Check Your Status Update Inline Audience Selector!!

I have had numerous clients call me lately frustrated because people are not commenting on their Facebook updates (when they have in the past.)

Here’s what to do!

Go to create a status update either from Home or your Timeline and look at the inline audience selector (Shown above with the globe and “Public”) and make sure Public is indeed selected. (In most cases, you’ve written a status update in the past to a specific list audience and the inline audience selector has remained on that list.)

Often times people ask me what the Mistress of Social Media of Your Social Source does. Here it is, nitty gritty style.

Social Media for Companies

Social Media Workshops

Social Media Consulting

Social Media Group Coaching

Social Media One on One Coaching

Would you like more information?

Feel free to send me an email: MConter@YourSocialSource.com or call: 720-938-6244

What are Tags on LinkedIn & How to Use Them

Filtering Your Connections for Maximum Relationship Building

Tags are simple key words you can use to organize your LinkedIn connections to filter them quickly. You can categorize people according to profession, company, position, location, where you met, or other important factors.

How to add or remove a tag:
1. Click on ‘Contacts’ at the top of your home page. This will take you to the ‘My Connections’ page.
2. Select the ‘Manage Tags’ filter in the left panel.
a. Delete tags by clicking on the tag you wish to delete then click ‘ok’ to confirm. Removing a tag does not end your connection to this person. It only removes this tag filter you have attached to connections.
b. Add new tags by entering the tag name in the empty box and clicking on the ‘Add new tag’ button

How to Use LinkedIn Tags:

Use tags to remember people well – to remember important details. Here are some questions you could ask yourself to help you sort them out.

• Where did I meet them? A tag could be “2011 CFA planning convention” or “Facebook friend”
• How did we meet? (In person, Phone, Email, FB, TW, Web)
• How do I want to manage the relationship? Ex. Meet | Prospect | Maintain | Reconnect – this way you can frequently be in touch with people who are in your “Meet/Prospect/Reconnect” lists to further your relationships with them
• What type of relationship do you have? Are they a (Client | Personal Friend | Power Partner | Industry Leader | Relative | Colleague | Vendor?)
• And, if you want to get a bit more specific, how strong is your connection? (1 = Weak, 5 = Strong- then perhaps spend most of your time on the strong connections)

Then what?

Use these tags to be in better communication with the people who are most important to you (business referral partners, client prospects.)

If you want to message people who fit in a “tag,” simply to go Contacts, then select the tag from the left toolbar “filter connections” that you want to message, and select all (or select only the people you want by checking the box next to their name and picture” and in the toolbar to the right, select “send message.”

**Note: You’ll need to invest some time at the beginning to correctly tag all those you are connected with.  And if you have more than 50 people that are associated with a specific tag, you can’t use the handy “Send a Message” feature because of the limitation of 50 contacts per InMail.

Have you used LinkedIn tags? How have you used them? What do you think of them?

I received a friend request on Facebook today (below) from someone who’s profile is on “lock down” and from which I had received no personal message introducing himself.  It just makes me wonder – why?

Would this person walk up to me at a networking event or in a social setting and simply stand in front of me with a blank stare and a mute mouth? Yeah, I don’t think so.

Why would it be any different online?
This is SOCIAL networking.
When someone does something like this, it helps me understand my clients’ frustrations. Many of them voice their concerns – “I’m getting all of these friend requests and I don’t know why. It seems I have nothing in common with them. They gave me no reason to act upon their request.”

I feel your pain!!  So rather than dwell on the problem, I’m here to provide a solution.

It’s easy. It takes a few short steps.

1. Adopt a business casual strategy for online social networking – if you are in business for yourself or if you are using social media as a form of networking, this is essential!

This means:

• You will be connecting with people you don’t know yet who are in your target market (just as you do in a “real life” networking event!)
• You adopt a 50% personal, 50% professional philosophy on the web – in your posts, your comments, etc. (again, just as in real life, you share both parts of your life!)

2. Set your privacy settings to reflect the above strategy – make sure that people can see the basics about you so that they can decide whether or not to network with you online.

