What worries Facebook executives about Google
Privately, Facebook executives have said that their biggest worry about Google is that it will prioritize its Google Profiles over Facebook Profiles and Pages in search results.
I don’t know why Google wouldn’t do that considering that search is its strength – and Google Profiles right now are nowhere. Yet it would be the biggest challenge to facebook pages or profiles if people knew their Google Profile would have priority in search.
Source: New York Times
What is the value of a Facebook “Liker”?
Facebook released some studies on the value of a “liker.” There are a number of benefits, but to me this appears to be the key one:
” They are also more interested in exploring content they discover on Facebook — they click on 5.3x more links to external sites than the typical Facebook user.”
In other words, they are more likely to go to your website – which means more chances to have them join your list.
See Facebook’s suggestions: http://on.fb.me/9axsRw
Want more profits? Go for an older audience
While 27 year old media planners and 32 year old brand managers continue to target young demographics (just as they have done for generations) – the real profits these days are in the older audience – the over 50 boomer crowd
As an SVP for research at Hallmark Cards said, the boomers offer advertisers “An audience that has assets, not allowances.”
Read more> http://bit.ly/11PhES
Use LinkedIn Recommendations to Build Credibility
Recommendations are some of the most powerful factors that influence a buyer or employer’s decision to do business with an individual or business entity. LinkedIn realizes this, and has created the LinkedIn Recommendations section to highlight a user’s existing connections that can vouch for his or her professional capabilities.
The people you have already worked with in the past can become valuable references to your professional skill and talents. LinkedIn Recommendations allows these references of yours to personally voice their experiences with you on your profile. This makes it a much easier for your potential clients or employers to verify your capabilities, since the contact details of your recommenders, as well as their feedback about you, are available on LinkedIn.
So how exactly does LinkedIn Recommendations work?
1) On the right side of profile you’ll see a link called “Manage my recommendations.” Click the tab “Request Recommendations.”
2) From the dropdown menu you must select the company where you worked with or for the person who is recommending you. If you were hired as a freelancer or as a consultant, you can select your own company
3) Select who will write the feedback for you. It doesn’t have to be one of your supervisors. LinkedIn Recommendations considers feedback from all directions of the corporate ladder. Consider getting some feedback from your peers on the job, as well as any other subordinates you have worked with in the past.
4) Send a personal note to your reference. Do not use the default text for requesting a reference. Adding a personal touch, such as reminding the person of your work together, is more likely to elicit a good recommendation.
Keep keywords in mind when formulating a personal note to your reference. If, for example, you’re a copywriter, you might request a recommendation about your copywriting skills in order to ensure your chosen keywords will pop up a few times in the recommendation.
Focus on quality, not quantity. LinkedIn requires a minimum of 3 recommendations for your profile to be picked up by the search engines, so have at least 3.
The recommendations of colleagues and business partners will carry more weight than what you say about yourself on your profile. So track down the best recommendations you can gather. If you are not happy with what someone wrote for a recommendation, you can ask for changes. If you are still not happy with it, you have the option of deleting it from your profile.
The Top 6 LinkedIn Mistakes People Make
LinkedIn can be a very powerful tool in developing and enhancing your career or helping you build your business. There are, however, common LinkedIn mistakes that even the most competent professionals make – and then they wonder why LinkedIn isn’t working for them.
Here are six common LinkedIn mistakes you need to watch out for.
1) Not using keywords properly
This is perhaps the most prominent LinkedIn mistake people make when crafting their profiles. They focus so much on polishing their profile’s looks that they totally forget to to put keywords in their profile headline and summary.
If you do not enrich your LinkedIn profile with keywords, you will never appear on the site’s list of results when a prospective client or employer types in their needs. For example, if you are a marketing consultant, then the phrase “marketing consultant” needs to be placed in your headline and profile summary in order for people searching for that phrase to find you on LinkedIn.
2) Joining groups but not participating
Another very common type of LinkedIn mistake is to join a myriad of professional groups but never taking the time to join in the discussions.
Groups are one of the most powerful tools available in the LinkedIn networks. They allow professionals to share their ideas and opinions about things, and users are empowered to display their professional competence in these discussions. Join a group and take the time to share your own professional thoughts on the topics at hand.
3) Trying to sell yourself on group discussions
LinkedIn is NOT the place to explicitly advertise your products and services, although you can do so in a subtle and unobtrusive manner.
People bluntly promoting their wares are not welcome in LinkedIn. Advice and professional feedback are the topics of discussion, and these are your primary tools for marketing your products and services. Help out potential employers or give some advice to prospective clients and you are already marketing yourself.
4) Emailing people you don’t know
Some of the more common LinkedIn mistakes involve emailing people out of the blue. This can quickly get you kicked off LinkedIn if people report “I don’t know this person.”
Emails are closely guarded on LinkedIn, and are meant to be used by close contacts and professional associates. If you want to contact someone you don’t know on LinkedIn look for connections on the network who might be able to introduce you.
5) Not using a custom URL
LinkedIn allows its users to create a customized URL in place of the default URL, and this feature is often ignored by newer users.
Not taking advantage of this tool greatly reduces the chances of prospective clients and employers finding your account. You can change your URL where it says “Public Profile/edit.” Use your name, if it is available, as this will greatly increase your profile’s uniqueness and visibility in the network.
6) Not focusing on results in your profile
Aggrandizing yourself will not work in LinkedIn, but your achievements will work wonders in influencing others. One of the most common LinkedIn mistakes users make on the network is being too general and abstract in the work history portion of their profiles. Be as specific as possible about your accomplishments in your work history and you will do a much better job selling yourself to potential clients and employers.
