HOW TO BRING YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE TO 100% COMPLETENESS (AND IMPROVE YOUR S.E.O.)

Fact:  A LinkedIn profile is a fundamental element of a strong online presence.   But, did you know that, according to LinkedIn, you are actually 40 times more likely to appear in a search if your profile is complete?  That’s important stuff!

Think of your profile as your online resume, but with so much more.  Here’s how you can bring your LinkedIn profile to 100% completeness to improve your search engine optimization.

Ensure that your profile includes:   

-   Your Current and (2) Past Positions  –   Ensure that you include not only your current employment information, but past as well (from at least 2 jobs), so that people who know you from your past places of employment will know that it’s you when they search you out.  The “Experience” section is your employment history/resume in a little bit more depth.  Try to be brief, just as you would be on your paper resume, but ensure that you include all of your important accomplishment information.  Include the names of companies that you worked for.  Search out these companies on LinkedIn to ensure that you are connecting to the correct branch of the company.  This will make it easier for past co-workers to find you.  Include duties to fill out the description of your work.

If you don’t happen to be currently employed, it’s not a good idea to blatantly lie, but an idea might be to state that you do some consulting – that you’re self-employed.  Or, if you do any volunteer work, here would be a good place to showcase that.  Likewise, if you’re new to the working world and don’t have two previous jobs under your belt, again, be creative – what have you done in the past that might constitute ‘a previous job’? 

-   Your Educational Background  –  You want people with whom you’ve gone to school to be able to find you on LinkedIn.  Even if you’re not a university grad, ensure that you include any and all education that you do have.  It’s not practical to lie and include a degree that you have not earned.  Just make sure that you include any courses that you have taken.

- Your Profile Summary – This can be up 2000 characters, and although it’s not necessarily recommended that you use all 2000, it’s essential for you to use at least 100 characters.  In filling out the Summary portion, remember to include all of the crucial, need-to-know information about yourself.  Keywords are important here as brevity is essential!  Consider your summary your “Elevator Pitch” – you have less than one minute to share all the vital information you want people to know about you.  Ensure that it captures the essence of the ‘business you’ and that it specifically lets connections know exactly what it is that you can do for them. Make it quick, but make it count!

-   Your Specialties & Skills  –  Fill these items in as you would search terms or keywords.  Consider the position and mindset of a person searching for your skills or services.  What words would they use? 

-    Your Photo  –  This is important, as it is the means by which you are most easily identified.  There could be more than one person out there that shares your name!  Consider having a headshot done professionally - you want to put your ‘best face’ forward and you want to ensure that the photo is well lit and really does look like the professional you.  It’s also a good idea to use the same photo on all of your social networking profiles as your photo can be your brand identity. 

-    Your Recommendations  –  A minimum of 3 recommendations are required to post a complete profile (each is worth 5% on the completeness scale).  It is possible to solicit recommendations from colleagues, former employers, and people you have hired.  It is in fact a good idea to have at least one recommendation from each of your jobs.  It is within the culture of LinkedIn to request recommendations from others.  A good idea is to reciprocate and write one for someone from whom you want to request one. 

It’s also a smart idea to provide the links to your website, Twitter account and blog where applicable.  This enhances your online connectedness as well as your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). 

It’s imperative that your profile’s searchability be at its maximum potential.  Your profile should be searchable on all search engines as well as on LinkedIn.  To the right of your profile page, a narrow blue box appears that indicates you profile completeness – try to bring it to 100%.  

3 CRUCIAL TIPS TO STRATEGICALLY MARKET YOUR BUSINESS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

Over the past several years, social media marketing has become not only more sophisticated in itself, but integral to the success of the more sophisticated business. More and more businesses are becoming familiar with and are better understanding social media and how to best leverage online resources to create networks and recognize that interaction and engagement are key with respect to social media marketing.  But, in order to take it to the next steps, it’s crucial that you implement more advanced social media strategies for your business!

So, you’re already aware of how to create an online presence and you already have an online community in place.  Now what?  Here are a couple of progressive social media marketing strategies shared by technology strategist, Samir Balwani, that will be sure to further enhance your business’s bottom line:

1. Include plenty of Photos & Video in your Message – You’ve heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words”?  So true!  People are using the Internet prolifically to garner information on products and services, and that includes your customers and prospects.  They want to read all about what your business has to offer, but they also want to see photographs or videos depicting this information.  People are very visual creatures.  And, nothing completes your social networking profiles more than some visual aids.

