What’s new with Twitter Enhancements this past week? Twitter rolled out a new interface to access your accounts on twitter.com.  The prior tag @Mention is replaced with two new tabs.

1. @Username
2. @Activity

Similar to the Google+, these new tabs show you “new” people who have followed you along with “new activity” of people within your network. Here is an example of a strong twitter user with the new tabs along the top of the illustration. As you can see below, the new @Username tab shows which of your tweets are favorites, plus the latest retweets (from your tweets), tweets directed to you along with new followers.  The new Activity tab highlights the latest favorites, retweets and follows from the people you follow on Twitter.

Twitter now makes it easy to share your pictures. You can now upload images up to 3MB directly from your twitter account. Twitter scales the image to size for you to fit into the display pane on right side of your twitter.com timeline.  You can go to the Twitter Help Center and read about uploading and sharing images on Twitter.com. It is as simple as clicking inside the tweet box on your homepage or in the New Tweet Button. You will see two small icons in the lower left corner – one is for adding your location (a compass) and the other is for uploading an image (a camera).  After you click “add Image,” you will click on the camera icon to upload the image and you will browse to find the image and upload. Once you added the image, you will see the character count on then left of the Tweet button update. Add the text inside the box and hit the Tweet button. Once you are done, click on the Tweet to view the image in the display pane.  In some browsers, you may see the name of the file instead of the thumbnail. See examples below.

Twitter will reveal the official name of the Twitter Bird who is called “Larry.” You can see below a tweet revealing his name. With the Twitter bird making appearances pretty much everywhere, it was about time to give him a name.

Twitgram delivers messages to anyone on twitter and all you need is their @twitter_names.  This tool lets you write as much as you would like with no character limits! This allows you to send a tweet to any of your followers letting them know how to retrieve a message.  You can change this to anything you want, but leave the @twitter_name and [URL] which will be filled in automatically, so the tweet is delivered promptly to the persons you want.

Have you heard of the “Who Retweeted Me” tool?  This new tool that is supplied by HubSpot enables you to analyze your website and gives you some interesting stats including your 20 most influential tweeters with a link to thank them with a tweet.

Improve your LinkedIn Profile today. Your LinkedIn Profile is your online professional identity. This helps you not only connect with others but also helps you become found for career opportunities. When you edit your profile on LinkedIn, you will see an “Improve Your Profile” button with tips on how to get better visibility on LinkedIn.  See example below showing the new tab on and how to update your own LinkedIn Profile.  The Improve Your Profile Tool analyzes your profile and offers you personalized profile recommendations to help you improve your own profile. Clock on the Improve your Profile Button and Edit your Profile page.

LinkedIn also included a handy checklist guide that is displayed on the right side of the tool that highlights your recommended steps.  In the left column, they guide you through the steps with simple questions.

This new tool is constantly being updated and is customized for every member within LinkedIn. Be sure to check out your own profile and make some quick improvements today.

Have you ever heard of Klout? Well, there are 5 more networks added.  You can now connect Blogger, Flickr, Tumblr, Instagram and Last.fm to your Klout account to help keep track of your social influence. With these additions, Klout now tracks 10 social media network sites. On August 10^th, Klout took a big step forward for measuring influence wherever it happens. Klout goes beyond a status update for measuring influence.  Check out their site and start using it today.

DJ Heckes, CEO & Author
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.exhib-it.com
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.fullbrainmarketing.com

So, you have a Facebook page.  Not only a personal page, but you have even gone to the lengths of creating a business page, branding it and making it look amazing.  Now what?

I am sure you have guessed that just because you have a Facebook Page does NOT mean people will engage with you on it.  Do not be discouraged!  Facebook can be a powerful and affective way of driving your business when it is used properly.  What do I mean by that, you say?  Well, if you develop certain, daily habits when it comes to Facebook, it can turn out to not only find you qualified prospects, but transform you into the “go-to” leader of your industry!