This means:

• When someone comes to your Facebook (or LinkedIn profile), they can see at least this information: a few photos of you, your current city, your favorite books, movies, interests, and, most importantly, your “About You” section – fill this out completely and use it as a section to tell people about you personally and professionally! “Locking down” your profile will do you no favors! If you aren’t going to let new people in, you may as well abandon using social media to grow a community!
• Let people find you based on your name and your email address
• Accept friend requests from people who *send you private messages*, share common interests, and who fit in your target market

3. Treat each person you request as a friend as the unique individual they are – send personalized friend requests!

This means:

• To the right of the “Add as friend” button on someone’s profile is the “Message” button. Use it!  **See example below, friend request message to Signe DeCroce**
• Send the person you’d like to befriend a message explaining why you would like to connect with them (and the reason shouldn’t always be “because you have mutual friends!)
• Let them know that if they do not want to accept the friend request it is OK and to please simply click “ignore” and wish them well with a smile
• Take it easy on the amount of friend requests you do each day… if you’re doing this right and seeking out people in your target market and truly personalizing your request, you won’t fall in to the “danger zone” on Facebook. (If you send out too many friend requests on Facebook in one day, they tend to slap your wrist and put you in the penalty box.)

4. Thank them for accepting your request – when people accept, acknowledge them and tell them more about you!

This means:

• Send them another message and make it personal… you are just starting out in this new relationship, so begin to build the know, like, and trust factor by connecting on a personal level
• Tell them about who you are as a person, tell them a story, tell them some interesting facts about you… make yourself stand out…
• It’s ok to mention what you do as a profession but again, do not go straight to promoting yourself or your business!!
• ASK them to tell you about them!
• Add them to a friend list (this is another blog post!)
• **BONUS**- create a video that thanks your new friends and tells them more about you and send them the link to the video

What are other ways you suggest building effective relationships online?

@jasonkeath–  Thank you for this! From one social media nerd to another, you had me laughing hysterically at this list and also getting super geeked out about it! 54 Warning Signs You Might Work In Social Media. Please be sure to visit Jason’s website for other fun blogs!

I added #55 and on…

You might work in social media if…

1. Your parents keep up with your life through your Twitter feed.
2. You are actually using Google+.
3. You have sent a DM to someone sitting within 5 feet of you.
4. It’s been years since someone mentioned news to you that you hadn’t heard already. - Derek Shanahan
5. You verbally hashtag real world conversations.
6. You are the mayor of something other than your home. - John Hondroulis
7. You judge anyone with a hotmail email address as not so hip.
8. You own a t-shirt or jewelry with your Twitter handle on it.
9. You look down on anyone that does not own an iPhone.
10. You get distracted easi… - Dave Delaney
11. You look down on anyone that does not own an android.
12. You secretly judge blackberry owners.
13. You run into people you have not seen for years and they know everything about your life through Facebook, Twitter and your blog. – Inspired by DJ Waldow
14. You secretly judge QR codes that are on subway ads or in airplane magazines. – Inspired by Scott Stratten
15. You sign up to social networks before there is any discernible value, just to be an early adopter.
16. You have reached the friend limit on Facebook.
17. You know that there is a friend limit on Facebook.
18. Your mom just tells her friends that you work “on the internet” – Inspired by David Spinks
19. You checkin to a restaurant before actually speaking to anyone there.
20. You not so secretly judge anyone following more people than are following them on Twitter.
21. Your phone is usually face up on the bar or restaurant table when you are out.
22. Your couch has Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare or Angry Bird pillows.
23. Your world feels like it’s coming to an end when you get a low battery alert on your smartphone - Elysa Rice
24. You take photos thinking about how they will look on Facebook.
25. You read whatever news you find on Facebook and Twitter.
26. You are haunted by the Tweetdeck chirping sound. - Nicole D’Alonzo
27. You secretly judge magazine and TV ads that promote their social profiles poorly.
28. You secretly hate friends who have more Twitter followers than you.
29. You have a backup plan for when Twitter goes down.
30. When you have bad customer service, your first step is to find the company’s Twitter handle.
31. You complain about how bad Klout is while still signing in to check your score everyday.
32. Your smartphone is your best friend.
33. You hate when people use the word “viral.”
34. You think of @GaryVee every time you see an orange Crush soda. (And you actually know who @GaryVee is)!
35. You read Mashable more than you read the USA Today.
36. You know what a bookmarklet is.
37. You have Google alerts setup for your own name.
38. You are working on a ‘strategy’ for people to like you. – Ryan Boyles
39. You love Twitter.
40. You secretly hate Twitter.
41. You respect Justin Beiber for his Twitter following and recently learned he plays music too.
42. You assume someone is talking about social media instead of pending nuptials when they mention the word “engagement”. – Dave Cutler
43. You get bored reading news that is longer than 140 characters.
44. All of the parties and events you go to are from Facebook invites.
45. Spike Jones has ever made fun of you. – Inspired by Jason Falls
46. No one in your family is capable of explaining to their friends what exactly it is that you do. - Mandi Laine
47. Your significant other asks, “Are you still working, or just tweeting?” – Ryan Boyles
48. You never ask to redeem Foursquare specials because you hate explaining them to your server.
49. You think that your friends that are not on Facebook don’t have birthdays.
50. Your use Pinterest to write your letter to Santa. – Inspired by Nicole D’Alonzo
51. You ask your coworkers and friends for a “big favor” — to help Retweet your latest client’s Twitter campaign.
52. You are fully aware that Auto DMs are what is really wrong with America.
53. When you completely loose your voice, you use Twitter to ask those sitting with you to “pass the butter, please” #truestory – Lea Marino
54. As much as you say you hate the term you secretly hope that someone calls you a “guru” – Simon Salt

