Open source knowledge that contributed to the development of this resource include: CompassPoint BoardSource LinkedIn, Pulse The Foundation Center and more!

1. Strengthening
AHF’s Social Media Presence
- via -
An Easy 3-Step Guide to
Develop AHF’s Organizational ‘Brand’
Developed by:
Candice Marie Bickett, Brand/Content Strategist
E-mail: candicembickett@yahoo.com
Phone: 510-697-4182

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CONTENTS
STEP I: Getting Started………………………………………………………………………….3
STEP II: The Basics……………………………………………………………………..5
STEP III: Intentional Branding…………………………………………………………8
Resources…………………………………………………………………………………9
References………………………………………………………………………………10

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STEP I | Getting Started
This document was specifically designed with Autism Hearts Foundation in mind! AHF’s
goal of leveraging social media for organizational brand development is associated with
SMART objectives, and correspond to specific actions:
Reflection | Example
GOAL: Strengthen AHF’s brand
OBJECTIVE(S): (1) Develop AHF’s social media presence; (2) Grow AHF’s social capital
ACTION(S): (1) Create and develop individual LinkedIn profiles, organization page and
group; (2) Develop connections and networks; (3) Promote AHF’s brand; (4) Evaluate
impact of social media networking; (5) Align ongoing social media strategies with
organizational goals i.e. Strengthening AHF’s brand.
 Identify Goal(s) and Create SMART objectives
 Determine Actions and create Action Steps
 Evaluate you process in the context of short-term, intermediate and long-term outcomes
e.g. what knowledge you gain, what competencies your develop, and the impact your
goal of professional development has on your individually, and the people and
communities you serve and inspire!

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STEP I | Getting Started: Creating ‘SMART’ Objectives
S.M.A.R.T Objectives:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Timed
+C (Challenging and Fun!)
Actions: In light of the objectives AHF has identified, as related to their over-all goal(s),
what actions will AHF take to meet those objectives?
Reflection | Example
Goal: ________________________________________________________________
Objective Associated with this goal:
______________________________________________________________________
What Actions will help me reach this objective?
______________________________________________________________________
Action #1 ____________________________________________________________
Timeframe: ___________________________________________________________
Resources: ___________________________________________________________
Milestones: ___________________________________________________________
Achieved on: __________________________________________________________
Resulting in: __________________________________________________________

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QUESTION
CORNER
Has it been a while since
you set up your profile?
What’s changed?
STEP II | The Basics: Setting up a Profile
1. Complete your Profile
2. Upload a Profile Picture & tagline
3. Request Recommendations & endorsements
4. Customize your URL
5. Make Connections
6. Upload contact lists from mail providers
Already have a profile? Consider reaffirming your ‘mission, vision, and values,’ e.g.
what you do, why you do it, what informs your work. How has evolved since you
originally created your profile?
Creating a profile from scratch and don’t know where to start? Research and
select one or two LinkedIn profiles that appeal to your, analyze the profile and create a
template to inspire your own!
Upload a professional profile picture and create a compelling tagline. What kind of
taglines catch your eye? What do you search for? What key words that relate to your
industry, field or interests can you insert in your tagline? Your tagline is your profile’s
‘receptionist,’ and makes the first impression as does your profile picture.
 INPUTS: what are your tops strengths/skills?
 ACTIVITIES: What do you do with those strengths/skills-set(s)?
 OUTPUTS: What do you provide as a result? e.g. your selling points
 OUTCOMES: What impact does it have, directly, indirectly, big-picture?

