Social Media Marketing » technology

14. Social Media Newbie: LinkedIn On Your Phone

Geoff Tucker — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:30:02 +0000

With the popularity of smartphones like the iPhone, Blackberry, and the latest crop of web- and app-enabled handsets from Samsung, Nokia, and others, LinkedIn is a perfect addition to your mobile suite of connectivity tools.

Currently, LinkedIn provides a free app for the iPhone and Palm Pre only. A version for Blackberry is forthcoming.

Visit http://www.linkedin.com/mobile to access either edition.

If your phone does not support apps, there is also a mobile phone version of the web site at http://m.linkedin.com. The site does not require the installation of any applications or other software.

Direct your browser to this address, and bookmark it. You will need Internet access on your phone to access the site at any time.

LinkedIn App Features

The LinkedIn app is a slimmed down version of the site. It provides many of the core functions of the site.

Specifically, the app lets you:

See all the latest updates on the members of your network
See the current status updates of all the members in your network
Updated your own status
View your LinkedIn inbox for connection invitations; email messages, and sent items
View profiles of LinkedIn users
Search for individuals

This can be handy to look up someone when you are at an event, or check in for the latest updates to pass the time at the airport.

If you are frequently away from your computer due to travel or other obligations, this app is a smart solution to easily manage your connection invitations and updates until you return to your computer.

1. Social Media Newbie: Introduction to Facebook

Geoff Tucker — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:01:42 +0000

How Facebook Happened

Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and three of his classmates while they were students at Harvard University in 2003.
According to the latest Facebook entry on Wikipedia, “(m)embership was initially restricted to students of Harvard College, and within the first month, more than half the undergraduate population at Harvard was registered on the service. In March, 2004, Facebook expanded to Stanford, Columbia, and Yale.

“This expansion continued when it opened to all Ivy League and Boston area schools, and gradually most universities in Canada and the United States.

“Facebook incorporated in the summer of 2004 and the entrepreneur Sean Parker, who had been informally advising Zuckerberg, became the company’s president. In June, 2004, Facebook moved its base of operations to Palo Alto, California.”

Facebook hosts over 350 million active users (Facebook) worldwide as of January 2010. Were Facebook a country, it would be the third most populous after China and India (Economist). It dominates all other social networks, and its audience continues to grow each day. The average user visits at least once a day and spends 55 minutes interacting with friends and family on the site.

Why Is Facebook So Popular?

Facebook’s growth can be attributed to the “network effect” – a phrase originally used to describe the rapid growth of telephones.

The “network effect” states that the value of a communications network to its users rises exponentially with the number of people connected to it (Economist).

Two measures of its activity are very revealing:
• Through the ads displayed on the site, Facebook took in over $435 million by October 2009.
• Over 2.5 billion photos are uploaded each month by users.

The Facebook Wall

Status updates, comments back and forth between your connections and you, and other items you post are shown on your Wall.

Your Wall is where your “social graph” is visible to you. Your “social graph” is which people are nodes in your network, and the links between people are friendships.

The more your “social graph” grows, the more insights you can have into the relationships you have and those around you. By seeing what matters to people, you can profit from this knowledge by understanding better how to participate in and contribute to conversations.

The Wall is a chronological stream of your activity, viewable by others connected directly with you on Facebook.

Think of the Wall as your personal bulletin board where others can post items of interest to you, where you can share items with others (photos, music, videos, news articles – anything online).

This is the primary way you interact with your network on Facebook: by reading the News Feed and Status Updates, you can watch and comment on other people’s status updates throughout the day.

If LinkedIn is your professional, office persona, then Facebook is your happy hour, off-hours persona that rounds you out as a complete person.

While you will have friends and connections on both LinkedIn and Facebook, you will want to use your judgment to determine if your LinkedIn contacts are suitable connections for the non-career aspects of your life.