I have found certain habits to be incredibly helpful when it comes to engaging your fans.  These are basic tips, too, so keep them close at hand and available for reference the next time you feel as if you’re paddling against the current.

Talk to your friends

Right, I know, obvious!  But you would be surprised.  A lot of Facebook users will post things and leave it at that.  To gain popularity and really engage your followers, comment on the little things that are so often overlooked.

For instance, when someone posts a new picture or status update, comment on it!  When someone posts on your page, acknowledge them and comment.  Facebook is wonderful about telling you when your friends are having a birthday, so take advantage of that and wish them a happy birthday—I have yet to meet a single person who does not appreciate a good birthday wish.  I could go on, but to make a long story short (too late): Engage with all of your friends to make yourself more tangible and let people know that you are truly interested in them.

Having a hard time finding the right words?  Here are some tips:

• Use people’s names. It adds a personal touch and makes people feel like they really know you.  Odds are they do really know you, but it still makes people feel special to be called out.  Tag their names, if you can.
• Be comfortable. Just be yourself!
• Keep it short and sweet. Have you ever seen a really long post or comment and just not had the energy to read it?  Well, odds are no one else wants to read a novel on Facebook, either.  So just get to the point you are trying to make and leave it be.

Your Turn: At least once a day you should go and be active on your friends’ pages.  Read their posts and engage.  People will notice and appreciate your consideration, and return the favor!

Know what is going on

Some people may find this particular task tedious and boring, but I personally like to know what is happening with my pages.  And I suggest, regardless of how you feel about it, you should take the time to keep track of your Facebook activity!  You can see how many fans you have, if there has been traffic on your page, and much more.  Trust me, metrics are always worth knowing.

EdgeRank Checker is another great tracking tool.  It scores your Facebook page(s) for you!  Granted, no one really knows exactly how they do this, but they do it nonetheless.  According to EdgeRank, “We began working on an algorithm that is admittedly a work in the progress that is tweaked often to reflect the most accurate representation of EdgeRank on the internet.”

Apart from scoring your pages, it also tells you what days you have the most activity, which is handy because then you know when to post the most important things and get the best results.

Your Turn: Keep an eye on your Facebook activity, whether you use EdgeRank Checker or just Facebook Insights.  It is always better to be in the know than in the dark.

Be a problem solver

Everyone loves a person with solutions.  So, be that person!  Through that, you can easily build rapport with your fans/friends, and become the ranking industry expert. 

Of course, the only way to become an expert problem solver is to consistently solve problems that you know how to solve.  I know that sounds a little redundant, but it was worth saying.  For example, my expertise is in trade show marketing, so I consistently post tips to help the average person marketing more successfully at trade shows.  When people have questions, I am prompt and accurate with my answers.  I do not go around trying to post tips on rebuilding classic cars, because that is most certainly not my niche.

Another great example is Facebook Guru, Mari Smith.  She is a certified Facebook expert and always responds quickly to all problems.  She also has a page dedicated to Facebook resources, just in case she cannot get you an answer fast enough.  Mari has developed a loyal following, most of whom she has turned into customers. 

Your Turn: I now charge you with the task of going out and making yourself the industry expert among your Facebook fans.  Think of questions you have been asked, even questions you yourself asked when you first got started.  Create a resource page so fans have somewhere to go when you are not available, and keep all of your information current.  This will help dramatically increase your Facebook clout.

Keep it current and interesting

If you want to maintain good rapport, your post content needs to be up-to-date and be relevant to the majority of your fans.  Realistically, you cannot reach everyone on every level, but you can reach most people if your keep your posts strategic. For example, on my Facebook page, I post an inspirational quote every day.  It gets a great reaction from my fans because people do not have to be in trade show marketing to find relevance in a general quote about life.  And just in case not everyone is prepared for something serious and deep, I always follow the quote with a cartoon that has something to do with marketing, advertising or social media.  Those topics will not mean something to everyone, but they do to a lot of people and I get good reactions from those posts as well.

