This seminar took place on November 20, 2014 at Co-working +961 as part of Global Entrepreneurship week in Lebanon and aimed to help entrepreneurs optimize their online presence well for business.

1. LINKEDINFOR ENTREPRENEURS
By Mohammad Hijazi
@mhijazi

2. WHERE TO BEGIN?

3. BEING ON LINKEDIN = LOOKING FOR DATE
•Be charming
•Be well prepared
•Be confident
•Know what you are looking for
•Take risks

4. BEFORE LINKEDIN!
Some preperations

5. STEP 1:EMAIL ADDRESS
Make sure you have a professional email address:
yourname@gmail.com
yourname@ymail.com
Firstinitial.lastname@yahoo.com
NOT:
pinkprincess@hotmail.com
sexybeast69@aol.com
puppy_loveXOXO@msn.com

6. STEP 2:GOOGLE YOURSELF
-Use Incognito Mode
-This is the first thing that recruiters do.
-Do you find things online you don’t want to see?
If yes remove them or ask the person who put them to remove them.
-Do you not show up at all on Google?
Not a good sign
Create content so that you show up
-Find what other people are saying about you

7. STEP 2:GOOGLE YOURSELF

8. STEP 3:DEFINE YOUR GOALS
Why are you online?
Looking for investors
Looking for partners
Seeking media attention
Networking
Hiring skilled talents
Finding a side-job
Research

9. STEP 3:DEFINE YOUR GOALS
Where is your audience located?
Lebanon
Beirut
Tripoli
Saida
Bekaa..
Gulf
Europe
Africa
USA
New York
Los Angeles…

10. STEP 3:DEFINE YOUR GOALS
What industry are you in?
Digital
Marketing
HR
Accounting/Finance
IT
Management
Engineering
Design
Retails
Etc…

11. STEP 3:DEFINE YOUR GOALS
If hiring, what level candidate am I looking for?
Starting job
Managerial
Consultancy
Mid-career
Top management
Internship

12. STEP 4:HAVE YOUR CV READY
-Check for errors
-Customize the CV to suit your goals
-Make it stand out! Use colors, photos, be creative.
-Export into PDF format for online usage
Sending it as doc format is not professional
In Microsoft Word: File > Save as > Save as type > PDF

13. STEP 5:OPTIMIZE YOUR PERSONAL SOCIAL NETWORKS
Facebook
Add your university, school, major, courses and graduation date
Add your previous and current employment including internships
Add your volunteer work and important projects
Make this information PUBLIC
Always have a presentable profile photo & cover
Make any unprofessional content private.

14. STEP 5:OPTIMIZE YOUR PERSONAL SOCIAL NETWORKS
Twitter
Add a professional bio.
Don’t use vulgar language in your tweets.
If you don’t want recruiters to match your resume to your twitter account, spell your name differently on twitter or make it private.
Interact with companies and professionals on twitter.

15. STEP 5:OPTIMIZE YOUR PERSONAL SOCIAL NETWORKS
Blog
Create a blog or guest blog on blogs or websites relevant to your industry
Write posts that are relevant to your career
Share your opinions about topics in your industry
Applicants with active blogs get a $200 more on average on their job offers
Start a blog easily on:
Blogger.com
Wordpress.com

16. STEP 6:SET-UP A LINKEDIN PROFILE
Linkedin.com

17. BASIC REASONS TO USE LINKEDIN
-Manage your professional profile and brand
-Network and meet professionals
-Share your expertise and knowledge
-Learn from others
-Uncover opportunities

18. ANONYMOUS ACCOUNTS ARE POINTLESS
It’s like hiding at the back of the crowd, no one will see your potential.

19. YOUR PROFILE IS THE NEW FIRST IMPRESSION
Try to make this first impression the best it can be!

20. HAVE AN AVATAR
A photo of you in color, head and shoulders only, keep the background simple.

21. USE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS
BAD EXAMPLES

22. USE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS
BAD EXAMPLES
More bad examples on: http://www.linkedinfun.com/

23. USE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS
GOOD EXAMPLES

24. USE TIMELY PHOTOS23 years ago8 years ago2 month ago

25. FILL OUT YOUR PROFILE INFORMATION

26. FILL OUT YOUR PROFILE INFORMATION

27. CREATE A GREAT PERSONA
The best profiles are rich with relevant information. They’re like a candid conversation about yourself. They’re not just a list of prior employers.

