Raise Your Visibility Online

Ep 114   Using LinkedIn to promote your event with Lean In regional leader Nicola McGuinness   Are you organising an event or a conference? Did you know you can now create ‘events’ and raise awareness about your event on LinkedIn?   This week on the podcast, I interview Nicola McGuinness, who is the Policy Research and Information Project Manager for Inter Trade Ireland and the founder and regional leader of the Lean In Newry Network, which currently has 220 members.   In the first half of this episode, Nicola and I talk about the Lean In network, which supports women to achieve their potential through an inclusive, diverse, and confidential support network. Nicola regularly holds training and facilitates networking sessions, but this year she’s also organising a conference called Gender Equality is Everyone’s Business on Friday, the 6th March 2020.   So in the second part of the podcast episode, I give Nicola some tips around how to promote her conference and raise more awareness and create a buzz around her Lean In circle. So if you run events and want to find out more about this undervalued and underused LinkedIn feature, tune in to find out more!  You will learn…  How and why you should create an event on LinkedIn to promote your upcoming event.   Why you should invite your network to start having conversations in the event section on LinkedIn.  What type of content you should create to raise awareness and create a buzz about your event (with examples!).    About Nicola  If you’d like to connect with Nicola, you can find her on LinkedIn, through the Lean In Newry website, or on Facebook.   Do you want to learn more about using LinkedIn for business?   If you want my help to leverage LinkedIn to raise your profile, get your message out there, and create a solid strategy on how to use LinkedIn for your business in 2020 and beyond, check out my Work with Me page.    I offer 3 types of services:   A LinkedIn profile review with a video walkthrough of your profile and a 2-page action plan for you to implement.  A LinkedIn profile review + consultation, including a 45-minute strategy session for using LinkedIn.  And a series of 4x 1-hour LinkedIn strategy sessions followed by a tailored action plan.  If you have any questions, send me a message on LinkedIn or email me at louise@socialbeeni.com.   Would you like FREE tips on how to grow your LinkedIn network?  If you’d like more tips on growing your LinkedIn network without being salesy and spammy, you can download my FREE guide here or head over to my website to pick up my FREE LinkedIn profile tips.    More about 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 iTunes. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, why not?  If you have any questions on this episode or on LinkedIn or would like to offer any feedback, I’d love for you to reach out. You can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.      

This week, I am closing the doors on my LinkedIn group coaching programme – Level Up Your LinkedIn.  This is for you if you want to use LinkedIn to start attracting your ideal client to reach out to work with you directly.     www.louisebrogan.com   LinkedIn Etiquette   Every social media platform has its own etiquette or expected behaviour.     People go to Facebook to connect with friends and family.  They go to Instagram for a daily dose of inspiration.  Twitter is great for short sharp news briefs (and political announcements!).   If you aren’t posting the same content on each platform, then what works on LinkedIn?   LinkedIn is definitely a more business-like platform. That doesn’t mean it has to be boring or stuffy.  A good rule of thumb is to treat LinkedIn like an in-person networking event.    Let’s imagine you are going to a networking event in your hometown this week.  How will you prepare?   Normally you will find out who is running the event.   Find out if there is anyone who will be there who may be a person of interest to your business.    But we don’t only connect with potential clients at networking event.  At least, I don’t.   I also connect with people who seem interesting. Potential collaborators.  Someone who is good at conversation.   In an article on Forbes about the best way to network by the Young Entrepreneurs Council, they suggest the way to approach networking is to go with the intention of helping someone else:   True networking occurs when there’s an understanding that everyone in the room has equal value. In its purest form, it’s about people enjoying other people, communicating passions and connecting with others who share those passions. It’s about listening, figuring out what others need and connecting them with people you think can help, without any designs for personal gain. The most successful networkers build genuine relationships and give more than they receive. They go beyond thinking, “What’s in it for me?” to ask, “How can I help?”     So why not apply the same to LinkedIn?   The most successful and engaging profiles in my network are the people who help others.  Sharing advice, tips, answering questions.    But what do you need to do first?    Get your LinkedIn Profile optimised. When someone sees your profile on LinkedIn, and clicks on it to find out more, you want them to find something interesting enough that they reach out to connect with you. Make it clear how you help people.   In your headline and your About section, do people understand how you work and what you do? Start engaging.  You start conversations.  Approach people and ask them about what they do.  If you need help with any or all of the above, please reach out to me.  People work with me who want to have a clear and complete LinkedIn profile that leads to business.  My one-to-one clients leave our strategy session with a workplan full of ideas and actions that make spending time on LinkedIn valuable. What do you not do on LinkedIn then? The main ‘crime’ I see on LinkedIn, is immediate selling.  There is nothing worse than accepting someone’s connection request and immediately getting a sales message.  If you went up to the coffee table at the networking event and said hello to someone, what are the next words out of your mouth?   Do you launch into sales mode?  IF you do, I will find a way to make a swift exit!   It’s the same with LinkedIn.  When someone sends me a sales message after connecting, I drop the connection right away.   Building a valuable LinkedIn network is about relationships.  People will hire you when they get to know you.  Not when you drop them a cold sales message straight after connecting. What about etiquette on creating posts? I have seen some truly awful posts on LinkedIn.  Posting conversation starters that wouldn’t be out of place at 2am at the local dodgy nightclub.  Please keep your adult X-rated conversations off LinkedIn.  Did you know that you can report a post on LinkedIn?  The person who made the post won’t be notified that you have reported them. It is important to LinkedIn to keep their platform a professional one.  What about the posts you see that are attention grabbing? I prefer to work with clients who want to develop a presence where they can show their knowledge and expertise.  Not in an arrogant way. But in a way that engages their audience and helps them with a particular issue or problem. What would be an example of this? I was working with a client who is a sales coach at the end of last year.  She has a particular style of working with her own clients.  However, if she only posted about her great sales successes and wins, she isn’t demonstrating how she works.  Or particularly engaging me to converse with her.   This client instead posts conversation starters about how to help YOU in your sales journey.  By giving examples of how she has overcome certain obstacles in sales, and asking questions in those posts, she is getting great engagement on LinkedIn.  With the type of people who are attracted to her style of selling.   And how do they know her style of selling?  Because of the way she posts on LinkedIn! The top advice I can give you is: Optimise your LinkedIn profile first. Deliver value in your posts Be helpful Stay professional Comment on other people’s post where relevant Share content that your audience will find interesting Start conversations. Answer all comments on your posts.