I also post these twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, just to make sure that I reach a wider audience.

Your Turn: Make regular posts with content that is not only interesting, but able to reach the majority of your audience.  If you do that, then your posts will be something that people wait for and expect.  Ta da!  An automatic loyal following.

If it is not working, just leave it alone

When you start tracking your Facebook activity, you can easily see what actions you take get the most results, and which do not.  With the ones that aren’t getting any positive results, or the results that you want, see what you can do to change them.  If, after certain allotted time, the changes are not helping, just give it up, and move on to the next idea.  Be creative in finding different ways to engage your fans and increase your activity, but if what you are doing is not increasing traffic or getting you more fans, do not waste time trying to make it work.

.Your Turn: Is your page getting the results you want?  If not, figure out why.  Then start trying experimenting with different methods of getting people involved.  Once again, if what you are doing is not working, stop and move on.

Be kind to your fans

Although you are doing your best to be the person with the best content, be aware that others have good ideas and good posts also.  So when someone has posted something relevant and valuable, share it!  If your fans see you sharing their posts and getting them noticed, they will definitely return the favor. 

Your Turn: At least once a week, attempt to find great third-party postings and repost or share them.  You will get results from this action.

DJ Heckes, CEO & Author
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.exhib-it.com
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.fullbrainmarketing.com

How Will Images Help You Engage Your Followers?

Do you remember when you were a kid and all of your favorite books had pictures in them?  Someone else read to you and you looked at the pictures.  Magazines, catalogues, newspapers, and all other forms of written material were never attractive to you unless there were pictures.  I even remember always begging my mother to let me look at the pictures while I was being read to, but I always had to wait until the end of the page when she turned the book around to show me.

The concept is essentially the same.  Things are a lot more fun to read when you have something visual, tangible, to go along with it.  Think about it.  Even now, would you rather read some report that was long and tedious and had nothing but text or an equally long article with color and visuals popping out at you?  

Images are everywhere and can be used all over the place - on your website and social media pages (could you imagine those without pictures? Boring!), and even your blogs.  In an article I found online, “Why Images are Vital to Modern Blogs,” by Adam Singer, he drives home the importance of including images in your blogs to keep your readers interested…is it working?

Enhancing Effects

Effects are a great way of getting your pictures to really pop.  People are more likely to look at a picture with pizzazz than one that they could take just as well.  There are all sorts of programs and apps available to you if you choose this route.  And for all you Mac users out there, you may find photography apps online.  And remember: be creative!

iPhoneography

We have all had those moments while we were out and about and in a situation where we said, “I wish I had my camera!”  Well, for those who have an iPhone, not only does it allow you to never miss that Kodak moment, but there are apps you can download to really jazz up your photos—on the go, anytime, anywhere.  Iphoneography has become quite the big deal, from amateur photographers to professionals.  In the article“Explore the Art of iPhoneography: A Three Step Guide to Get You Started,” photographer Stephanie C. Roberts tells us how to get the most out of our iPhones from a photographer’s stance, and what apps to use to really make your photos unique. “Just as a writer might jot spontaneous thoughts in a journal or an artist might draw loose marks in a sketchbook, making images with your iPhone can help you craft compositions in a more organic way, hone your instincts to anticipate magic moments, loosen up your traditional approach to photography and illuminate a path toward defining your unique vision.”
 

Hipstamatic

Hipstamatic is one of those amazing iPhone apps that can really help you add life to your photographs.  Stephanie Roberts uses it herself saying, “Hipstamatic mimics the unique style of vintage prints characterized by vignettes, blurring, textured edges and oversaturated colors created with the original analog plastic camera. Using a square-format viewfinder, the app lets you switch ‘lenses,’ ‘flash’ and ‘film’ with the swipe of a finger. I often shoot with Hipstamatic because I like composing images in the square-format viewfinder and I like the creative constraint of choosing the ‘film’ and ‘lens’ before I shoot.”