It’s Not Just Profiles: Groups Count Too

In addition to creating a profile and connecting with the people you know, Facebook offers Groups as a central gathering spot for those interested in or supporting a given topic. Whether it’s a political activity, an upcoming event, neighborhood association or other point in common, Facebook Groups are created and maintained by members. Most feature open membership so you can join and leave Groups at will.

When people began trying to connect with brands, artists, and businesses on Facebook, Groups was not the best tool for that need. That’s why Pages were created.

Pages Are Profiles for Companies

In response, Facebook developed Pages in 2009 as a commercial alternative for companies and brands to promote their products and services on the site. As of January 2010, over 1.6 million Pages have been created. Members “Fan” the company’s Page and receive updates from the organization.

While Pages, and social media marketing in general, have met with mixed success, some companies such as Coke, Dell, and NPR have used them to great effect to enhance interest and participation in their brands.

Want the Low Down on the 101?

Unsure of how to create a profile or what certain settings mean? Post your question in the Comments section for a response.

Creative and Tech Job Openings in Seattle

Geoff Tucker — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:41:31 +0000

Links to hot jobs in Seattle at cool companies

Blast Radius http://bit.ly/d7XtJF

ZAAZ http://www.zaaz.com/#/are_you_hiring/

VML http://www.vml.com/careers.aspx

Wunderman http://bit.ly/boEHaj

Knowledge Base Marketing http://www2.kbm1.com/careers.aspx?pgID=993

Blog Repaired, Mind Your Passwords

Geoff Tucker — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:48:57 +0000

Lesson learned: don’t use lame passwords on your sites. I had to learn the hard way and discovered my blog was hacked. The spammer loaded it full of hidden links to movie download sites. After cleaning up 70 posts by hand, you can bet I made sure the new password won’t be guessed by them again. And it will be changed regularly, too.

Reading “140 Characters”

Geoff Tucker — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:14:57 +0000

Tomorrow I begin reading an innovative hybrid of ebook and iPhone app.

It’s “140 Characters” – a sort of how-to I am using as resource material for writing and research on a personal project that launches in early ’10.

I’m looking forward to what seems like a regularly updated feed paired up with static content all built around the framework of a book.

And it’s a paid app to boot.

Like I said, interesting hybrid.

download Basic Instinct

Job Hacking: Do you know the 2 best ways to stand out?

Geoff Tucker — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:13:02 +0000

Job Hacking: Do you know the 2 best ways to stand out?

iPhone Wallpapers by Jonathan Adler

Geoff Tucker — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:43:10 +0000

Such lovely papers for your phone http://www.jonathanadler.com/shop/content.php?pageid=pdawallpaper

Social Media in 30 Seconds

Geoff Tucker — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:01:40 +0000

Omniture: Industry Insights Â» Blog Archive Â» Social Media in 30 Seconds

Omniture posted a nice slide with a breakdown of the domains of social media.

If social media confuses you, this does a great job of clarifying what each realm represents.

How To Nail An Interview

Geoff Tucker — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:47:00 +0000

How To Nail An Interview

Hide a video camera, interview people for a job that doesn’t exist, for a company that doesn’t exist…all supposedly so you can learn how to interview better.

Sure, the candidates (victims?) are textbook examples of what not to do at an interview. It’s simply sad how poor their answers and behaviors are. But knowing this guy created this as a way to learn how to interview better – would YOU (as a recruiter or hiring manager) – ever hire him after seeing this stunt?

Cindy Pain with LinkedIn How-To at Seattle School for Visual Concepts

Geoff Tucker — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:08:37 +0000

Through networking, I met some marketing and advertising people who started the Stuart Smalley Society, a networking and job search buddy meeting, on Facebook. The people organizing the SSS are doing a great job.

On April 9, Cindy Pain presented how to get the most out of LinkedIn at the School for Visual Concepts (SVC is offering limited seating at 50% off for all classes for folks unemployed in the last six months. Call 206-623-1560). Cindy is VP, Career Management Consultant / VP, Career Coach at Lee Hecht Harrison.

