Raise Your Visibility Online

Today's solo episode is all about how to use LinkedIn Stories to engage and interact with your network on LinkedIn. Have you noticed something new under your LinkedIn profile yet? LinkedIn has just introduced Stories. And if you're wondering how you can use this new feature to support your business, this episode is for you. This week on the podcast, I share everything you need to know about LinkedIn Stories. As you may know, Stories have been a feature on other social media platforms for a while now - see Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Like on other platforms, LinkedIn Stories stay on your profile for 24 hours. You have the ability to add up to 100 Stories per day, with a max length for a video story of 20 seconds. This gives you a lot of room to create and share short, quick, and engaging content that is both lightweight and image-focused. If you want to find out how to get your network to engage and interact with the content on your Stories so you can strengthen your community on LinkedIn and promote your business, don't miss this episode! You will learn… What LinkedIn Stories are and how to create a Story by adding an image, a video, or by creating a video post. Five different ways to come up with content that will help you start conversations with your network. Who can see and reply to your Stories, how to add stickers or text, and how to choose from the available colour options. Resources linked to this episode How to Use LinkedIn to Build a Powerful Network - article. How to build a network on LinkedIn you want to connect with - article. And, How to use LinkedIn Stories for business - article. Do you want to learn more about using LinkedIn for business? LinkedIn VIP Intensives To work with me on a 1-to-1 basis, every month I offer LinkedIn VIP Intensive private coaching sessions. These 3-hour sessions are perfect if you want some help to optimise your LinkedIn profile. I also help you build a content strategy plan and teach you how to use LinkedIn to generate leads and sales. The sessions are interactive, fun, and practical. You leave with a fully optimised profile, a complete plan of action, and feeling raring to go!  Download my FREE LinkedIn guide Would you like to learn about the 4 exact steps you need to take to get success on LinkedIn? My tips work no matter what type of business you run! Then download my FREE 10-page LinkedIn guide here. More about me Would you like to find out if I can help you use LinkedIn to make more sales in your business? Head over to my website and book a FREE 15-minute discovery call with me. If you enjoy the show, I’d be very grateful if you could share it with at least another person and leave me a review on your favourite platform. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, why not?

This week on the podcast, I share a LinkedIn coaching session with Ontario-based physiotherapist Micaela Zettel. You will learn… What to consider when optimising your LinkedIn headline, profile, and Featured Section. Why you should create and share more thought leadership content on LinkedIn in the form of posts, videos, presentations, and articles to establish yourself as an expert in your industry or niche. Why it's important to actively reach out to decision-makers in your industry who might be willing to connect and support your cause. Find out how to book your LinkedIn VIP session here  www.louisebrogan.com/workwithme

Have you ever accepted someone's connection on LinkedIn and received a 'cold' sales message straight away? Or maybe you've sent messages yourself that have fallen on deaf ears? Then tune into this interview to learn what to do (and not to do) when selling on LinkedIn. This week on the podcast, I interview Lynn Whitbeck, sales trainer, speaker, and author of the book "Practical Wisdoms @ Work", a must-read for every woman who wants career success. Building on her 30-year experience in sales and executive roles in the corporate world, Lynn transitioned to executive consulting and is the founder and CEO of Petite2Queen. Lynn and her team provide strategic expertise for the development and management of tailored client programmes. They help to enhance marketing, sales, business development, and operations management. In this episode, Lynn and I talk about how to move your sales process forward on LinkedIn by focusing on relationships. A strong network of close connections will not only potentially work with you but also refer you to their connections. Be of service to your network - nurture relationships, and you'll see faster and more sustainable business growth. By focusing on your customers' needs and on how your products or services benefit them, you'll be able to close sales faster and more easily. 'Think like your customers' and focus on their goals and objectives. If you want to learn how not to squander leads, but, instead, create relationships that stand the test of time, don't miss this episode! You will learn… About the importance of 'relationship sales', based on providing value to your connections. About the importance of refreshing your profile regularly. How NOT to squander your leads by sending out 'cold' hard sell messages without investing in building relationships. About Lynn If you'd like to connect with Lynn, you can find her on her website or on LinkedIn. If you're interested in Lynn's book - "Practical Wisdoms @ Work", you can find it here. Do you want to learn more about using LinkedIn for business? LinkedIn VIP Intensives And if you want to work with me on a 1-to-1 basis, every month I offer a maximum of four LinkedIn VIP Intensive private coaching sessions. These 3-hour sessions are perfect if you want some help to optimise your LinkedIn profile, build a content strategy plan, and learn how to use LinkedIn to generate leads and sales. The sessions are interactive, fun, and practical. You leave with a fully optimised profile, a complete plan of action, and feeling raring to go!  Download my FREE LinkedIn guide Would you like to learn about the 4 exact steps you need to take to get success on LinkedIn? My tips work no matter what type of business you run! Then download my FREE 10-page LinkedIn guide here. More about me If you found this episode useful, come and join Lynn and I on Friday, 23rd October at 5 pm BST for our LinkedIn live catch up. And if you can’t watch us live, you’ll also find the recording on my YouTube channel. Would you like to find out if I can help you use LinkedIn to make more sales in your business? Head over to my website and book a FREE 15-minute discovery call with me. If you enjoy the show, I’d be very grateful if you could share it with at least another person and leave me a review on your favourite platform.   

