Gordon Brown has this week pledged to spread excellence.  And, many Northern Ireland politicians are spreading promises of excellence via Twitter.  We shall see.  But just think, are you spreading your excellence across the web too?  Here are five ways you can use LinkedIn to Set Out Your Manifesto, just like the big boys and girls.  Except, they’re not using LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is centred around people you’ve worked with and for. Ask for recommendations.

If you miss this, you’re missing a vital piece of the kit.  People buy from people.  If you’re selling something, especially where you are the product for hire, personal recommendations are crucial.

• Recruiters, partners and head-hunters often check your qualifications, and it is becoming increasingly common to receive phonecalls and emails from people looking recommendations on others, before they ask them for a meeting.
• Ask for recommendations when you’re at the end of a period of employment or the end of a project with a client.  Remember, you can choose which to display publicly on your profile.

Craft your profile carefully.  People will read it.

Pay special attention to the keywords you use when describing each past and current position.  Highlight achievements and passions.

• Avoid gaps; they create question marks in the minds of those viewing your profile.  If you left paid employment for 13 years to raise a family or care for an older relative, then state this.  Family Responsibilities/Caring Responsibilities is acceptable.  This also applies for those who have left work to enjoy a Sabbatical.
• Employ a copywriter if you feel your writing skills are not concise enough.

Join a group or three, not thirty!

There are so many!  Which do I join?  Unless you’re setting up or helping to promote a group, set simple criteria for making the decision to join.

Remember the more you join, the more emailed updates you will be trawling through.

• My new rule is, if the group has less than 200 members, I won’t join.  Yes, I sometimes break my own rule.  But, rules are made to be broken, n’est-ce pas?
• Think whether you’re going to engage with group members or not.  If not, it’s only taking up space on your profile.  This is like following everyone on Twitter, yet never replying to anyone or asking any questions.

Ask and answer questions.

Do you want to establish yourself as an expert?  Ask and answer questions.  Begin by answering a few, until you get used to the type of thing people are interested in.

• Don’t poke your nose into marketing unless you’re experienced in that area.  Keep on topic, and you will get known as someone who knows stuff.
• This takes a long time, and it must be combined with similar efforts offline, like public speaking, writing articles and papers, or informative emails, for example.
• And, don’t forget to answer messages sent to your inbox!  Treat the inbox like your regular email inbox – respond promptly!

Add your Twitter stream.

If you use Twitter for professional networking, marketing, market research or sales and support, display your status updates on LinkedIn.  You can also use a tool such as TweetDeck or Hootsuite to send one status update to multiple profiles, without having to log into LinkedIn each time.

• Avoid getting into the habit of sending every status update to every network; those who belong to lots of networks soon tire of seeing your update multiple times.  Choose what you want to use LinkedIn for, and tailor the status updates you send there to this goal.
• An advantage is that those on LinkedIn who prefer Twitter have an alternative way to keep in touch with you.  And, your Twitter profile may supply a different angle on what you do.

LinkedIn may seem like a stolid, static social network profile option.  It doesn’t have to be so static, however, by employing these simple strategies.  Keeping it fluid and up to date is the key to being remembered and found.  When people go searching for your profile, your name is not too far down their Updates list.

• Monday, at 15:05pm, when this post was written, my name appeared first on Google in a search for my name.  The first result was my LinkedIn profile.

This is type of the result you want!  Just make sure that when people find you, your profile draws them in!

Image credit: Coletivo Mambembe.

This blog posts looks at how to get reviews from customers and where to put them!

1. Set up a Google account if you’ve not got one already.

Add your business details to Google Local (the video explains it nicely). Then, ask customers you know are happy to add a review. The more places you are found online, the more likely you will be found by those conducting random Google searches. This result will appear high in the rankings for people looking for your business, even if your website is not quite perfect yet!

2. Set up a Profile on Lookaly.

This is a reviews site for businesses in Northern Ireland. Review other businesses regularly, in order to keep your Profile and Business name in people’s minds. This will encourage new visitors to your website and hopefully customers to add in a review. The more reviews you have, the higher up your business appears in category listings.

3. Email customers and ask for reviews, including the permission to use them online and offline.

A client did this recently, and has now three very happy customers with delightfully-written reviews to share with the world.  Satisfied customers are usually only too happy to supply a testimonial. Add them to your website and other offline promotional literature.

4. Ask for recommendations on LinkedIn.

One of my previous bosses was so amenable, he supplied two reviews on LinkedIn!  From the Profile drop-down menu, click Recommendations. Specifically, these are linked to you, not your business, and can come from previous colleagues and employers.

5. Add the Facebook Reviews application.

If you are a Facebook user, add this application, then encourage business colleagues on Facebook to add something to it.  Regularly remind Friends that it’s there!

