize, simply click edit and create your profile name when prompted.
The LinkedIn blue box does pack a powerful punch as before connecting, this is the main exposure people have to you and base their decision to connect from this initial information. If your profile blue box snippet peaks their interest, they will scroll down to review your summary, expanded work history and education. If not, they move on. LinkedIn CEO’s contact information is one of the most sought after executives.
Your LinkedIn profile is your online voice as it describes your professional experience, tells why you are there and what you can offer to the community. This is the one platform where you as an individual are the focus and self promotion is expected. Two of the most important aspects of your profile are your photo as people want to see who they are connecting with and also your summary.
Writing a Killer Summary
Your summary is what is searched and also skimmed. Yes, skimmed. People take a quick once over and will continue on unless they find something in your summary that compels them to want to connect and learn more.
Tip: Write in the first person. It is you, your profile so avoid speaking in any other person than first.
1. Opening Paragraph. Your first is what is skimmed first. Make it powerful. Your first paragraph needs to tell why you are there. Are you seeking employment? Are you a consultant who can help small businesses or are you there just to network and learn from others? Say that.
Ex: I am seeking a full time position in Social Media, specifically as a Social Media Manager or Director of Community, with a small to mid-sized company who is looking to increase their online presence through a comprehensive social media marketing strategy.
There is no question as to why you are active on LinkedIn. Connections and Employers will have a clear understanding what you are looking for and how they can help you.
2. Middle Paragraph(s).The middle paragraphs are where you delve into what you currently are doing as well as your previous positions and how they relate to your current skills and what you are seeking now. Be sure to use keywords and core industry phrases as these will appear in search results. If you education is relevant to what you are seeking, add that (if not, skip it as it is prominently placed above the summary in the blue box).
If you are a consultant here is where you would discuss what type of work you do most (ie SM consultant broken down further to blog consultant, community builder, etc), what types of clients you would be looking for (ie small businesses) and be clear as to where you want to go. Be precise and to the point and avoid long paragraphs. Break them up into smaller more inviting paragraphs.
Ex: As (position – president, consultant, etc) for (company name), my role is to build and execute strategies for companies seeking to engage their community via the social web. I focus primarily on four core areas: listening, content marketing, community management, and outreach.
I have worked in both the advertising and marketing industry for the past 12 years. During this time I worked closely with clients in various industries which afforded me the opportunity to learn about management, fostering successful client relationships, professionalism and team work. Through my experience I have learned that I am especially skilled at creating a winning strategy that set forth goals, objectives, strategies, tactics and the proper measurement tools.
I understand that social media is about building relationships with people through offering a unique and valuable experience. I have built a network that of influential people which has provided an opportunity to contribute on highly authoritative blogs as a guest.
3. Closing Paragraph. This is the where you have to shine. Your 3rd paragraph is all about the self promotion. Answer why you. Why should a potential employer consider picking up the phone or sending an email to discuss a position with you? Why should a potential client do the same? What makes you better than me?
Ex:I want to make the Marketing Communications industry with emphasis on driving user interaction and education my career. As a fast learner, I can grow beyond my current entry level experience quickly, offering your company a great asset as an employee. I thrive in both independent and team-oriented work environments and can effectively represent the company in professional settings.
4. Specialities. Your specialities are the industry specific buzz words. Be honest of course and do research on terms. Be sure that you are in-line with the terminology that is being used within the industry. These also appear in search results. The closer you match to search terms, the more your profile will appear in search queries.
5. Contact. This is one place where we see people leaving blank. If you are a job seeker how do you think the potential employer will get in touch with you? Send you a request to connect so that they can send you an email? Seriously? Be sure to have at least a direct email and/or phone number so that it is easy to contact you.
The examples above show how you can create a killer LinkedIn Summary. Whether you are a job seeker, someone who is looking to grow your business or just there to network, the key is to let people know. After their IPO and going public, LinkedIn CEO’s executive contact information has become one of the most sought after.
LinkedIn is a professional network where professionals connect with others who are valuable to their network. Whether this be an old friend, a previous co-worker, an employee at a company you are hoping someday to be employed by or a people that will help grow your business. The reasons may be different but the intent is the same. To grow a network of professionals that add value to the network. Finding the right people from 70 million users on LinkedIn is a challenge. Where do you start? How do you find them?
We have become accustomed to search via search engines so this is a natural place to start on LinkedIn. When we start our search, we think of core keywords that we would associate with the individual(s) that we are trying to connect with. This is of course if you do not have their name. The results are matched to the keywords in the the headline as well as the summary. However as this is an permission based connection platform, the headline is what will be featured in the search results along with y0ur name and photo and not your summary.
1. What do you do? Start here and jot down terms as they relate to what your current position is. This will more than likely not be your headline however it is a starting point to see how you define yourself.