Why is thought leadership important? Clients and customers want to work with companies they ‘know, like, and trust’, and this trust can be built by demonstrating your knowledge and expertise. Decision-makers within companies - big or small - spend time reading and watching content online. Well-crafted content that delivers a concise message has the potential to influence how people view your brand and, crucially, their buying behaviour. 49% of decision-makers say that thought leadership can be effective at influencing their purchasing decisions. 89% of decision-makers say thought leadership enhances how they view a brand or organization online. Edelman and LinkedIn Research, 2020 So why are so few people sharing thought leadership pieces? It’s possible that organizations don’t realise the impact that sharing thought leadership can have. Without clear measurement of what impact this has on a brand, this activity may be pushed to the back of the to-do list. My experience in working with clients on their LinkedIn strategy teaches me that many would like to share thought leadership content but feel they don’t have the skills or experience to know how to do this. If you want to learn how to use thought leadership to help your business or organization, read on. Thought leadership on LinkedIn can take the form of writing posts or articles, commenting on other people’s content, and sharing video. Use your knowledge and experience to create content that answers your audience’s key questions. Put yourself in the mind of your audience – what can you share with them today that will be of service to them? What does your audience want to learn from you? Here are three key areas to focus on: Industry news – updates, insights, and experience from working inside your field of expertise. Product or service information – how do you use your product? What benefits can your services bring? How will they impact your customers? Brand values – what does your company stand for? Why does this matter? On the LinkedIn Business blog, C-suite figures back up the importance of sharing thought leadership. 47% of C-suite executives say they shared contact information after reading thought leadership. 45% of decision-makers say thought leadership compelled them to invite an organization to bid on a project when not previously considering them, and 57% of them say thought leadership directly led to awarding business. 61% of C-suite executives say they’re more willing to pay a premium to work with an organization that has articulated a clear vision. LinkedIn Business Blog: Marketing Solutions Maybe you’re thinking you haven’t got time for this. But the good news? Sharing one thoughtful piece on LinkedIn per month in the form of an article, or showing up with a short video once a week is all it takes. Three different ways to share your thought leadership on LinkedIn   Writing long-form articles   Writing an article for your LinkedIn profile takes a bit of time and effort. And yes, articles get less views than posts. However, your ideal audience or potential clients will do their due diligence when looking to work with someone. And this includes checking what articles you have written. A well-crafted article will show up in search results online. So use keywords and consider what your ideal reader is searching for. Also, by highlighting your article in the Featured Section of your profile, you can make it easier for your readers to find your pieces. How to write articles that people will read and share (this article first appeared in Social Media Examiner) Share video content Video marketing is an excellent way to share your thought leadership. Why not show your audience the behind-the-scenes of your company? Or demonstrate how your product works? Video will get your message across quickly. So create video for your audience. Go back to the questions you get asked about your product or service and answer those. If you have an event coming up, create a buzz around it using video. If you’re hosting a webinar, record a short promotional video that shows your audience what they will gain from attending your session. How to use LinkedIn live and LinkedIn video for your business Engage with your network Using LinkedIn effectively means that the content you produce isn’t all about you. Sharing content shows your thought leadership, but remember to also spend time commenting on your network’s posts. Don’t forget to engage inside industry-specific LinkedIn groups because establishing your thought leadership is a two-way street. Also, when someone comments on your content, always respond to them. Plan your thought leadership pieces. What is your end goal? Don’t overcomplicate it. Your network enjoys digesting content – try to make it accurate, shareable, and relevant. If you need help planning out what content you’re going to create, consider booking a LinkedIn VIP Intensive to work on your profile, content, and strategy for using LinkedIn. How to use your LinkedIn Company Page with thought leadership Do you have a team? Consider showcasing your team members and their expertise. Encourage the team to contribute to your Company Page content. Once they publish posts, videos, or articles, ask members of your team to share this content in their own personal networks too. Supporting and highlighting your own employees makes your business more attractive not just to future employees, but also to those companies that share your brand values. LinkedIn has had a surge of engagement in 2020, with an increase in traffic by 25% as more professionals are working from home. So don’t miss the opportunity to share your expertise and knowledge and to demonstrate leadership. If you’re not leading, you’re following. LinkedIn If you would like to discuss creating a strategy for building your thought leadership on LinkedIn, reach out. My LinkedIn VIP intensives are the perfect fit for individuals, and my corporate training packages will suit an SME or corporation.