6. Collect testimonials on your own version of happy sheets or customer satisfaction forms.

Ensure that you ask people to indicate that they are happy for you to use the testimonial on online and offline marketing.  These can then be added to your website or other profiles online, or slipped into other promotional material.  One word of caution, keep them up to date; avoid using customer reviews that are years old.

We hope you found this information useful. Please comment to add any thoughts or questions or email info@sensei-winbeforehand.co.uk.

We’ve already covered the basics: CVs, Virtual CVs, Jobs Boards and Covering Letters .  Most employers are looking to see a CV these days.  Many will insist on an application form being filled out, which does the same job, except for the trick Extra Info bit at the end.  (I’ll probably blog about that in a later post.)  So, do online profiles really matter?  If an employer receives your CV or form, do they even take the time to look you up online?  Yes.  Suffice to say, they might.

What does your online profile say about you?

Does it show you in all sorts of compromising poses, or states of inebriation?  People do indeed have the right to enjoy their down time.  However, what you make public says much about how you view yourself and how you respect others, family and friends, who may be embarrassed by your antics and words.

There have been several high profile cases recently.  The one you may be most familiar with is this:

The M16 Ambassador to the UN whose wife revealed details of their flat and children on Facebook

Of course, there are admittedly admirable, flattering and interesting cases, too:

The tweeting PM’s wife

Restrict what the public can see

If you are in the market for a change in career, my advice is to use all tools at your disposal, to keep private what could compromise your opportunities of gaining a new position.  It may matter more the higher up an organisation you travel.  It is likely that more research will be conducted into your background.

I do not feel personal Facebook profiles currently offer a professional looking image to showcase your skills.  Many people use Facebook however.  It may simply be worth limiting personal stuff to people you place on a separate Personal Friends list, and keeping basic work information (including media where relevant) open to Professional Friends list and/or the general public.  Those who look for you there will find you, but the information is strictly cringe-free.

With sites such as Twitter, you are sometimes able to make the profile temporarily private, or restricted only to those who ‘follow’ or ‘friend’ you.  This is a straightforward solution.  You need not delete your profile.  Just be thoughtful about the effect its appearance may have on a prospective employer.

Revamp all profiles to reflect the role you want

You could be very clever, and revamp the business or work sections of your online locations to reflect the role you would like.  If prospective employers are searching via keywords or industries for candidates on sites such as LinkedIn, they are more likely to arrive at your profile.

Remember, be smart.  Do not lie, and avoid exaggeration.  You could find you are asked about something that appears on an online profile that you chose to leave off the application form.  In that situation, you are not prepared to be quizzed on it.

Take your time writing about each previous role you have had.  Sites such as Visual CV and LinkedIn offer free text boxes in addition to factual space for you to highlight key responsibilities and really make your portfolio sing.  There’s opportunity for testimonials from previous colleagues, bosses and clients.  This makes for very rounded profile for a prospective employer.  I find it helps add a little something when pitching for a contract.  In addition, with VisualCV, you can add media to enhance your profile.

If you need any assistance on how to do this, leave a comment below.  Or, if there are any other topics you’d like me to hit in this series, again, drop a comment in.  Love to hear from you!

So, I’m writing this little post, to explain, as simply as I can what it is and how you need to get up-to-date.  And, setting this within the context of marketing.  You know how to network in person.  You know how to dress.  You know how to pitch yourself.   You know who your customers are.  But, do you?  Do you know how your customers like to communicate and hear news about your business and products?  Are there customers you are missing out on?  Could disseminating news and developments be easier?  Quicker?  More efficient?  Free, even?  That’s why I’ve called this post Smarketing.  Smart+Marketing=Smarketing. See?  If you’re interested, read on.

Social Media is a catch-all term that refers to nethods of connecting with people online.  That’s it.  You can stop reading now.  However, if you want to know more about those methods, continue…

Remember, in the olden days, a website was no more than a noticeboard, or a big, eye-wateringly expensive, business-card.  It contained your business name and contact details.  If you could afford more than one page, you might have had a list of your services.  Later, you might even had had one of them there Contact pages.

Social refers to the connecting bit.  Media, surprisingly(!) refers to how you connect, i.e. online.  I know, I’ve been beating the drum for a while.  But, the thing is, I care about you guys.  I’ve heard struggling entrepreneurs and established businesses tell me over and over how much money they’re spending on advertising inches in business magazines, to no avail.  I’ve heard your woes about cold-calling (does anyone DO that anymore??).  I’ve listened in pain, as you describe your affiliate deals that don’t bring in much cash.  I’ve even heard some of you tell me you do your own leaflet drops.

Here’s the thing.  I’m not a marketing person, though I DO spend a fair amount of time reading marketing blogs and websites.  But only the good ones.  See Marketing Profs and Jim’s Marking Blog to get started.  And, Problogger’s the best, if it’s a blog you’re marketing specifically.  That’s not to say I’ve implemented all their suggestions.  But, I am working my way through the best of them.  And, since I have, it’s increased the website hits by oh… loadsa%.