28. CONSIDER YOURSELF AS A PRODUCT
-Make your strengths stand out.
-State your career goals.
-Use tools to showcase your competitive edge, like Slideshareand Behance’sCreative Portfolio app.

29. SECTIONS YOU CAN EDIT
Name -First, last, and maiden names.
Headline-Will default to your current job title. You can change it to express your personal brand or how you want to be known (e.g. Outstanding Client Service Professional).
Summary-Information about your mission, accomplishments, and goals.
Experience-Professional positions and experience, including jobs, volunteer posts, military, board of directors, nonprofit, or pro sports.
Education-School and educational information.
Recommendations -You can request professional recommendations and display them on your profile.
CrucialImportantOptional

30. SECTIONS YOU CAN EDIT
Applications -You can add applications to your profile to display your work, get professional insights, or collaborate with others.
Certifications-Certifications, licensures, or clearances you've attained.
Courses -Adding your body of coursework can help your education to stand out.
Honors & Awards -Show off your hard-earned awards.
Languages -Languages you understand or speak.
Organizations-List the organizations or associations you've been a part of along with your role.
Patents-Any patents you've applied for or received.
CrucialImportantOptional

31. SECTIONS YOU CAN EDIT
Personal Information -Info such as email, phone number, location, and birthday.
Publications-Publications that have featured your work.
Projects-Showcase the projects you've worked on, along with team members.
Skills & Expertise-A relevant list of skills on your profile will help others to understand your strengths and improve your ability to be found when opportunities present themselves.
Test Scores-List your scores on tests to highlight high achievement.
CrucialImportantOptional

32. CREATE YOUR VANITY URL
Vanity URL

33. GET DISCOVERED BEYOND LINKEDIN
•If you leave comments on business websites or professional blogs, enter your Linkedinpublic profile URL in the websitesection.
•Add your URL to your professional Twitter bio.
•Add the URL to your business cards and resume.
•Make it part of your “about me”on your blog or website.
•Add it to your email signature.

34. A CENTRAL LINE OF CONTACT
•Save a few trees and make Linkedinyour digital business card.
•Add your email address and phone number to your profile. Fix the privacy settings as you see fit.
•Download the Linkedinmobile apps so you can instantly add connections and keep up to date with your network.

35. USE SEO TO HELP YOU GET DISCOVERED
•Use keyword rich job titles
•Optimize your job descriptions and experience
•Share more, especially your own content

36. WRITE INDUSTRY RELATED ARTICLES

37. DO NOT BE THIS STUPID!
Things you need to avoid!

38. OVERSELLING YOURSELF

39. USING LINKEDINAS TINDER

40. OVERSTATING

41. BEING A NINJA

42. ALSO AVOID
•Digital Marketing Magician
•Wizard of Light Bulb Moments
•Brand Warrior
•Senior Road Warrior Marketing Intern
•The Social Media Badass
•Digital Overlord
•Direct Mail Demi-God
•Mobile Sensei (and Planner)
•Chief Visionary Officer
•Chief Marketing Guru
•Chief Thought Provoker
•Chief Thinker
•Chief People Herder
•Director of Fundom

43. #SWAG #YOLO

44. I DON’T EVEN KNOW

45. STEP 7:WRITE YOUR BIO/INTRO

46. NEVER LEAVE IT BLANK
•Never leave the Summary section blank!! A blank Summary means that the first thing an employer sees is your Experience section. Your profile will then be like a resume without a Summary statement at the top, or like a term paper without an introduction. How will recruiters and hiring managers know where to focus or what to concentrate on in yourLinkedIn profileif you do not point them in the right direction?