LinkedIn have released a few new features!   Including the new look and feel (pretty modern - I like it) as well as some great new features for Messaging.    Adding in integrations with Zoom and Microsoft Teams so we can use video chat, managing your existing conversations and a new way to report spam or harrassment.  For my clients who want to use LinkedIn and don't want to spend weeks learning how to, check out the LinkedIn VIP Intensive sessions here - LinkedIn VIP Sessions If you enjoy this episode of the LinkedIn with Louise podcast, please do share with one other person you think would like it.  

Would you like to start using LinkedIn to grow your network of prospective customers or clients? Have you thought about using LinkedIn to make more sales in your business? If you'd like to start posting content on LinkedIn but aren't sure what to share, then tune into this episode! This week on the podcast, I talk about the four key components of the LinkedIn Framework that I teach all my clients. Whether you're a corporate company looking for a group training session or someone who's interested in one of my private VIP Intensives, the principle I share today will work for you. The foundation of everything you do on LinkedIn is your profile. If you want to use LinkedIn to your advantage, make sure you don't have any empty sections in your profile. Instead, use it to showcase your knowledge, your expertise, and your products or services. The second piece to the puzzle is your network. Focus on quality rather than quality and aim to connect with potential customers, clients, or collaborators. You want a network that engages with you and that you enjoy interacting with. The third component is your content. If you don't post anything on LinkedIn, people won't see your profile and will miss the chance to understand what you do. And last but not least, don't forget to connect with your network directly by using LinkedIn messenger. Remember - LinkedIn is a professional social media platform, and it's all about building relationships. So have conversations with your network! If you want your connections to join your email list or book a discovery call with you so you can increase your chances of making a sale or being introduced to the right people, building relationships is the way to do it. Find out more by tuning into this episode or join us for my FREE training on How to win business on LinkedIn on Wednesday, 30th September 2020 at 6:00 pm (BST). You will learn… How to write your LinkedIn profile (including your headline, your About section, and more) to showcase what you want to be known for and improve your chances of being found on LinkedIn. What connection requests you should send or accept/decline in order to build a network of people who will engage with your content and help you move forward in your business. How to create content that showcases what you do in business so you can raise your visibility and attract your ideal customers or clients. How to use LinkedIn messenger to open the doors to building relationships and connecting with the right people in your business. Relevant resources mentioned in this episode Did you know I am a speaker at Podcast Movement Virtual this year? For details, head over to the Podcast Movement website. It's the world's largest virtual podcast conference, and it runs from 19th to 29th October 2020. Do you want to learn more about using LinkedIn for business? FREE Training on How to win business on LinkedIn. This Wednesday, 30th September 2020 at 6:00 pm (BST).   Do you want to make more sales in your business? Then join me for this free training and find out: What you should post on LinkedIn. Who you should connect with. And how much time you should spend on LinkedIn every week. Sign up for FREE here. LinkedIn Learner Lab If you want my help to leverage LinkedIn to raise your profile, check out LinkedIn Learner Lab – my group coaching and membership program to help you create an effective LinkedIn strategy and start building your network on LinkedIn. This is perfect for you if you want to get to grips with LinkedIn and have regular access to me. You can ask me questions at any time and come along to our group calls twice a month. The program also includes 6 training modules (each consisting of 4 to 5 bite-sized videos). It teaches you everything you need to know to use LinkedIn as a lead generation tool for your business. LinkedIn VIP Intensives And if you want to work with me on a 1-to-1 basis, every month I offer a maximum of four LinkedIn VIP Intensive private coaching sessions. These 3-hour sessions are perfect if you want some help to optimise your LinkedIn profile, build a content strategy plan, and learn how to use LinkedIn to generate leads and sales. The sessions are interactive, fun, and practical. You leave with a fully optimised profile, a complete plan of action, and feeling raring to go!  