If you are looking for more details on Hipstamatic and how you can use it, Rick Brooks from Flyte talks about it, and other fun apps, in this informative video.

Lights, Camera, Action!

And why stop with just pictures?  Think bigger and more engaging, and throw some short films into the mix!  You can put them on your site, social media pages, and blogs.  They can be anything from testimonials to creative short ads shot by you, or even your customers.  Animoto is a great tool that helps you take you stills, clips and music and make a little movie out of them.

Creating That Experience

In the end, it is all about the user’s experience on your site/blog/page, and images can help enhance that experience.  But you really must be creative with the images you use, whether you find them or create them/have someone create them for you.  They need to be aesthetically pleasing to stick out in the user’s memory, and thus have your page stick out as well.  Think of some of your favorite photographs.  What about them appeals to you? What exactly about that picture makes it better than the others? 

Color, contrast, unique lines, and captivating subjects are just some components of memorable and engaging images.  Connie Malamed writes about research on processing fluency, which “influences a viewer’s affective response to a work.”  In her post, How to Improve the Appeal of Your Graphics, she talks about how processing fluency affects aesthetic experiences, and lists four features that help to promote the fluency (thus creating a more positive reaction for the viewer): “Symmetry (vertical symmetry in particular), High figure-ground contrast, Visual clarity, Less information rather than more”.

Now you know how to engage your followers with your images, how to use them, how to play with them, and how to make them more aesthetically pleasing to the viewer.  So I challenge you to take these tips and implement them. Also, let me know what you think.  Questions, comments, anything, just let me know!

DJ Heckes, CEO & Author
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.exhib-it.com
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.fullbrainmarketing.com

Learn six ways to promote your brand and drive online traffic through providing great Customer Service? In this article, we will show you just how to do that! Have you ever noticed that people are more likely to participate in things if they are given an incentive?  Well, if you haven’t, just know it is true.  People like rewards, it is that simple.   

What Does This Mean to You?

Because social media is such a huge deal nowadays, everyone wants to be a part of it, and they all want the same thing out of it: more business!  So how on earth are you supposed to stand out when everyone, including your competition, is doing the exact same thing for the exact same reason?

In this endless frenzy of businesses jumping on the social media bandwagon, it is very easy to lose sight of certain things.  One thing no one should lose sight of though is customer service.  You may be thinking, “Customer service on Facebook?”  Well, yes!  Anytime you are representing your brand, customers and customer service must be what we never lose focus on.

So, how do you drive business, get people onto your website, and have more loyal followers/customers than your competition?  Offer great customer service, and offer rewards.  Rewards are an amazing way to inspire people to visit your pages. 

Let’s check out a few examples so you can see what I mean… 

Available ONLINE ONLY!

Everyone loves a good discount.  But clipping coupons out of the Sunday paper is quickly falling out of fashion.  What is the fad now? Online coupons!  Discount websites, such as Groupon, are exploding in popularity.  People just cannot get enough, and have come to not only love, but expect a certain percent off.

Now What?

Well, if you are looking to drive traffic onto your website, this is a wonderful way to do that.  Offer things that are only available online, and people will not be able to resist.

There are many different ways to go about this, so use your creativity.  You could print codes out on receipts, send out a newsletter with discounts or reach out through social media; sign up with Groupon or other sites that offer similar services.

There are many ways to reach your customer base when offering discounts online.  Just be sure to remember, as with everything online, you must be able to reach your audience the way that they want to be reached, so do not just use one avenue. 

Make it Into a Game.

We all play games, every last one of us-- especially games we can win. So give your fans and followers something to go for!