I began using LinkedIn in 2005. Since 2007, I have focused on growing my network and refining my profile. I’ve read many how-to’s, tips and secrets, including Rita Ashley’s handy and smart LinkedIn to Power Job Search. Definitely get your free copy of that jewel

I recruited two friends to attend with me, and I wanted to learn what I haven’t yet found out. While the session was geared toward newbies, it’s always good to revisit the basics. Now I know what’s on my profile maintenance list!

Below are my notes from the session. These assume a basic working knowledge of the site but post a comment with any questions. I will respond.

Your title: Modify the title to be YOU – not a job title. (“Marketing Communications Manager” not “MarCom Specialist Level II”)

It is good to post your picture when trying to bypass HR to reach the hiring manager. This puts a face with a name, and offers an opportunity to let the hiring manager identify with you. (“He looks like a nice guy, someone I’d enjoy talking to.”)

Modify the profile URL to have your name in it. If your name is already taken, add your middle initial or middle name. When a person searches for you on LinkedIn, the geographical constraints will reduce the search results enough to make you easy to find. When Googled (and you will be), your profile will now appear in Google search results.

Privacy settings: turn these to “no” when making major updates. Leaving it to “yes” means every time you change even one letter in a word, your contacts are notified that your profile has been updated – but it doesn’t say what you did. Make all your updates in one session, then turn privacy back off so people will see only your fully revised profile. You don’t want to fatigue your contacts with excessive updates about you that aren’t really updates.

Be a lifetime learner, always reading, always learning. Be a trendspotter. Focus on employability, not job titles. The days of lifetime employment are dead and mostly a myth of the manufacturing economy. Your career is yours to manage and own. Focus on bringing value to your role, not just skills.

Profile Summary: Do not write this as dry as a resume is. Give the reader more to read. If you are in a creative profession, be creative because you are expected to be. This is the time and place to demonstrate your character and qualities. Look at Cindy’s profile as an example. Show personality, show enthusiasm, make yourself stand out from cookie cutter profiles.

Read other people’s profiles for ideas of what to write about yourself. If writing isn’t your strong suit, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Read profiles of people in your field, at your level, and find the ones who say it well. Then copy, put your own spin on it, and paste.

Be authentically you in what you say. If the words you say feel fake to you, imagine how they sound to the person listening.

I loved this metaphor: “Social networks are how we have a front porch since we are now so transient.” Using online social networks are how we keep up with everyone. This is called “ambient awareness” by social media experts.

Your resume is a reason to get someone to call you. When they ask about your experiences, don’t tell them how you did it. Tell them what you did and the results. Tease them. Make them want more. If you tell them the how, you solved their problem (by giving them the answer), and now they can do it on their own. And you got bupkuss for it.

Understand your market and your audience so you talk to them how they expect. If talking to marketers, use a marketer’s language. If talking to a recruiter, use language that she can follow. Remember: a recruiter fills many positions so they don’t necessarily know every industry’s jargon.

Get Recommendations! Reciprocate always. Talk about the person’s work, talk about him as a person. Pay it forward.

Connect with LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs) to generate many 3rd degree connections. You may never meet the LION, but the 3rd degree connection opens up pathways to many more people. LIONs are good to move your message forward when requested. Again, pay it forward and reciprocate.

Write a recommendation even if you only know a little bit about the person. Speak to the qualities you have seen and experienced.

Searching techniques:

Use Boolean searches. Put search terms in double quotes to constrain search results. Modify by using AND, OR and NOT (in all caps) between search terms. For example, “John Doe” AND Starbucks.

Join Groups. Similar to connecting with LIONs, having a group in common lets you easily connect with others on your own. Also, groups are a great way to network online and in person. They range from your location, to your industry, to diversity groups and more.

Search for points of affinity when searching for people. For example, search for people from your university alma mater, from companies where you worked, or by job titles. If you want to connect with accounting supervisors in your city, search by job titles in your area to find them. Then use 3rd degree connections through groups or LIONs to network with them.

That’s the sum of 90 minutes of excellent presentation by Cindy. Please comment your thoughts below.