Download my FREE LinkedIn guide Would you like to learn about the 4 exact steps you need to take to get success on LinkedIn? My tips work no matter what type of business you run! Then download my FREE 10-page LinkedIn guide here. More about me Would you like to find out if I can help you use LinkedIn to make more sales in your business? Head over to my website and book a FREE 15-minute discovery call with me. If you enjoy the show, I’d be very grateful if you could share it with at least another person and leave me a review on your favourite platform. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, why not? Before you go, do you have any questions about this episode or on LinkedIn? Would you like to give me some feedback? I’d love for you to reach out. You can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. And if you want to find out more about how you can work with me or what events I'll be running in the future, head over to my website or email me at louise@socialbeeni.com.

Have you come across the term 'influencer marketing' and wondered what it's all about? As a business owner, are you looking for ways to reach out to a bigger audience? Or would you like to increase your influence on social media? Then don't miss this episode! This week on the podcast, I interview Neal Schaffer. Neal is a digital marketing author, speaker, and consultant who helps businesses with the digital transformation of sales and marketing through consulting and training. Neal helps enterprises large and small develop and execute on social media marketing strategy, influencer marketing, and social selling initiatives. His most recent book, The Age of Influence, is a guide for marketing professionals and business owners who want to create and implement a highly-effective and sustainable influencer marketing plan. So whether you are looking for influencers to reach more of your ideal customers or clients, or whether you want to increase your own sphere of influence, this episode is for you. In our interview, Neal tells us more about the definitions of 'micro influencers' and 'nano influencers' and encourages business owners to look at their overall organic social media reach, rather than focusing on one platform. Neal and I also talk about the key elements you should focus on if you want to increase your influence on social media, and specifically on LinkedIn. We talk about why you need to publish regular content, build a community, and encourage relevant engagement. Ready to find out all the details? Then tune in to the episode! You will learn… Why you should aim for authentic engagement rather than a big following. How and why the way we are being 'influenced' has changed over the years, and why this gives entrepreneurs the ability to influence others on social media. What to do when you want to find influencers for your products or services (outreach), as well as when you want to increase your own sphere of influence. About Neal  If you’d like to connect with Neal, you can find him on his website, on LinkedIn, or you can listen to his podcast Maximise Your Social Influence. Neal is the author of four books, including The Age of Influence.   Relevant resources mentioned in this episode How to Create a Great LinkedIn Profile with Louise Brogan - guest episode on the Content 10x podcast. Repurposing your content for LinkedIn, with Amy Woods - episode of the Linking in with Louise podcast. Do you want to learn more about using LinkedIn for business? FREE Training - How to win business on LinkedIn Do you want to make more sales in your business? Then join me for this free training and find out: What you should post on LinkedIn. Who you should connect with. And how much time you should spend on LinkedIn every week. Sign up for FREE here. LinkedIn Learner Lab If you want my help to leverage LinkedIn to raise your profile, check out LinkedIn Learner Lab – my group coaching and membership program to help you create an effective LinkedIn strategy and start building your network on LinkedIn. This is perfect for you if you want to get to grips with LinkedIn and have regular access to me. You can ask me questions at any time and come along to our group calls twice a month. The program also includes 6 training modules (each consisting of 4 to 5 bite-sized videos). It teaches you everything you need to know to use LinkedIn as a lead generation tool for your business. Download my FREE LinkedIn guide Would you like to learn about the 4 exact steps you need to take to get success on LinkedIn? My tips work no matter what type of business you run! Then download my FREE 10-page LinkedIn guide here. More about me If you found this episode useful, come and join Neal and me on Friday 2nd October at 6 pm (UK time) for our LinkedIn LIVE catch up. And if you can’t watch us live, you’ll also find the recording on my YouTube channel. If you enjoy the show, I’d be very grateful if you could share it with at least another person and leave me a review on iTunes. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, why not?