Sites such as Gowalla, GetGlue and Foursquare, they entice users by making “checking-in” a game.  They will reward you every time you “check-in” by giving you a badge or medal of sorts.  Foursquare has a leader board which shows how many points you have collected compared to your friends and other connections.  So every time you log on, you will see where you rank, and will probably do what you can to make sure you rank at least in the top three.

Now What?

Easy!  Start your own competition! 

How you design the game is up to you, depending on your particular business and customer base.  But give the people who visit your page or site a reason to come back—offer stickers or stamps (preferably branded) to reward your loyal visitors.  Put some creative thought into this so you can make it as interesting as possible.

This method works very well for businesses that survive on their customers making frequent purchases.  I am sure you have all experienced going to a place of business, typically restaurants and the like, and they hand you a card and say that if you get a certain amount of stamps your next burger is free.  It is a similar concept, and it works very well.

For smaller companies, it may be easier to associate with a large brand with an established reputation for this type of reward system, like Foursquare.

Always keep in mind that the end goal is to creative a positive experience for customers, or potential customers.  Be creative and engaging to stand out in their mind as the website that is the most fun, and rewarding, to visit.

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

This is a really fun way to promote your brand: include your customers in your advertising!

I know, the idea sounds a little wacky, but it really does work.  Doritos did it by creating a campaign called Make an Ad, Make a Fortune, where customers made commercials for Doritos.  The most popular commercial was broadcast on prime-time television! 

Now What?

Regardless of what form of advertising you use, offering people their moment in the limelight is always going to work.

Give clear instructions so everyone knows what is expected, and encourage everyone to get involved!  That way you are not only promoting the brand, but building a customer base.  Also, if you are still looking for ways to build your online traffic, have the vote take place on your website or social media site.

And the Grand Prize Goes To…

Contests, specifically content-creation contests, are an incredible way of promoting your brand. It’s a method that digitally involves customers, or potential customers, and gets businesses free publicity.  Nothing bad about that!

A recent demonstration of this came in the form of Microsoft’s Cannes 2011 competition, which asked students to create a film showing the usefulness of a Windows 7 PC in a student’s life. 

Now What?

First you have to come up with a great incentive—a prize.  Many people are very creative, but it takes a lot to bring that creativity out.  So what you offer must be very tempting.  For example, the Microsoft Cannes competition offered $8,000, a trip to Cannes for two, parties, and the works.  Needless to say it got people off their couches and behind their cameras.

Granted, very few companies can compete with Microsoft as far as cash prizes go, but giving away free products or services will work well also.  Get your team together and brainstorm!  What do you want to ask people to create, what is the content, and what is their reward?

Areas for Improvement

What is the first brand that comes to mind when it comes to listening to customer feedback?  Starbucks.

Starbucks designed a campaign to make the voices of the customers heard, called “My Starbucks Idea”.  They do this by collecting ideas from their existing customers and allow others to vote on which they would most like to see implemented, and the most popular suggestions are.

Dell also has a similar campaign going called Dell’s Idea Storm, where, like Starbucks, they encourage customer input and actually use their ideas.

It’s So Simple

Have you ever noticed that sometimes we get going so fast, that every once and a while we forget about the niceties?  Well, that should simply no longer be overlooked!  One of the best customer rewards systems is to simply say, “Thank you!”

This reward system is meant to go, not only on its own, but with every other method of rewarding your customers we have discussed here today.  The person who films the winning commercial should get a thank-you, as should the one who had the winning idea that brought more business into your establishment, and so on.  A thank-you can even be as modest as sending a thank-you note.  You want to leave the customer feeling as if they are appreciated—and they most certainly are.

Now what?

After using one, or all, of these methods to drive your online customer base, what is next?

Get feedback.  Feedback forms work very well.  A great way to get the feedback and gathering more online followers at the same time is to put those feedback forms on your website or social media sites.  But, whatever you do, do not forget to listen to these comments—they are no use to anyone as just air.

Your customers will know when you have listened, and feel more valued as a result.  And that is what it is all about after all, is it not?  Customer service! 