2. What do you have to offer? If you are an employee of a big company, what makes you irreplaceable? Why should a consultant connect with you? What do you have to offer to a connection other than a wave?
EX: Gardening Consultant. Finding the right vegetables to plant for your soil & climate.
3. What makes you unique? Thinking in these terms you are identifying what differentiates you from the rest of the field and why it is worth noting.
EX: Social Media Consulting. Free profile analysis to leverage brand maximize your exposure.
4. What value do you bring? Great you are a CEO but what does that mean to me? How does you being a CEO relate to where you would fit into my network?
EX: Forging business relationships internationally; supply chain management consulting.
5. What problem to you solve? A descriptive problem solving headline is beign there before they know they have a problem and when in panic and need the problem solved. We know that when we need something, we need it done right away and being able to be there already is the perfect position.
EX: Blog Consultant. Advising & educating new bloggers how to write and promote a blog to build an online community and generate sales.
We connect with people that we feel that we should get to know by either having been exposed to them in a group, exposed to their employer or find something that is unique about them whether it be from others that are connected to them or from what we read about them. What we read about them on LinkedIn is limited to their headline. You can see where the 120 character headline must be enticing and impressionable so that people will want to connect.
What I do believe, is that the “relationships” we are trying to build is more on a networking/sales level. Are you trying to build trust and authority? Are you trying to win eyeballs on your site? Are you trying to simply sell products/services? Why is it so taboo to admit that you are trying to make sales? I just don’t understand that….
Response From Tee:
While I think Keith might be right on a portion of that, but building relationships, whether they are business or friendship is an integral part of using social media. That is why so many people have jumped on Facebook and Twitter.
Who says customers can’t still be your friends? Is there something wrong with being friends with someone that visits your blog, or buys your product?
I believe building a friendly relationship with your audience can be a key element to your social media and sales strategies. Sure, your end goal is to sell products and make money, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be approachable.
I say build lasting relationships using social media, build your audiences trust and you will find your business being more profitable. You will also meet some pretty darn interesting people, too!
Discussion:
What is your approach to building relationships using social media? Are you afraid to admit you are trying to sell something while building relationships? Let us know where you stand in the comments, and if you like the post please Re-Tweet and/or Share it on Facebook. Do you build inappropriate relationships like Best Buy CEO, Brian Dunn? The woman below is 29-year-old Dayna Cline, a Texas native who now resides in Minnesota nearby Best Buy HQ. Was this relationship worth losing a 28 year career and $10 million yearly salary? Don’t be fooled either, Brian Dunn, after he is finished dealing with the family impact, and emotional impact, and financial impact, this relationship has had on his life, he will pick up the phone, make a few calls to some of his “wealthy or executive connections” and he will find another job as fast or faster than Scott Thompson, Yahoo’s and Paypal’s ex-CEO who was fired for lying on his resume, and landed another CEO job at ShopRunner. Brian Dunn falls into the category of Mark Hurd (HP’s ex-CEO) and not exactly into the Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong category as far as disgrace goes.
It’s not like anyone reading this will be able to just build a relationship, or connect with someone that has money and power without already knowing someone else that has money and power and connections. 6 degrees of separation doesn’t happen in the real world, In the real world, the 1% of wealthy Americans are separated from the 99% of middle America, and no social networking tool or social media website is going to get an Average Joe into that clique.
In a news release, Belfor’s CEO is quoted saying, “I could argue that no single person got more out of the Southfield school system than me.” So then why did it take Mr. Sheldon Yellen 16 year before he decided fix it? The timing is fishy because the article came with a photo-op and lots of praise and credit for his donation and generosity. The problem that no one seems to address is that for someone who claims that “NO ONE” got more out of the Southfield school system, it took him 16 years to make that donation several weeks prior to Hurricane Sandy, making it seem that the sole purpose of his donation was to generate publicity and improve his public image which has recently come under fire by a number of online sources questioning his legitimacy as a kind, caring, and selfless individual.
Belfor – Where our boss is profiting from your loss™
Belfor’s CEO is a strong Republican supporter whose Jewish tendencies, seem to have made his domantions to the Republican party seem about as generous as his compaHows that whole Republican thing workin out for ya?
Anything to say, before we hit the press?
We are more of a curious reporting agency that has stumbled upon the revealing information already published about you that has sparked an interest in your constant “good deeds” that are always publicized, yet many of them seem to be conveniently timed with press releases, TV shows, and news articles.
Belfor was unable or refused to comment at the time of our inquiry of this article. Conveniently, he only has time or decides to comment when the articles are there to give him and his company positive publicity.
I guess it never occurred to him to turn Belfor into a non-profit organization, and cutting back on that lavish lifestyle he and his brother are living, while every time a tragedy happens, Belfor makes millions of dollars.
16 years is a long time to wait to “pay back a school that was so valuable to you”………..