47. IDENTIFY YOUR PURPOSE
•Why are you writing this bio? Who will read it?
•You need to take some time to think about your readers and what you want them to think about you.
•State your profile objective clearly: are you looking for investors, partners, to share your ideas, a job, etc…

48. THIRD PERSON PERSPECTIVE
•Your bio should sound as though it were objectively written, although it is obviously anything but.
•If you look at any book cover, the bio will be in the narrative mode even though the author has probably written it themselves.
•So instead of writing “I have lived in Switzerland and I speak 3 languages”, try “John has lived in Switzerland and he speaks 3 languages”.

49. SHOW, DON'T TELL
•"What have I done" > "Who I am“
•The "show, don't tell" principle of writing means focusing on what you do, not who you are -and that means action verbs.
•List of Action Verbs for Resumes & Professional Profiles
•The more details the better.
•Don't just say you're creative. Make sure you reference specific projects you worked on that demonstrate your creativity.

50. TAILOR YOUR KEYWORDS SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR AUDIENCE
•Your bio should position you as an expert in your field who serves a specific audience.
•Tell stories. Share your accomplishments. Everyone likes a good story. If you can grab some attention with something about yourself that we wouldn’t know from your resume bullets, you’re heading in the right direction.

51. THROW IN SOME PERSONALITY
•Add some flavor to your bio by including something unexpected. This can be a bit of humor or just curious information that you think people will be interested in, such as you being a tea connoisseur – already a topic for conversation.
•You can include something of the sort: “and in his spare time, he really enjoys writing about himself in the third person”.
•A little witty twist at the end can tell a lot about your personality.

52. STRUCTURE IT WELL
•Use all 2,000 characters.If you do not take advantage of this opportunity to write 2,000 characters about yourself, you are missing out on essential keyword optimization. Although the MOST important spots for keywords are your Headline, Specialties and Job Titles, your Summary section counts too.
•Break it up (with Headers, Sub-Headers and Graphics)! Don’t expect anyone to read a big block of text with no graphic interest. Make it visually easy to read.
•Include your contact information. Make it easy for people to find you. If you’re comfortable, include your phone number and e-mail.

53. AVOID BUZZWORDS & CLICHÉS
Avoid these statements:
•I’m a team player
•I have great communication skills
•I have a proven track-record.
•I’m a problem solver.
•I assisted in Xtask.
•I have a strong work ethic.
•I’m self-motivated.
•I’m accustomed to a fast-paced enviroment.

54. STEP 8:NETWORKING

55. CONNECTION DEGREES
•1st-degree-People you're directly connected to because you've accepted their invitation to connect, or they've accepted your invitation. You'll see a1stdegree icon next to their name in search results and on their profile. You can contact them by sending a message on LinkedIn.
•2nd-degree-People who are connected to your 1st-degree connections. You'll see a2nddegree icon next to their name in search results and on their profile. You can send them an invitation by clickingConnector contact them through an InMail.
•3rd-degree-People who are connected to your 2nd-degree connections. You'll see a3rddegree icon next to their name in search results and on their profile.
•If their full first and last names are displayed, you can send them an invitation by clickingConnect.
•If only the first letter of their last name is displayed, clickingConnectis not an option but you can still contact them through an InMail.
•Fellow members of your LinkedIn Groups-These people are considered part of your network because you're members of the same group. You'll see aGroupicon next to their name in search results and on their profile. You can contact them by sending a message on LinkedIn or using your group's discussion feature.
•Out of Network-LinkedIn members who fall outside of the categories listed above. You can contact them through an InMail.

56. ADD CONNECTIONS
•If you can’t figure out who to connect with, start with friends, colleagues, and family.
•The average wedding planner knows that any given person knows about 250 people to invite to a wedding. Make your wedding list.
•Use LinkedIn to follow up after other communications: Whenever you receive an email, business card, or a business phone call; tell the person that you are going to also connect by LinkedIn.
•It is wise to also add recruiters, experts in your field, potential investors, journalists and members of the media, but always remember to include a message with your request!

57. FIND DOORWAYS TO PROSPECTS
•Just like you want to focus certain people in your company to be Doorways (lots of connections), there are people at almost every other company who are naturally more connected than others. Connect to those that are highly connected in their own company and they open the doorway for you.