2. Adjust Your Message to Fit the Platform – Within your social media campaign, you are no doubt making use of several of the different platforms at your disposal, namely: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging.  It’s important, however, to ensure that, rather than deliver an identical message over the multiple platforms, you try to tailor your communication to each individual site.  Certain information and how it’s presented on your blog might be considered “spammy” on Facebook.  It’s crucial to customize each message to each site to ensure that your messages spread optimally.  And, customizing your messages on each site also saves your network of customers and potential customers from receiving the same communication over and over again.  You can effectively maximize your business’ potential by sending out messages customized to each social media platform.

3. Implement Strategic Sales Tactics – Strategic sales tactics can include special offers, deals and discounts that you can offer through your social media platforms.  You can effectively drive business by generating some excitement within your online community and contests are a great way to do this.  If you conduct a contest, for example, that requires those in your network to share virally with their networks (i.e. whoever garners the most comments or “likes”, etc., wins a prize – be creative – it can be just about anything from concert tickets to a vacuum cleaner), your contest is sure to go viral and guess what that means for you and your brand  In doing this, you’re literally rewarding existing and future clients, not to mention reiterating to them that you are a brand to engage with as well as a brand to buy from or do business with.

To learn more about strategic social media marketing, join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops where we’ll teach you everything you need to know to enhance your social networking experience.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit: http://escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

See you there! 

5 Steps to a Fabulous Makeover ... for Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn, since its 2003 inception, has been growing by leaps and bounds to become the platform for business networking.   LinkedIn fact:  As of March 31, 2012, LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with 161 million members in over 200 countries and territories.

Ignoring LinkedIn can be a marketing mistake, as LinkedIn has categorically become the number one connection-based referral source for business professionals.

 

So, why not give your LinkedIn profile a much-deserved makeover to maximize its truly awesome potential!  Here’s what you can do:

     1. Ensure your profile includes an up-to-date photo of you in professional attire and fully coiffed, so that the image makes a stunning, professional first impression.  It’s actually worthwhile to invest in a professional portrait. This is definitely the time and place to put your best face forward.       

      2.  A vanity URL is always a good idea for your LinkedIn account – it sets you apart, is unique to you and if catchy enough, will be remembered readily by those who check your profile. It’s simple to change your URL.  Just click on the Edit Public Profile settings at right, or simply edit next to the Public Profile in the blue profile box.


     3. It’s imperative that your profile’s searchability be at its maximum potential.  Your profile should be searchable on all search engines as well as on LinkedIn.  A LinkedIn profile commonly ranks among the top five when a search is conducted on someone’s name.  To ensure that your profile is public and to have it indexed, simply click on Settings, Public Profile and then select Full View Recommended.  You can choose which items are viewable by others from the menu list.

      4. Be sure to keep current with respect to your profile and status updates and make certain that any new posts or changes are sent to all of your connections. 


     5. Your summary is one of the most key elements of your LinkedIn profile.  It’s important that it be well put together, succinct and that in its brevity, it does you justice.  Ensure that it captures the essence of the ‘business you’ and that it specifically lets connections know exactly what it is that you can do for them.  The idea here is to make people want to engage with you. Think personal branding – but remember, keep it brief!

With over 100 million people connected on LinkedIn worldwide, it really is worth it to maximize your own profile to its full potential.   Learn how to take complete advantage of everything LinkedIn and its unique features have to offer.  Join our full-day, hands-on Social Media for Business workshops. 

Simply click here   http://escomputertraining.com/socialmedia   for a schedule of workshops in your area and we’ll be happy to help you get “LinkedIn”!

5 THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR INSURANCE BUSINESS

Ah, the wonders of social media … imagine your insurance business optimized to its full potential.  Are you taking advantage of everything social media have to offer?  If you are, you’re on the road to a finely tuned operation and will be able to offer the ultimate in client care.  There are a few points you should bear in mind, however, to really take your social networking strategy to the next level!  