So, grab a wodge of Terry’s Chocolate Orange, and let me tell you what I’ve learned about smart marketing.  I attended a Dirty Marketing Tricks seminar, run by a charming old-hand, about two years ago.  He talked about image (which is crucial, though he didn’t practice what he preached) and pens (which I wasn’t entirely convinced about, since his were poor quality).  And, don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that traditional or current marketing techniques are old hat.  If they work for you, great.  But, I am saying, you’re missing a trick, if you fail to keep with the social media explostion, and ride the wave while it lasts.  In 2009:

If you get Smarketing, you’ll sign up for a profile on Facebook

Now, I don’t want you to waste your Sunday afternoons there.  Do it the Smarketing way:

1. Sign up.  Fill out your profile.  Connect with a few friends/colleagues/customers/suppliers you know already use it.
2. Add your Facebook page link to your email signature and any other correspondence.
3. Use the odd Friday afternoon to search for other contacts.  Build them up over time.
4. Make sure your settings are set to email you if something happens -  this is the default position anyhow.  Wait and see who contacts you.  They will see your website and contact details and then…

If you get Smarketing, you’ll open a Twitter account and see what happens

This one is a slow-burn.  It takes time to build up contacts on Twitter.  However, you’ll be surprised who already has an account.  Use it for the following:

1. Do all of the above, and;
2. If you have a blog, push your blog posts through Twitter.  This notifies your ‘followers’ there’s something new to read.
3. Ask questions and answer other people’s questions.  The Twitter community has developed an ethos of sharing, helping, free advice, warnings.  Join in.
4. Post news, what you’re thinking about, what you’re up to, cool websites, interesting events, useful information.  People will gravitate to you.  Your followers’ followers will soon start to follow you.  and, when they do, they’ll get directed to your website and…

I was like you.  I thought, “that sounds like a frivolous waste of time.”  I’ve happily been proved wrong.  Like re-arranging your desk, it can be a waste of time, if you let it.  Your call how much time you spend with it.

Smart Marketing Will Set up a Profile on LinkedIn, Visual CV…

This one requires less work.  Like the other social networking sites, this one has a profile pages and supplies email updates.  You’re starting to get the picture now.

I know what you’re thinking…

OK, Dawn, great.  But, I don’t know where to start.  Book onto one of my workshops.  There are more coming soon, specifically targeted toward computer-literate, but social media-illiterate professionals.  I’ll be there to help you set up, maintain, improve and become an expert social networker.  Contact me for more information on events, or keep an eye on the Current Events Schedule.

I’ve been using Facebook for a while, as a way of connecting with friends now scattered to the four corners.  Recently though, I discovered that you can use Facebook for creating a page for your business (for free).  One of my customers is now a fan of Sensei on Facebook, no doubt others will follow.  He will receive updates on all our events in a way that suits him.  I’ve received (free) technical advice about how to fix computer problems from both former colleagues and tecchie friends via Facebook and Twitter.  LinkedIn has now become a useful tool for keeping up to date with former colleagues – even my mum is on there and my uncle writes a blog!

So, can these tools be of real use in the business world?  I’m hooked on the potential.  I’m excited by the possibility that we could begin to connect with more customers in a way that suits their lifestlye and interests.  Of course, website, magazines, email, networking meetings and word-of-mouth continue, but this is in addition.  And, you don’t have to be a nerd to learn how to use it; you may become one though (oo!).

I’ve started on a small scale, with a few events at QUB to gauge interest, Welcome to the Blogosphere: Blogging for Beginners and Social Networking.

And, after attending a networking event last night, organised by BEN, I realised that while some people are promoting it as a new way for businesses to interact with others, they are a very small minority.

So, I have taken up the torch.

If that’s the only type of conversations you have, then you’re sad! (my business partner).

I don’t really know much about technology… (older person).

Isn’t that just for teenagers?

Blogging’s only for people who are really into themselves… [as we say here in Northern Ireland]

OK, I get the deal.  It would of course be incredibly sad (in the true sense of the word) if you were only to have conversations online.  But, that is not what using social networking is about.  It is not some master ploy to make us all laptop-bound.  HOWEVER, if you are at all concerned about marketing your product or want your service to reach a wider audience and you have not got masses of gold on which to draw for television/internet or other advertising, then you’d better sit up straight.

Facebook, blogs, Youtube and the like are here.  Now.  They may no longer be here next year, but they are now.  Are you ignoring the elephant in the room?  Read Groundswell if you don’t believe me.  Their advice?  ‘…learn to ride the wave’.

If you were selling your house, wouldn’t you have it presented in such a way as to make it look as appealing as possible to a potential client?

Then, why do you remain with the traditional (and invariably expensive) methods of getting your good news out there?  80% of businesses in Northern Ireland are small businesses, employing less than five people.  Do you have a massive advertising budget?  No and neither do I.

That’s why I’m encouraging you to at least investigate what social networking can do for you.

Later.