________

55. You wouldn’t dream of making a purchasing decision without first asking your Facebook friends AND your Twitter followers

56. You actually get pissed when one of your friends is beating you in check-in points on Foursquare

57. You think of profile pictures in terms of how good they will look as thumbnails.

58. If www.SocialMediaExaminer.com was an magazine, you’d have clippings of it as wallpaper.

59. Most of your time at cocktail parties is spent answering questions about Facebook or showing the hostess just how to upload pictures of her grandkids.

60. You think of every business promotion in terms of a Facebook contest.

61. You care more about how your Twitter and YouTube backgrounds look than how your house is decorated.

62. You know what Facebook custom tabs are and how to make them look really really cool.

____

Got more??! Put them in the comments below!! Keep this “chain letter going!”

Having valuable, recent recommendations displayed on your LinkedIn profile is necessary to your professional online presence and a key part of your social media strategy and ongoing marketing efforts.

Why? Most people, after meeting you in person or after receiving your name as a referral will Google you or search for you elsewhere online to find other opinions about you or your company before they make the decision to do business with you or purchase your goods. Make sure there is plenty of positive information available to them when they look for you!

One of the great things about LinkedIn is that it ranks highly in Google searches – if you have a LinkedIn profile and if it is set up properly, that is!

LinkedIn provides you with a highly optimized, easy to use platform for you to display your professional credentials and ask for 3rd party affirmation of your capabilities and skills. If you do nothing else to maintain your LinkedIn profile, you should at least make sure that your employment information is up to date, your company profile is set up, and you receive at least one new quality recommendation each month.

Important things to remember with regards to LinkedIn Recommendations:

1. Proactively write recommendations for the people you see as experts in their field

• If you feel that you know the individual well enough, write them a benefit-packed recommendation. The individual receiving the recommendation has the opportunity to read it and “approve” it before they post it. Don’t be upset if they respond asking you to change something in the recommendation
• Should you want more assistance in writing a quality recommendation for a colleague/service provider/employee, ask them first – “I am writing a recommendation for you on LinkedIn. Are there any areas of your business/your brand that you would like me to concentrate on?”

2. Request LinkedIn Recommendations from current and past clients

• You must be connected to a person in order to request a connection from them
• Do not use the template text generated by LinkedIn (shown below) to request a recommendation

• Instead, provide this professional with some direction so that a) they have somewhere to begin when praising you and b) they’ll actually write it! There’s nothing more frustrating for busy professionals than to have to start from scratch when recommending you. Please see my example below:

Now go out there and get active!!

If you’re not 100% sure that your LinkedIn profile is set up to its fullest potential, read this article from my friend and a mentor Bill Crosby 12 Powerful Must Do Tips for Your LinkedIn Profile


Please take this opportunity to comment below by pasting a recommendation you’ve either given someone or received from someone – show off!!