1. Your business should have a personality that shines through on social networking sites.  One of the most integral aspects to social media is that they enable you to bring forth your business’ human side.  Your business needs to be more than just a money-making operation – it needs a personality and a passion – and social networking is the most effective means of letting your clients and prospects know that your business’ perspective is a human one and its passion is client satisfaction.  Use social media to communicate ‘to’ and ‘with’, rather than ‘at’ your audience.

2. Really get to know your audience by listening to what they have to say.  Let them do more of the talking while you do more of the listening.  Social networking is nothing if not a great way to get to know people.  Take the time to visit your Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn account and your blog‘s comments section at least a couple of times a day to hear what people are saying.  Listen to the good, the bad and the ugly and make sure that you respond to people where required in a timely manner.  Ask questions that provoke people to share information about themselves so you can get to know them better and anticipate what their needs are.

3. Build awareness and trust at the same time.  Of course you want people to know what you and your business can offer.  Social media allow you to get your message out there and to build brand awareness, while at them - keep the dialogue going, and showcase your industry knowledge all the while allowing them to believe and trust in you.  Social media allow you to become indispensible to your clients by giving them access to you 24/7.

4. Remember that social media are interactive and people will be sharing their opinions – good, bad or indifferent.  Use what people have to say a learning experience and as a means of changing and growing your business.  People’s opinions are important information for you to have and social media provide the best means for people to relay their messages.  Again, ensure that you address and respond to people where warranted.

5. Focus on generating “word of mouth” buzz by delivering engaging, relevant and useful content.  Be helpful and informative when engaging in conversations with your audience.  People will appreciate it and spread the word about your expertise and professionalism within the industry.  Social media make it very easy to do this.

Need help getting your social media endeavors on track?  Why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops.  Just click on the following link for a schedule of upcoming workshops in your area!

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

MORTGAGE NEWS YOUR CLIENTS NEED TO KNOW

It looks like mortgage rates are on the rise!  Is a fixed rate now more economical than a variable rate?  As a mortgage specialist, this is the type of crucial information that your clients and prospects need to know!  Are you using social media as tools for communicating with your clients and prospects?  If not, you should be!  You can bet that your clients are on social media and what better way to connect with them?                 

An article on the December 6, 2011 edition of thestar.com spelled out how there has been, over the past few months, an increase among variable-rate mortgages and that experts are currently predicting that this will remain the case.  The article cites information from Kerri-Lynn McAllister, community manager at RateHub.ca. 

Ms. McAllister is quoted as saying that, “A few months ago, there was basically a one per cent spread between fixed and variable.   Now it’s .2 or .3.” 

Ms. McAllister maintains that the reason for the rise is at least partially due to the fact that , since mortgage rates have been so low, banks have had difficulty making any money. 

And, although fixed rates could also be slated for an eventual increase, the question seems to be:  Is it now better to go for a fixed rate than the traditionally more economical variable rate?  According to Ms. McAllister, fixed rates now seem to be the way to go.

Joseph Haimowitz, principal economist at the economic think tank, Conference Board of Canada, expects, however, that fixed mortgage rates could rise by as much as .25 per cent by the middle of 2012.  But, according to Robert McLister, editor of Mortgage Rate Trends, it appears that, for at least the foreseeable future, discount variable rate mortgages, which tend to offer rates half a per cent or more below prime, are no longer.

Something to think about!  And, to definitely inform your clients about.  Get connected today on social media.  Let us show you how.  Why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops and we’ll teach you how to best leverage social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging for your business’ marketing strategy.  Just click on the following link for a schedule of workshops in your area:

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

AS AN ADVISOR, COMMUNICATION IS PARAMOUNT: THINK SOCIAL MEDIA

As a financial advisor, how often do you think it’s prudent to be in touch with your clients?  How important do you think it is to impart crucial information, keeping your clients up to date regarding what’s relevant to them? 

Did you know that 65 per cent of Canadian investors have not been contacted by their firms in the past year with respect to product or service offerings?  This fact cites the recently released results of a 2011 survey conducted by J.D. Power & Associates, which posed a question to 5600 investors as to level of satisfaction with their firms.  It would appear that many respondents are underwhelmed with respect to investor communication.

Other findings of the survey include that four in 10 respondents had had no discussion with their advisors that resulted in appropriate alterations to their portfolios.  Furthermore, almost 30 per cent have disclosed that their advisors had not given them any effective indication as to why their portfolios are performing as they are.