58. USE TAGS TO CATEGORIZE YOUR CONNECTIONS
•Tags are like Circles on Google+. They are categories you can use to organize your Contacts or Connections.
•Add Tags in the Contacts section of LinkedIn. Use them to differentiate:
•friends,
•partners,
•prospects,
•large prospects,
•customers,
•students,
•press, etc.

59. WHO TO FOLLOW?
•Your costumers
•Your competitors
•Your prospects
•Experts in your field

60. FREELY GIVE AND RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
•The Internet is a world of views, likes, shares, and comments. But best of all is a heart-felt recommendation, which you can do on LinkedIn. Nothing boosts morale, loyalty, and friendship, like an unsolicited recommendation.
•Don’t be afraid to ask for it from co-workers, friends, and even customers.

61. GIVE ENDORSMANTS
•If you haven’t worked directly with a person but know their capabilities, you can give them an endorsement.

62. CONNECT TO GROUPS
•Even users with robust profiles aren't taking full advantage of LinkedIn's groups.Groups are where experts, insiders and customers are. Groups is where you will find people you want to know and, more importantly, where people you care about can find you.
•If you can't find a group that fits what you do or includes the people you want,start one.Not only will that solve the problem, it's a great way to demonstrate issue and market leadership.

63. GROUPS FOR ENTREPRENEURS
•A Startup Specialists Group -Online Network for Entrepreneurs and Startups
•Band of Entrepreneurs
•Bright Ideas & Entrepreneurs
•Digital Marketing
•Entrepreneurs Meet Investors
•Entrepreneur's Network
•Future Trends
•Leadership Think Tank
•LInkedBusiness Strategists
•On Startups –The Community for Entrepreneurs
•Private Equity, M&A, and Venture Capital Investments
•Social Entrepreneur Empowerment Network
•Social Media Marketing
•Women's Network of Entrepreneurs
•Young Entrepreneur Connections

64. INTERACTING WITH INFLUENCERS
As part of the maturation process of LinkedIn, its news tool--Pulse--is an easy way to find, follow and connect with leaders that matter to you and your business.

65. STEP 9:CREATING A LINKEDINCOMPANY PAGE

69. STEP 10:LINKEDINADVERTISING

70. TERMINOLOGY
•Cost Per Mille (CPM): The advertiser pays for every thousand impressions for his/her content. An impression is each time the ad is displayed to the users.
•Cost Per Click (CPC):The advertiser pays every time a user clicks on the ad/content.
•Cost Per Action (CPA):The advertiser pays every time a user fulfils an action, such as filling in a form, participating in a competition, applying for a job, downloading an application, etc…
•Fixed cost:The advertiser pays a fixed amount for the ad to be displayed for a certain amount of time irrespective of amount of exposure, such as website banners and background ads.

71. WHICH TO USE?
•Linkedinadvertising generally can be compensated by CPC or CPM.
•The trick is to anticipate how the user will interact with your content.
•If you think that the user will click on your update (content such as photos, videos, links), it is wiser to choose the CPM compensation method.
•If you think that your content is not clickable (such status updates or photos that do not need to be enlarged), then perhaps you should consider using a CPC compensation strategy.
•CPA can be used for specific objectives, such as app downloads or having people apply for jobs.

72. BIDDING PROCESS
•LinkedIn advertising rely on a bidding process, where prices change on a continuous basis (sometimes every minute).
•Prices are different according to:
•different countries or cities (where supported)
•time of day (after midnight, they are cheaper),
•time of year (more expensive during holidays),
•demand (when a lot of other advertisers are running campaigns, prices go up).

73. HIRING ON LINKEDIN

74. FACEBOOK OR LINKEDINADVERTISING?
LinkedIn Advertising
Facebook Advertising
Your product is B2B or B2G
Your product is B2C
Your product is catered to skilled individuals
Your product is catered to the general public
You are recruiting specialized employees
You are recruiting unspecialized employees for general labor
You want to target using job positions, education, skills and experience.
You want to target using age, location, language and interests.
You want to promote professional content.
You want to promote general content.
To collect professional feedback
To collect general feedback

75. THANK YOU
Tweet me: @mhijazi