Social Media Marketing » social networking

For the social media newbie in your life

Geoff Tucker — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:25:57 +0000

Courtesy of the New York Times for the social media newbie in your life http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/technology/personaltech/08pogue.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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.

Social Media Is Like Homemade Ice Cream

Geoff Tucker — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:06:52 +0000

Common Craft’s cute video that explains how social media is like everyone making and promoting their own brand of ice cream.

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.

5 Ways to Battle Job-Search Rejection

Geoff Tucker — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:16:02 +0000

MSN Careers – 5 Ways to Battle Job-Search Rejection
With the abundance of articles and tips series on which sites to use to find a job, how to use LinkedIn or Twitter, being a better networker and all the other advice columns, this article on dealing with rejection was a welcome change.

We are each facing challenges we thought we had long overcome, or circumstances we would never encounter. We didn’t think the world could be THIS bad ever again. Such extremes were relegated to history. And, yet, history does repeat itself.

As you move forward in your job search, the rejection letter is that sting you didn’t need. However, you have to remind yourself you didn’t get the job for a reason. Perhaps they thought your style wasn’t a fit with their company’s culture, that your experience didn’t quite align with what they wanted (nevermind how your resume compares to the job description), or other unknowns.

Like the recruiter quoted in this says: don’t EVER sound as desperate. Even in these horrible times, desperation gives off horrible vibes that will turn people off no matter how sympathetic they are otherwise.

Seattle Job Social for February

Geoff Tucker — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:08:15 +0000

Seattle Job Social continues to be the best networking event in Seattle for professionals. I am grateful, too, that I get to be a part of it. By working on promotions and public relations, I speak directly with recruiters around Seattle and for enrollment and sponsorship. This also gives me great insight into what they are experiencing with filling their job opportunities.

From what we have heard so far, about 15 people found jobs after the January event. And at this last one, I saw many new faces I didn’t see at the first one. That means word is spreading.

We had ~450 confirmations to attend for the February event. That means we are researching new venues around town to host a larger crowd, with a little more breathing room, and easier access to employers and recruiters. Many thanks to 13 Coins Bar for hosting us both times, too.

Join our Facebook group if you haven’t already and stay up to date on future events. It’s just going to grow and get bigger and better.

LinkedIn Tools: JobsInsider Finds People You Know at Companies You Want

Geoff Tucker — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:24:22 +0000

LinkedIn: LinkedIn Tools: JobsInsider
This is the best tool I have found lately for uncovering job leads – and finding out who knows who.

With the LinkedIn JobsInsider toolbar installed to your browser (Internet Explorer for Windows; Firefox for Windows or Mac), when you visit a job board site a side panel opens. From there, JobsInsider scans the job listing you are reviewing and tells you how many people in your LinkedIn network work there, or know someone who does.

Click on the number of people the JobsInsider says “can help you get this job” to see who these people are. Then start following up and asking questions. It’s a great way to get the inside introduction that bypasses the anonymous job board submission method.

Needed an excuse to make yourself network more, have more conversations and use LinkedIn more often? I can’t think of a better one.