DJ Heckes, CEO & Author
EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts
www.exhib-it.com
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.fullbrainmarketing.com

Does it ever seem as if every time you blink, social media is completely different?  Social media changes so fast and so often, it can be easy to get left in the dust!  So just in case you have been out of the loop, here are some recently new things that are good to know.  Be sure to keep reading as each week we post new social media tips to help you learn more for your own business.

What’s New?

Twitter has a new way to make it easy to follow and be followed!  This wonderful little button not only makes it so you can follow all of your “favorites” just by clicking on the bird, but you can add it to your own website, too! How handy is that?

*Follow Twitter accounts direct from their website or blog in just one click!

Google has a new button!  Google +1 is similar in concept the “Like” button on Facebook.  When you click on it, it shares your recommendation with all your Google contacts!  Now this is so new that Google considers it an experiment, so you must opt in to be able to use it.  To learn a little bit more about the button and get it on your site, you can do so here.     

See example of using Google +1 below.

The Google +1 Button is initially rolling out through a selected number of publishers.

‘Google Offers’:  Oh, yes.  Google is starting their coupon program!  Starting in Portland, OR, Google is working with local businesses to help promote by offering discounts to those who opted in to use it.  Google Offers is also looking for businesses who want to sign up with it so they can team up with you, providing you more business and getting your name out there, while you in turn help spread the word!  They eventually intend on teaming with Google Wallet, a crazy new app that offers a new way to pay.

*See example video below:

See embedded code here:  <object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CjDA_mbkZjE&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CjDA_mbkZjE&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>

Twitter Search offers more: As Twitter puts it, “Twitter brings the most meaningful information in the world right to your pocket. And, we're constantly working on ways to make that even better.”  Starting soon, when you search on Twitter or click on a topic, you will be provided with not only more relevant results, but you will also be shown photos and videos related to your search topic.  “It's never been easier to get a sense of what's happening right now, wherever your curiosity takes you.” Click on the picture below to learn details about what is new in the Twitter world.

And if that wasn’t enough, here are some awesome new tools:

Shoutomatic:  I must admit, this one really blew me away.  Have you ever noticed that when you type in status updates on Facebook and Twitter, conveying your emotions is very difficult in text.  Well, Shoutomatic has solved that problem for us all.  It is an app you can sign up for through Twitter or Facebook that allows you to record your voice and post status updates that way.  What will they come up with next?  Keep reading…

BO.LT:  BO.LT is an interesting new site that allows you to completely alter (or customize) and web page you choose to share with your fans or followers. To try, just go to the site, type in your email address and it will let you experiment a little.  It is fascinating, to say the least, and I recommend you try it. 

Crowdbooster:  This new dashboard allows you to keep track of your followers and fans on Twitter and Facebook.  You can see just about everything that has to do with your admiring public on both sites in one place.

Were there any new social media releases that caught your eye?  Please share, because like I said, it can be really hard to keep up!

DJ Heckes, CEO & Author
EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts
www.exhib-it.com
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.fullbrainmarketing.com

Nowadays, as I am sure you have noticed, the internet is full of news sources, e-sources and so much information at the tips of your fingers that allow you to stay up to date with current events. You can visit the big news sites such as CNN.com, BBC, NBC, and all the other big ones.  Even web browsers will give you news as soon as you log in.  Places like AllTop.com and Mashable.com allow you to search for news that is specific to your industry.  But if you really want to get specific, and not have to search for articles that are relevant to you and your industry. Also check out LinkedIn Today as this is the place to go.  For those in the business community, LinkedIn Today is the new kid on the block.  LinkedIn Today allows news that you choose to come straight to you.  No more searching the web for news that is out of date and likely irrelevant. LinkedIn Today lets you choose the genre you are interested in and sends the most current events straight to your page.  It also allows you to look at the most shared news stories, peoples’ comments and much more.  LinkedIn describes it as a way to “discover what the world’s professionals are reading, sharing AND tweeting.”  Basically, LinkedIn Today is a news source for a professional that, if used correctly, allows one to expand their influence in the social media world.