In this week's episode, I host an on-air coaching call with Sara Kappler to answer her burning questions about using LinkedIn. Sara wanted to know how to leverage her success in the past, to reach more clients, by using testimonials and recommendations on LinkedIn.   We discuss how far back you go in terms of your connections, connecting with people from your corporate past, and networking.  We also talk about the Skills and Endorsements section on your LinkedIn Profile. https://www.louisebrogan.com    

This week I talk to Alex Curtis of the Lead Engine Podcast.  Alex is an expert on creating leads through paid advertising online - and has niched down to work with businesses in the Financial Services industry.   We discuss how Alex found his niche,  how he helps his clients, and we walk through a great example of how you can use LinkedIn ads to generate leads in your business. You can find out more about Alex at https://theleadengine.co.uk/about-us/

Geraldine Carter is the host of the Podcast: Epic Business Growth for CPAs – we have a great conversation about how Geraldine can use LinkedIn to connect with her ideal client.   We cover how and why Geraldine should create a LinkedIn company page, and how to create content and posts that attract new customers and raise her profile. We also discuss how Geraldine became an unexpected feature in Seth Godin’s Ted Talk on tribes – check that out here: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-tribes-we-lead-seth-godin   If you would like to get help with your LinkedIn, then book a 10-minute discovery call with me today at https://socialbee.as.me/?appointmentType=5654105 Click here to get my free guide to growing a genuine LinkedIn Networ   You can find Geraldine at www.shethinksbigcoaching.com 

While LinkedIn posts and status updates are limited to 1,300 characters, LinkedIn articles can be up to 125,000 characters in length, which gives you more opportunity to showcase your expertise and knowledge. Writing articles is also a great way to start conversations and raise your visibility on the platform. In this week's solo episode, I dive deep into how you write articles for LinkedIn, and why you should!   For your free download on growing an authentic network that helps you win business on LinkedIn, visit www.socialbeeni.com 

When is the last time you updated your CV? Is it worth getting your CV professionally written? How is your LinkedIn profile different from your CV? This week on the podcast, I interview CV writing expert Laura Harmsworth. With a degree in geography and a career path that’s surprisingly similar to mine, Laura set up her business in 2012 to help people write CVs that open doors. If you have years of experience and are struggling to decide what to include on your CV, or if you’re ready to invest in having your CV professionally written, Laura provides a fantastic face-to-face service and a quick turnaround. You will learn… 1. Why you should always tailor your CV to the specific role you’re applying to (even when that means leaving some information out!). 2. What recruiters and companies are looking for when screening your CV (and why you should keep it as simple as possible). 3. How your CV is different from your LinkedIn profile and how you can use LinkedIn to enhance the information you include in your CV. About Laura If you’d like to connect with Laura you can find her on her website and on LinkedIn. Introducing the LinkedIn Power Hour From January 2020, I’m introducing a new way to work with me to get better at LinkedIn. If you want to make the most of the platform and get more business through LinkedIn, why not join one of my new LinkedIn Masterminds.   If you want to find out more or are interested in being part of the first intake in January 2020, get in touch via my website , or email me at louise@socialbeeni.com. FREE tips on how to grow your LinkedIn network If you’d like more tips on growing your LinkedIn network without being salesy and spammy, you can download my FREE guide here. Get my help to build your personal brand on LinkedIn If you need help in creating your LinkedIn profile, check out my LinkedIn training and services on my Work with me page. I offer two types of LinkedIn profile reviews: 1) Get my feedback through a 20-minute video. 2) Upgrade to an additional 30-minute Zoom call to go through my comments and ask me questions. If you want my help with your headline and profile, I also offer a done-for-you service where I write the About section of your profile for you. And if you’d like more help on your LinkedIn strategy, you can work with me on a one-to-one strategy session. More about 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 iTunes. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, why not?