Do you work for a big company? Are you worried about your employer thinking you're looking for another job if you suddenly start posting on your LinkedIn profile? How can you use the platform in a way that helps you progress in your career?   This week on the podcast, I interview Anita Belitz. Anita uses her extensive experience and NLP training to coach and mentor women to move ahead in their careers. In this interview, Anita and I address the common concern employees have around posting on LinkedIn while working for an employer. But if done correctly, being active and visible on LinkedIn can benefit both your career and your employer. Sharing knowledge and building relationships on the platform give you opportunities to grow. Not to mention it also helps increase visibility for your company.    In this episode, Anita and I also talk about a new feature coming to LinkedIn (the My Company tab). This will allow employees of larger companies with over 200 members of staff to connect with each other and share content. If you're an employee or a small or medium-sized business and want to find out how to use LinkedIn to make connections and grow your business, don't miss this episode!  You will learn… Why visibility and personal branding are important for you and your company, even if you work for a large business.  Why it's important that companies provide training and support as well as clear policies and guidelines to employees.  And why companies should create an environment that's inducive to using LinkedIn as a professional platform and invest in their employees' career development, thus increasing retention.  About Anita If you’d like to connect with Anita, you can find her on LinkedIn or on her website. Anita is also the host of the Wise Women's Workplace podcast, which you can access via her website or your favourite podcasting platform.  Anita is also the host of a FREE virtual online conference (running from 28th to 30th September 2020) that will share information and advice on how to plan, find, and land your dream job. I was lucky to be invited to speak at this conference to talk about LinkedIn, but you'll also have the opportunity to get advice and inspiration from other fantastic international speakers. The line-up includes Todd Herman (author of The Alter Ego Effect), Jane Frankland (Developing Women Influencers), Jenny Kovacs (visibility expert), and many more. To see the whole line-up and register, head over to the website.  Do you want to learn more about using LinkedIn for business? Power Up Your LinkedIn  During the week 21st to 25th September 2020, I will be running a 3-part online workshop called Power Up Your LinkedIn. The first part (on Monday, 21st) will teach you how to create a LinkedIn profile, while the second one (on Wednesday, 23rd) will focus on how to build your network and understand what type of content works well on LinkedIn. The third and final part (on Friday, 25th) will bring everything together to help you start using LinkedIn consistently in order to connect with customers or clients and raise your profile. I'll be hosting 3 one-hour live sessions followed by 30-45 minutes of Q&A. The workshop is recorded, and you can access the recordings afterwards. Everyone who attends will also receive my amusing workbook, so if you want to find out more and sign up, head over to my website. LinkedIn Learner Lab If you want my help to leverage LinkedIn to raise your profile, check out LinkedIn Learner Lab – my group coaching and membership program to help you create an effective LinkedIn strategy and start building your network on LinkedIn. This is perfect for you if you want to get to grips with LinkedIn and have regular access to me. You can ask me questions at any time and come along to our group calls twice a month. The program also includes 6 training modules (each consisting of 4 to 5 bite-sized videos). It teaches you everything you need to know to use LinkedIn as a lead generation tool for your business. LinkedIn VIP Intensives And if you want to work with me on a 1-to-1 basis, every month I offer a maximum of four LinkedIn VIP Intensive private coaching sessions. These 3-hour sessions are perfect if you want some help to optimise your LinkedIn profile, build a content strategy plan, and learn how to use LinkedIn to generate leads and sales. Download my FREE LinkedIn guide Would you like to learn about the 4 exact steps you need to take to get success on LinkedIn? My tips work no matter what type of business you run! Then download my FREE 10-page LinkedIn guide here.

