Barbara Walters Price

LinkedIn? Not You Too?

Yesterday I posted about LinkedIn's new "Improve your Profile" tool. It's a handy and easy tool to help walk you through completing your profile. 

Today, I discover that they've pulled a "Facebook" on us, or as Steve Woodruff of Connection Agent puts it:

"Apparently, LinkedIn has recently done us the 'favor' for having a default setting whereby our names and photos can be used for third-party advertising." 

For those of you who would NOT like to participate in this, there is a way to turn off this default setting.

• Click on your name at the top right corner of the homepage and choose "Settings" from the drop down menu
• Select "Account" (#1 below)
• Then, select "Manage Social Advertising" (#2 below)
• Uncheck the box labeled "LinkedIn may use my name, photo in social advertising" and hit Save.

 

LinkedIn Just Made It Easier to Update Your Profile

LinkedIn's blog today announced the "Improve Your Profile" tool as an "easy way to optimize your LinkedIn presence."  I checked it out and it seems to be a handy and easy way to help you complete your profile.

To access, click on "Profile" / "View Profile" or "Edit Profile" from the LinkedIn menu. You should see the "Improve your Profile" button at the top right (see the screenshot of my profile below). Click that button and LinkedIn will prompt you to complete any incomplete information (and there is a checklist on the right which highlights your recommended steps). My profile was pretty complete so it prompted only one question for me, yet it will be helpful to me as a CMO as I work with our professionals to complete their profiles. 

It is imperative that your LinkedIn profile be complete and up-to-date. LinkedIn is the most popular socia media network for business people. When other professionals ask me if and how to start in social media, my immediate recommendation is LinkedIn.

It doesn't take long to complete your profile (hint: always include your phone number and email address so people can easily contact you) and is a great way to highlight your experience.

If you don't have a LinkedIn profile, visit www.linkedin.com and create one.  If you already have a LinkedIn profile, check out this tool to make sure your profile is complete.

Online Branding ... Yes, It's That Important for Professional Services Firms

Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D. of Hinge Marketing posted "Why Online Branding Matters." It's an easy and insightful read. Lee begins the post with:

Online branding may be the most important marketing concept that you never think about. Granted, you may spend your brainpower thinking about online marketing and how you can generate more leads, but online branding is the Cinderella of the digital world.

He then goes on to define online branding and follows that with the question: Why Should You Care? He answers that with this piece of spot-on advice:

This one is actually pretty easy. Let's start with your professional services brand. As I have blogged about before, your firm's brand can be thought of as your reputation times your visibility. The greater these factors, the stronger your brand:

    Reputation x Visibility= Brand Strength

So what is the first thing you do to check out a potential new vendor or business partner? Visit their website? Google them? Read their LinkedIn profile?

Your online presence is arguably the single most important factor shaping people's impression of your firm's reputation and boosting it's visibility. (emphasis mine)

Lee then gives you five places to start to strengthen your online brand. Every managing partner and CMO of a professional services firm should take a few minutes to read Lee's post and then review your online branding efforts. It will be worth your time.

 

Happy Monday ... In a Perfect World ...

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