How to use LinkedIn to get more leads and sales with Janine Coombes  How can you use LinkedIn to get more leads and sales?  Do you know what type of content works specifically for your business and your audience?  This week on the podcast, I interview small business marketing manager Janine Coombes. Janine helps one-man-band business owners to narrow down the one thing they want to be known for and to promote their business.  Earlier this year, Janine published a spoof video of herself all dressed up, wearing pearls, and putting on a silly voice. On LinkedIn. The video became so popular with her audience that Janine decided to start her own video series – The Secret Marketing Show. Now in the process of planning the third series of her show, Janine is testing out a new format. But what was the key to the success of her videos? Janine decided to just be herself – to create content that appeals to her personality and her brand. To be bold and brave enough to create content that allows her to attract the right audience and put off people who wouldn’t want to work with her.  You will learn… How to find your first clients after leaving your corporate career, even if you decide not to work with corporate clients.    Why you should use clear calls to action at the end of your LinkedIn posts to attract leads and make sales.  Why it’s important to have goals when posting content on social media – for example, are you looking to get engagement on your content, or do you want to make sales?  About Janine If you’d like to connect with Janine and watch her amazing videos (a.k.a. The Secret Marketing Show) you can find her on LinkedIn and YouTube. Janine is also writing a book called The Content Marketing Myth, due to be published in Q1 of 2020.  Get my help to build your personal brand on LinkedIn If you need help in creating your LinkedIn profile, check out my LinkedIn training and services on my Work with me page.  I offer two types of LinkedIn profile reviews: LinkedIn Profile video walkthrough with 2 page action plan Upgrade to an additional 30-minute Zoom call to go through my comments and ask me questions.  And if you’d like more help on your LinkedIn strategy, you can work with me on a one-to-one strategy session.  More about 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 iTunes. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, why not? If you have any questions on this episode or on LinkedIn or would like to offer any feedback, I’d love for you to reach out. You can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.  Also, come and join my Facebook group for podcast listeners, Social Beehive, where we chat about the topics I cover on the podcast, you can share your feedback, and get in touch about upcoming episodes.  And if you want to find out more about how you can work with me or what events I am running in the future, head over to my website , keep an eye out on Eventbrite, or email me at louise@socialbeeni.com. 

Live recording from our Social Media Bootcamp Panel on Podcasting.   With podcasters Ian Anderson Gray of the Confident Live Marketing Podcast, Alex Curtis of the Lead Engine and Sara Bussandri, shownotes writer from the Social Bee Podcast.   We discuss podcasting, take questions from the audience and have fun doing it! 

Creating video content on social media with mortgage broker Ash Borland  Is the way you’re currently marketing your business on social media working for you? Are you looking for a way to build your business through video content on LinkedIn and other social media platforms? This week on the podcast, I interview mortgage broker Ash Borland. Ash is a home buyer specialist who helps first-time buyers and homeowners buy a new property. Like most of us, Ash had been using social media for a while as a way to market his service-based business. But he recently realised that ‘nurturing’ his social media audience into becoming paying customers wasn’t going to work for his business – you either need his services right now, or you don’t. And once you’ve bought a properly, you’re unlikely to need a mortgage broker again for years, if ever!  So Ash decided to try something else and offer value in a different way. With a background in performing arts, Ash started to create and share videos to help business owners to become more confident and comfortable in front of a camera. While Ash isn’t (yet) monetising his knowledge and advice on video creation, by consistently creating valuable content aimed at a wider audience, he’s seen an increase in recommendations, enquiries, and sales for his mortgage-related services.  Ash’s story is the perfect example of doing something different on social media – something that makes you stand out from the crowd – and this episode is definitely worth a listen!  You will learn… Why you might need to re-evaluate what type of content you create on social media and ‘think outside the box’ if your business-related posts aren’t currently generating enough engagement.  Why providing entertainment is key to getting people to enjoy and engage with your video content.  What online streaming is and how you can monetise it.  About Ash If you’d like to connect with Ash, you can find him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Related podcast episodes Episode 91 – How to do live video with confidence and how to use LinkedIn live video with Ian Anderson Gray.  Episode 96 – The psychology of why people buy with Melina Palmer. Get my help to build your personal brand on LinkedIn If you need help in creating your LinkedIn profile, check out my LinkedIn training and services on my Work with me page.  I offer two types of LinkedIn profile reviews: Get my feedback through a 20-minute video. Upgrade to an additional 30-minute Zoom call to go through my comments and ask me questions.  If you want my help with your headline and profile, I also offer a done-for-you service where I write the About section of your profile for you. And if you’d like more help on your LinkedIn strategy, you can work with me on a one-to-one strategy session.  More about 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 iTunes. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, why not? If you have any questions on this episode or on LinkedIn or would like to offer any feedback, I’d love for you to reach out. You can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.