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Recommendations and Endorsements: What would you clients, partners, supporters,
say about you? What stands out in their mind around their experiences with you? What
would you like your constituents and community to know about your skills-set,
personality, work style? Recommendations are validations of what you can do, what you
offer, & how you do it. Read more about the impact of value creation in social media.
Endorsements are a great way to demonstrate competency. Start by listing your
anything relating to your professional brand, training, certifications, skills, expertise,
demographic/professional foci. Are you representing these aspects of your professional
self on your LinkedIn profile? Have people endorsed the aspects of your ‘tool box’ that
you wish to highlight?
Your URL: e.g. the link to your LinkedIn profile should be customized. Your URL
is indexed by Google and influences your ‘ranking’ e.g. how often your profile is viewed
online. Have you customized your URL? Does it include keywords relating to your
current or target industry or field?
Connections, both 1st and 2nd are crucial to networking on LinkedIn. You should be
interacting with your target 1st degree connections often, and leveraging your 2nd degree
connections. Even superficial communication is significant.
 2nd degree connections’ networks are key to networking on LinkedIn. You may
connect by sending Inmail, (with Premium account) requesting introductions from
1st connections, and by strategically staying on their ‘radar.’
 The source of your connections is also important. Using the most recent and
significant connections you already have is the first step.
 Import all your contact lists from your email accounts. Consider writing a semi-
personal template to send requests for connections to your uploaded contacts.
Save the template on your LinkedIn profile.

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QUESTION
CORNER
Are you using ‘Advanced
Search’?
Are you creating ‘saved
searches’ too?
STEP II | The Basics: Contacts and Networking
Find existing connections who are:
 Doing what YOU want to do
 Working in your current or desire industry
or field, or sector
 2nd degree connections who have 1st degree
connections to the people, companies and
groups you want to know more about
Your search criteria – search by ‘Advanced’:
 Company (current and or former)
 Groups
 Schools
 Location
 Industry
 Skill(s)-sets, technical skills, etc.
 Major, interest, passion, etc.
Expand indirect connections – even passively:
 Pose questions and facilitate discussions in LinkedIn Groups
o Pique the interest of 2nd and 3rd degree connections
 Update your status
(Your status updates appear in emails and promotes your current projects)
Join groups
 That are of interest to you
 That are of interest to the people you are interested connecting with

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STEP III: Intentional Branding
Your ‘Brand’ is:
 A holistic reflection of your organization’s professional, and increasingly, personal
persona, as it relates to your career, interests and social connections.
 A representation of the intentional way the organization presents itself
 Created or developed based on how the organization wishes to be perceived
Develop or reaffirm your organization’s ‘brand’ by:
 Creating a business profile for your company or organization
 Creating a group or groups around your interests, niche, passion, field, industry
or sector
o Engage potential clients and other followers
o Create a group that is S.A.R. – Specific, Accessible, Relevant
o Keep the conversation going by posting discussions and articles!
o Be the 1st to create a group or page around your specific niche or
perspective on an issue.
Are you a, ‘Survivor of Banana Peel Accidents in the Tri-state Area’?
I bet there are others out there too. Why not create a group! 

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RESOURCES: Monitoring, Controlling, & Evaluating
“LinkedIn is 277% more effective in generating networking leads over
Facebook and Twitter” - Hubspot.com, 2012
Monitoring how your professional presence is perceived is as important as creating it.
Controlling the information that your share, the places you share it, and how you share
can allow you to optimize your ‘brand’ and become a networking guru!
 Evaluating the impact of your ‘brand’ involves evaluating LinkedIn analytics e.g.
what you’re doing well, what you need to do more of, and how you need to do it!
 Your communication style, connections, groups, brand etc. all influence the
perception of your online presence i.e. your investment: YOU
Optimize your ‘brand’ by targeting the platforms, keywords, groups, pages, comments,
‘Answers,’ articles posted and shared connections that are influencing your traffic!
LinkedIn group and page analytics measures three dimensions of viewing traffic:
 TYPE: e.g. your profile, group or page views. Who is viewing? What industry are
they in? What is their location, or title?
 FREQUENCY: How often are you getting views? How do you rate in your
network, industry, and field?
 SOURCE(S: How are people finding you? Groups, titles, google search?

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REFERENCES
 Cam Card [Android]: an application that allows you to turn business cards into
contacts by scanning them into your smart phone
 Slideshare: showcase your work and gain a wider following of 1st and 2nd
connections by posting your professional work samples on Slideshare.
Slideshare is fully integrated with LinkedIn and presents an alternative to creating an
entire website dedicated to your portfolio!
 “Slideshare for LinkedIn Talent Solutions:” Slideshare presentation
 “LinkedIn: Just the Basics:” Slideshare presentation
 “Gain a Professional Development Edge with LinkedIn” Slideshare presentation