Clients that feel neglected are ripe for poaching!  Some might move portions of or even their entire portfolios elsewhere.  How can you stay closer to your clients and keep that mindshare?  The easiest and most efficient way is to adopt Social Networking tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Blogs into your marketing and client service strategy.

Overall satisfaction with full-service firms was rated on a score of 1000, with the average being 733 – and this is down from one year ago.   Regular contact & communication between advisors and investors is imperative in order to maintain greater investor satisfaction. One of the simplest and most effective ways of achieving this is through social media.  Social media is all about contact / customer relations management. 

Join one of our Social Media for Business Workshops to make the most of the various social networking platforms and better serve your customers.  For further information and a schedule of our workshops, please visit:

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20 

INCREASE YOUR MORTGAGE BUSINESS’ BOTTOM LINE WITH BLOGS

Blogging is probably the most underrated of all the social media.  Everyone has a Facebook account; everybody tweets and, as a mortgage professional, you hopefully have a LinkedIn profile set up by now (if not, then you’ll need to see some of my other blogs extolling the virtues of LinkedIn for the business professional).  But, blogging, although certainly coming into its own more and more, is not a social medium that as many people take advantage of as should.

Blogging is an excellent way to further develop your online presence as a means of establishing your brand.  In fact, your blog is, arguably, your brand!  Creating a blog and maintaining it by posting regularly is a great way to put yourself out there and demonstrate to your clients and prospects that you are a cut above the competition. 

Your blog positions you as the industry expert – one who truly takes the time to educate and impart crucial knowledge on others.  It’s really not enough anymore to simply post information on your website – your website is not updated on regular basis and it’s simply not feasible to include a wealth of updated information within your website.  A blog will offer you the capability of thoroughly branding yourself and lets you make a marked impression on everyone who reads it.  This, in turn, builds a sense of trust and reliability in you and your services.

Blogs are furthermore a great way of generating traffic and establishing your business online.  It’s therefore imperative that you post updated, fresh content on a habitual and frequent basis.  This will ensure SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for your brand, making you more visible to existing & potential clients, again, positioning you as the authority of the mortgage industry.

And, best of all, blogging, unlike traditional advertising & promotional methods and maintaining a website, will cost you nothing other than your time.  Yes, your time is valuable, but once you get going and start to become established, you’ll soon find that you have so many brilliant ideas for content, that you’ll actually have some fun with it! 

If you really want to look like a pro, try including some photos and/or videos within your blog posts.  Visually enhancing your blog will add an element of depth and increase interest among your audience.  You can use educational videos or photos illustrating your content as visual aids. 

To fully boost your SEO, be social!  Don’t forget to include links to your blog on your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.  Doing so will substantially increase traffic to your blog and, of course, your brand.

So, go ahead – get started, because the sooner you do, the sooner people will be searching you out for information on all things mortgage!   Need some help?  Just join one of our Social Media for Business workshops and we’ll teach you all you need to know to put together a truly remarkable blog that will be sure to ultimately increase your bottom line! 

Please visit  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20  for a schedule of upcoming workshops in your area!

INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS ARE JUMPING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA BANDWAGON

It appears that more and more insurance professionals are looking to join the masses on social networking sites as a means of enhancing their business practices and reaching the clients in their communities – clients who are already making use of the many benefits of social media.

Life reinsurance experts, LOGiQ3, recently polled their community of clients at one of their annual events and the findings were very enlightening:

“26% of our attendees preferred to use email communication (not a surprise), but followed tightly by LinkedIn at 22%, Facebook and Phone calls, both at 18%, Twitter at 13% and lastly, traditional postage at 3%.” – Insurance-Canada.ca

This is very useful information for the insurance industry.  It enables focus on communication where it is most constructive – to these preferred social media sites. It allows insurance professionals “…to connect with their networks on a real time basis, providing relevant content…” and it furthermore enables them to “…listen to what is being said on their preferred channel.”

A search on LinkedIn conducted by LOGiQ3 showed that some of the top insurance companies do in fact have abundant followings on the very popular business-oriented social network:

ACE – 4,954 followers; Sun Life Financial – 7,280 followers; Swiss Re – 5,924 followers; AEGON – 5,226 followers; RBC Insurance – 1,302 followers and Partner Re – 677 followers.

