Megan Powers gave a presentation on using social media platforms for business. She discussed LinkedIn best practices including completing your profile with keywords, getting endorsements and recommendations, and being active by posting updates and joining groups. She also summarized other major platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, and Facebook. Some new LinkedIn features allow blocking other users and seeing more details on profile views.

1. Megan C. Powers
Powers of Marketing
Consultant
@meganpowers

2. What We’ll Cover…
 High-Level Overview of Different Social Platforms (4 biz)
 Purposes & some things you might not have thought of
 LinkedIn: Best Practices for your Brand
 Your personal brand & business brand are intertwined
 What’s (really) New in LinkedIn?
 The only constant is change
 Questions & Answers
 But, of course, ask throughout!

3. Other Social Media
Platforms for Business

4. Twitter
 140 characters to work with (1 billion+ users)
 Post photos—5x the engagement vs. text only
 Post links to blogs , videos, Web site (47% of people
who follow a brand on TW are likely to visit Website)
 Follow…
 Business people
 Other realtors
 ANY interesting topic/person
 Create lists
 Retweet, favorite, & reply to build relationships

5. Instagram
 It’s ALL visual – photo-based (150m users; 75m use it daily)
 65% of the world’s top 100 brands have IG accounts
 You will be found & followed because of hashtags = #
 #realestate #homebuying #sandiego #views #missionvalley
 Unlimited number of characters available
 Post to Twitter & Facebook at the same time
 You can comment & be interactive with followers

6. Google+
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Everyone with a gmail account now has a Google+ profile
Works similarly to Facebook in terms of posting
More actively used by businesses than individuals
It is growing in popularity
To “like” a post, click +1; share, click the arrow ->
Hangouts
 where you can have group video / voice calls for free
 live group conversations (replacement for Skype)
 “On air” channel has a schedule of broadcast you can
participate in

7. Pinterest
 Also VERY visual (70m users; 80% female)
 9m users have Pinterest connected to their FB
 Like an online magazine
 Users create boards & “pin” things to the boards
 create boards of any theme (“Dream Home”)
 Install the “pin it” button in your browser & pin just about anything
on the Internet
 within Pinterest, you then re-pin pins from those you follow
(most likely not an original pin from them)

8. Facebook
 Most familiar for everyone (1.26b users; 757m active daily)
 Growth has slowed, but remains where more people “are”
 Less (organically) useful now for business pages
 FB changed their algorithm
 To be seen you need to pay to boost posts
 Be sure to look at your insights to gauge when your followers
are online & when you get the most engagement

9. Established 2003
THE Social Network for Professionals
No longer just a place to find a job!

10. By the Numbers
 277 million users
 3 million business pages
 2.1 million groups
 1,500 school / university profiles
 40% of users check it daily
 1 billion endorsements
Bottom line? It’s an essential tool!
Try to implement these rec’s a bit at a time

11. Basics - Homepage

12. Basics – Homepage Menu
 Business Services: Jobs & advertising
 Upgrade: Premium services
 207  - # of invitations & messages
I have in my inbox
 2 – showing notifications, much
like Facebook
 NEW: Showing you someone
who recently joined LI

13. Basics
 Your Profile – Make it complete!

14. Basics
 Your Profile – It’s all in the details…
 A. This is separate from any title entered—totally
customizable & is what’s visible in search results
 B. These fields are populated by LI, based on what you
have entered in your work history

15. Basics
 This is your online resume,
but plumped-up
 Use “keywords” in your
summary / job descriptions
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Similar to keywords used in
Website optimization
These are words you want to
be found by (Realtor, San
Diego, Home buying, Home
selling, etc.)

16. Basics
 Your Profile – Now includes personal details…

17. Details, Details, Details!
 LinkedIn is now working like a CRM system

18. Endorsements & Recommendations
 Endorsements (new)
 Connections endorse those
skills you have listed
 They can also add new ones,
which you can approve
(or not)
 Recommendations
 Request them from people
you have worked with
 Review them before you approve adding to profile
 Give also, but you don’t necessarily have to give to get

19. Improve Your Profile
 Click the “Improve Your Profile” Button
 You will be prompted to add details
 Add images/videos (new listings, tips, happy clients?)

20. Showcase your Business & Services
 In addition to your personal page, you can have a
business page – it’s an individual choice
 Under Interests, select “Companies”
 Companies you follow will display here
(their latest updates)
 On the right side, there’s a “Create” button
 Gives you an additional place to showcase the
happenings of your business
 A place to “brag”
 Link-back to your Website

21. Showcase your Business & Services
 Great Example!

22. Adding Connections
 Two ways to do it:
 Swiftly / sweeping 
(time-saving)
 Deliberately / one at a time
(authentically)
 Recommendations
 If you get someone’s business card, add them
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Be sure to note how you met in the invite
 Don’t add from your mobile
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It does not let you add a note

23. Connections vs. Contacts
 Connections
 1st Degree connections
 2nd Degree = someone you’re
connected to is connected to them
 Contacts (umbrella term)
 Someone you’ve “saved”
or imported (wish list)
 Include a note re: how you
met and/or “Tag” them
 Great way to sort

24. Tips for Growing your Network
 Search Alumni from your Schools

25. Tips for Growing your Network
 Join Groups
(or create one… but then you have to moderate it)
 People are more open to connecting with fellow group
members (no e-mail required to request the connection)
 Choose a variety of your professional & personal interests
 Be present & active

26. Be Present & Active
 Within the groups you belong to
 Get involved in the conversations
 Ask questions to start
a dialog

Word of warning:
“Selling” is frownedupon within groups
 Comment or “like” posts
from other members

27. Be Present & Active
 Post “Updates” regularly
 Each time you “like” or comment, your name is seen
 Each time you post an update, your name is seen
 Each time you update your profile, your name is seen

28. Be Present & Active
 Use the bit.ly URL shortener in updates

29. Tips for Growing your Network
 Ask for Help!

30. LinkedIn E-mail Notifications
 You can control what email you receive (in settings)

31. Latest Changes in LinkedIn
 You can now block other users
 If a user blocks another LinkedIn member, the two will
no longer have access to each other's profiles.
 If the users were connected, the connection will be
broken, & neither user will be able to message the other.
 Members are not alerted when
they are blocked.
 Select the drop-down arrow to
right of the "send a message"
button on that person's profile
page; one of the options is "block
or report."

32. Latest Changes in LinkedIn
 More detail is available regarding “who’s viewed your
profile”… OLD Version:

33. Latest Changes in LinkedIn
 Now

34. Questions?

35. Thank You!
Megan Powers – add me on LinkedIn! 
Twitter: @meganpowers
Instagram: @meganpowers_sd
E-mail: mcp@megancpowers.com
Website: www.megancpowers.com