Industry Specific News

What makes LinkedIn Today different from other e-sources is the fact that the entire platform is powered by people, specifically LinkedIn members.  What does that mean?  It means all the articles that show up at the top of the list are the ones that have been most shared by professionals in a multitude of industries.  LinkedIn Today truly gives power of the press to the people. 

But that is not all!  LinkedIn Today also allows people to comment on articles.  So not only can one view, at a glance, the top stories in specific industries fueled by people who are actually interested and know what they are talking about, one can also read comments left by other readers!  What possible value could that have?  Not all articles are most read because they are good.  Some news goes viral because it is controversial, inaccurate, or because it was terribly written.  Comments are helpful because they show how people react to stories—their true, gut reaction.  Listening to what people have to say can save a poster from becoming very unpopular due to posting articles that will make people angry the rest of the day.  Also, never forget to include your comments on all articles that you share to add more value to your post.

On every headline, LinkedIn Today shows how many times the article has been shared, and when clicked on, it shows who has shared.  It is even possible to view sharers by company, industry and location if one is interested in seeing specific shares and/or comments.  Is this not a great tool?

Which Articles Come Out on Top?

As mentioned before, the power behind LinkedIn Today is that is displays headlines based on the amount of times they have been shared or commented on by LinkedIn members.  The articles are organized by industry and original source and the industry of those people who have shared them so you know exactly what topics and articles are valuable to people and their industries.  LinkedIn Today really knows how to get specific!

The most important part is that LinkedIn Today will show recent articles that have been shared by members from a variety of disciplines—articles that are not only relevant to those interested in social media or design, for example, but relevant to anyone and everyone.  It also shows articles that your own connections on LinkedIn have shared, as well as industry articles from places like StumbleUpon.

Tips for Using LinkedIn Today to Build Social Media Clout

LinkedIn makes it easy to build relationships with your connections, and offers many ways to do it.  One great way to do that, and grow your influence, is to share relevant, current content on a regular basis.  Consistently keeping up with your current events means that your connections will come to you first for all their need-to-know information. 

Because the web floods people with tsunamis of “news worthy” content, everyone seems to know a little about a lot of things, but have no real knowledge, so to speak.  For example, it might be fun to read about an orangutan who befriended a dog, but does that actually teach or inform?  No. It may be fun to know, but is completely irrelevant…unless you are a primatologist, in which case I apologize.

What you need to do is figure out your niche, subscribe to news sources in that niche, and then become the person who is always “in the know”, and a go to source for valuable content. 

1. Make LinkedIn Today Your Own

Step one is simple: tell LinkedIn Today what your industry is, and organize your news pages to show you the most popular articles within your niche.  You do not have to limit yourself, either.  You can choose to get articles relevant to all your interests, not just one.

Obviously you should follow your industry.  Anyone who is connected to you on LinkedIn is most likely there as a business connection, so do not go overboard with personal interests.  However, as was mentioned before, you can have interests in more than one area.  For example, my business is trade show marketing.  But I also dabble quite a bit in social media, SEO and internet marketing, so, naturally, I subscribe to sources in those areas as well. The bottom line is to create a gumbo of content that is relevant to your industry and to your connections.

*Follow relevant industries, sources and interests to see applicable articles.

You can also subscribe to particular news sources that you may really like.  Everyone has their favorite source that they want to keep up with, and LinkedIn Today lets you subscribe to those as well.  Now, not only are you getting news relevant to your industry and other areas of expertise, but you get to view your favorite sources and pass them on to others. 