If you're running a business, you've probably heard that you need to niche down. But why should you? And how can you do it in a way that works for you and your business? This week on the podcast, I interview Amy Caiger, who helps business owners to get clear on their niche. Drawing on her extensive marketing background, Amy helps her clients to stand out by getting clarity on what they do and attract more of the right customers, which Amy calls 'A list clients'. So if you feel you're currently being pushed and pulled by the requests of your customers rather than doing what you want to be doing in business, this episode is for you. In this interview, Amy explains that, unlike what most business owners get told, niching down doesn't necessarily mean focusing on the client demographic or avatar. Having a niche is about being clear on the pain points you address and the problems you solve in your business. It's about communicating to your audience why they should choose you over somebody else. And the one thing that makes your business different is you! Not to mention that niching down helps you become a better expert at what you do, and people want to work with specialists and not generalists.  You will learn… Why and how niching down helps your business to stand out and makes it easier for your existing or past clients and for the people in your network to refer you to others. How you can niche down and still attract and communicate with different audiences. Why video and having a 'hero piece of content' can be a great way to help your audience get to know, like, and trust you.   If you would like help with your LinkedIn, please reach out to louise@socialbeeni.com and we can set up a time to chat 

Have you come across the term SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) but aren't sure how it applies to your business? Would you like your website to be displayed in Google search results for your location or your industry?  Then tune into this episode! This week on the podcast, I interview Ben Roberts, who helps businesses with their SEO using the power of Owned and Earned Marketing. Ben is also an author and a speaker and through his company, BMR Marketing, he helps SMEs grow their web presence, their rankings, and their online search potential. So if you're looking to learn more about SEO and how it can help your business, this episode is for you. In this interview, Ben talks about the importance of making your online content 'relevant'. As Google aims to return the best possible results for their users, if you want your website or LinkedIn profile to show in the search engine results for any given term (or keyword) that represents your business and what you do, you need to make sure you mention those terms in your content - and not just once! Ben also explains why blogging is an important aspect of your Owned Marketing. Creating content around your ideas, opinions, products, or services (even in the form of FAQs) can help with your online presence. And if writing isn't for you, we even touch on outsourcing, consulting, and speech-to-text as ways to help you create more content for your business. This is a jam-packed episode full of valuable information, so don't miss it! You will learn… The difference between Owned Marketing (the content that you create as a business owner) and Earned Marketing (the trust and credibility you build with your audience over time). Why recommendations are an important form of Earned Marketing, how to get recommendations via third-party review websites, and how you can (and should) display them on your website too. The importance of updating existing content and adding fresh content to your website (for example, through blogging). About Ben If you’d like to connect with Ben, you can find him on LinkedIn or on website. Ben is the author of the book Marketing Buzzword to Marketing Authority and the host of The Marketing Buzzword Project podcast.  Relevant resources If you're interested in joining the next 90-day Content Marketing Challenge with Martin and Lyndsay of Jammy Digital, check out the online membership Make Your Mark Online. I also interviewed Martin and Lyndsay in episode 48 - Making your mark online with Jammy Digital. And if you're interested in outsourcing your content creation or blogging, check out my show notes writer Sara Bussandri. I interviewed Sara in episode 85 - Batching your content writing and running your own business. Do you want to learn more about using LinkedIn for business? If you want my help to leverage LinkedIn to raise your profile, check out LinkedIn Learner Lab – my group coaching and membership program to help you create an effective LinkedIn strategy and start building your network on LinkedIn. This is perfect for you if you want to get to grips with LinkedIn and have regular access to me. You can ask me questions at any time and come along to our group calls twice a month. The program also includes 6 training modules (each consisting of 4 to 5 bite-sized videos) and teaches you everything you need to know to use LinkedIn as a lead generation tool for your business. And if you want to work with me on a 1-to-1 basis, every month I offer a maximum of four LinkedIn VIP Intensive private coaching sessions. These 3-hour sessions are perfect if you want some help to optimise your LinkedIn profile, build a content strategy plan, and learn how to use LinkedIn to generate leads and sales. Download my FREE LinkedIn guide Would you like to learn about the 4 exact steps you need to take to get success on LinkedIn, no matter what type of business you run? Then download my FREE 10-page LinkedIn guide here.