The results of a LinkedIn Exercise in Social Media Marketing at Aurora University in the Fall of 2013. Students maximized their LinkedIn Profiles using Strategic and Digital Marketing Principles and the advice of a LinkedIn Expert with the result that they felt more confident about their abilities in social media. Many of the adult learners received job interviews and offers as a result of optimizing their profiles.

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“LinkedIn For Learning”
Aurora University
Faculty Symposium
Debra Zahay-Blatz, Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing
Dunham School of Business
2/19/2014

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Agenda
• Course background/Goals
• LinkedIn Exercise
• Outcomes
• Questions

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Course: MKTG 4610 Social Media Marketing
• Two Sections, Fall 2013
• One Day, One Evening Adult Learners
• Course Learning Objectives:
– Become familiar with major social media platforms
– Learn differences between personal and company
branding, personal and corporate social media use
– Learn to Create/execute a social media plan

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Outcomes: Student Discussion, Day Section
What should I tell other
students about the class?
•Helps you find a job
•Learn to use social media
•Helps you be more
professional, stand out from
other people
•Apply what we are learning
•Could consult to companies,
at a cost-advantage
•“I could tell a firm I could
manage social media
marketing for you and keep
you on track.”
What was the class all
about?
•Create a social media
presence for your brand:
1) self
2) a company/client
•Differences between
Professional/Recreational
•The different platforms
and how used.
•How to execute brand
promotion on the different
platforms.

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Exercise:
Who am I
Online?

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Linked In For Learning: Marketing Strategy
Principles Reinforced by Exercise
Strategic Principle
• Core competencies
• Point-of-Difference
• Network Power
Implementation on
LinkedIn
• Keywords
• Skills and
Endorsements
• 500 Plus Connections

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Linked In For Learning: Digital Marketing
Principles Learned Through Exercise
Digital Marketing
Principle
• Search = Strategy
• Engagement
• Viral Marketing (WOM)
Implementation on
LinkedIn
• Keywords
• Videos
• 500 Plus Connections

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Other Outcomes: Adult Evening Section
• Within a week: Targeted job
postings/phone calls
• Within two weeks: Job interviews
• End of class: Upward mobility in firm
• POST SCRIPT: Student from class starts
her new management position this week!
Upper management saw her LinkedIn
profile.

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LinkedIn Tactics Learned by Student
• Create a personal profile
page with keywords
focusing on your skills in
your field.
• Create connections to
others that have similar.
• Follow businesses of related
interests.
• Join groups related to your
interests in to connect with
others with similar interests
and share knowledge.
• List your skills and have
others endorse your skills.
• Send recommendations or
endorsements to others to
help boost there ratings as
well as yours.
• Slide Courtesy of Eric
James

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The Final Words: From the Student
“I find my LinkedIn profile is the strongest profile out of all
the created profiles on the web thanks to the ….After I
tweaked my profile, I noticed a huge difference in the
activity of my account. ….
In fact, I have received a few job offers since I tweaked my
account.” --Eric James

15. Copyright © 2014 Debra Zahay-Blatz