2. Scan Headlines at a Glance

LinkedIn Today allows you the option of getting daily email updates—take it!  The last thing you want is to be lagging behind in the news world.  If you get news updates once a week, you are likely to be a little behind the times considering how quickly news travels online.  If you want to be influential in your LinkedIn circle, get those daily updates.  They allow you to quickly scan all the new headlines so you can see which articles are interesting and relevant, share what is, and just ignore the rest or go back to them later. 

So, remember to update the email setting so you are receiving daily emails from LinkedIn Today, and at the same time, keep checking LinkedIn Today throughout the day just to make sure you do not miss anything important.  Never forget how quickly news moves through the internet, so to be that influencer, you must stay current.

3. Sharing is Caring!

Just as in all aspects of social media, LinkedIn Today is not something you can just repost, leave alone, and still expect to get something out of it.  You must engage!  Share, comment, comment back—utilize all of your other social media engagement tools. 

In the bottom right hand corner of every article on LinkedIn Today, there in a small symbol with a little person and a number next to it (below).  This tells you how many people have shared this article.  Click on it and it will show you the most recent shares and comments.

Even if the article has 50 shares, if it is relevant to you and your audience, share it again anyway!  And remember to always include your own comments, this is part of engaging and can be a great way to start a discussion.

*Share the article with your followers and filter the most recent shares.

Although there is currently no way to retweet or reply to a comment straight from the most recent post, you can still go to members’ profiles if you are connected to them and reply or comment on what they shared recently.  Not only that, but you can look at articles shared in your industry and go visit the profiles of those who shared them.  That way you are able to see if you have common interests or connections, and maybe make a few new ones yourself.

As long as you comment on and share articles from LinkedIn Today with your connections on LinkedIn and Twitter, you will remain consistently visible, and as long as the articles you share are relevant and informative, you will remain valuable, especially if you add your own comments and insights.  That is what it is all about, after all.  When building clout in the social media world, being CONSISTENTLYvisible and valuable is what counts. 

Let us do a quick review and recap what lessons have been learned as far as using LinkedIn Today to gain social influence:

First, you customize LinkedIn Today page to give you articles that are relevant to you industry and areas of expertise.  Just as a side note, do your best not to share articles about religion, politics, or any of those other sensitive topics—you never know how people will react so you want to stay as neutral as possible. 

Secondly, pick articles that are valuable to you and your connections, then share!  Share on Twitter and LinkedIn often enough to remain visible and not get lost in the jumbled world of social media postings.

Thirdly, and maybe most importantly, comment.  Commenting is what takes your post to the next level.  Anyone can sit around and press the share button and regurgitate information, but a lot of the value of your post comes from sharing your insights.  Let your connections know what you think, ask them what they think…engage, start discussions!  This will also help add to your visibility, which, coupled with value, grows influence.

The tools that LinkedIn provides as shown below help you connect to professionals in your industry and maybe farther.  If these tools are used properly, your social influence will grow.  If you maintain consistent value and visibility, you may even show up on the LinkedIn Today front page!  But do not just take my word, go in and do a little research about what all LinkedIn Today can offer.  

LinkedIn Tools:

1.         Link your Banner Images through your Website.

2.         LinkedIn has support for Videos.

4. Display Recommendations on your Page.*Add a video to each service page for exposure.

5. There is a “Follow us” Button to add to your LinkedIn Page.

6. You can Feed Blog Posts and Tweets to Your Overview Page.

*Your blog posts and tweets feed into the “overview” of your company page.

*An example of some of your analytics information that you can access.

7. You can get Client Recommendations Without Visiting Linked In.

*Make sure you display your buttons on your website.

8.         Check out the New Group Functions.

9.         Check out the LinkedIn Share Button.

Now, in the spirit of applying what we have learned, please tell me what YOU think—about LinkedIn Today, this blog, maybe some helpful hints that were not mentioned.  I welcome any comments and feedback.

    

DJ Heckes, CEO & Author
EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts
www.exhib-it.com
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.fullbrainmarketing.com