Life insurers, according to the article on Insurance-Canada.ca, are furthermore now using social media as a means of detecting fraud in submitted claims - “Investigators are now using sites such as Facebook to investigate suspicious claims. They’re looking for clues that don’t add up to the claim submitted, such as someone bragging about running a marathon while submitted a claim for an injured back, etc. Though data gathered on these sites are useful, they can only be used as insight and never as final proof of fraud.”

There has also been speculation that social media data might be useful with respect to price policies.  Insurers are able to compare information posted by applicants on social networking sites with the information concerning their lifestyle choices and medical histories filled out on their applications.

Social media is undoubtedly one of the most valuable and functional tools at our fingertips and you, as an insurance professional, can make the most of the many features each social network has to offer.
  
Join one of our workshops and we can show you how to make the most of your social networking experience.  For information regarding our schedule, please go to:

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

FINANCIAL ADVISORS NOW USING SOCIAL MEDIA

The world of finance has been making great strides with respect to embracing social media as a form of cultivating strong customer relationships and maintaining powerful brand loyalty.  Only a short time ago, the financial community approached social media with some reluctance and reservation, in large part due to privacy concerns. 

As misconceptions regarding the nature of social media have over time been dispelled, the financial advisor is now more apt to be in tune with the diversity of the social media options and the resources each has to offer.

In contrast to traditional marketing and websites, which enable only a one-directional flow of communication to or ‘at’ the customer, social media allow users to interact with a brand, in turn, building a further sense of community and a much stronger sense of brand awareness and loyalty.  For you, the financial professional, social media have become a crucial means of diversifying marketing strategies and growing your business and customer network.

Online communities such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are currently the most productive ways of meeting prospects and maintaining contact with existing customers.  Yes, it’s imperative to invest some time and effort in creating and managing your social media accounts and profiles, but time is virtually the only thing you do have to invest – social media are of very little to no financial cost – but the benefits are nothing short of astronomical!  With over 20 million Canadians currently on Facebook and over 200 million tweets being posted per day on Twitter, just think about the implications these numbers have for your business.  Ten to 1, more of your customers and prospects than you think are connected and that means you should be too!!

Facebook can undoubtedly propel your business to the forefront of the financial industry.  By setting up a Facebook ‘Fan Page’ in addition to your profile, you are creating a stronger online presence for your business as well as enhancing its reputation. There are various uses for a fan page – i.e.: creating events; starting discussion posts; running social ads; sending simultaneous messages to everyone and viewing your page statistics – just to name a few.  Facebook truly is an exceptionally useful tool.

Twitter is a great way of distributing short, relevant bursts of information to an extremely wide audience.  To generate some buzz for your business, simply tweet away on its virtues to create interest and entice prospects to want to check out your Facebook page (you can link the accounts so that they’re interactive) and your website.  Twitter is a terrific means of support for your Facebook account, your website and your Blog (see below).

A LinkedIn profile is highly recommended, as LinkedIn has categorically become the number one connection-based referral source for business professionals.  LinkedIn is in fact the only one of the social networking sites that is truly exclusive to the business professional.  A LinkedIn profile is a crucial element within your social media campaign.

Perhaps the most meaningful of the social media in terms of the financial professional, is the Blog.  What can a blog do for you and your business? It can generate buzz as you blog to relay relevant financial news and information to your clients and prospects – information that they will find very useful.  You’ll look like the hero – the veritable go-to guru for all things financial!  A blog is a functional tool for building trust between you and your customers & prospects – a forum within which you can be as creative and descriptive as you wish. Have some fun!

For those still wary about the risks involved with marketing via social media, consider the unprecedented intelligence gathering prospects these platforms offer. The ability to better understand customer requirements and preferences is one of the strongest arguments for financial advisors to join the millions already connected within the realm of social media.

As you ponder, remember that delaying your foray into social media will not serve you well – while you’re waiting, your competitors are proceeding and evolving, establishing themselves as the experts in the financial industry.  To avoid the battle of winning over your competitors’ followers, let us help you get connected today! 

For a schedule of our full-day, hands-on Social Media for Business workshops, please just click here http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20 and we’ll get you started!