Bloggertone

Short and sweet Greg.
In addition to that:
1) En sure to have a complete and attractive profile before you engage, therefore the chances of people paying attention to your profile page will be higher.
2) Proactively ask people you meet in the business world in they are on LinkedIn. It’s a great excercise that will not let you forget about this valuable platform.
3) Proactively also ask for RECOMMENDATIONS. These are great points of reference and will shape your reputation online

Glad you liked the post Niall. The figure of 300K for Irish LinkedIn users came from LinkedIn themselves. I was getting frustrated with the different figures out there (25K – 400K), so contacted them directly.

Ah yes Fred, building your LinkedIn profile to stand out, now there is another day’s post. Have a lovely weekend mate.

Hello Greg,Its interesting to note that outside of the comfort zone some are unsure how to react. With all social media platforms there are different uses; Twitter – quick bits and push to other platforms, FB – community sharing and interaction etc. LinkedIn is a bit of an odd one and I think this may be due to the fact that it is extremely pro business. BUT that doesn’t make it any less social.Personally I use it as a reference for potential business contacts, so that they can see my experience, quals and recommendations. Its a fantastic blend of all the elements an employer or business associate will want to see. It backs up your claims and enforces your standing. Your contacts are the cherry on the cake…we’re all nosey and (can I say this!..) In Ireland, who we know matters. The fact that you are linked to Maragaret Smith who catered a potential clients son’s wedding scores you some effortless points!So LinkedIn is fantastic and a powerful medium. The groups assist with building contacts and adding your pennys worth to discussions to show expertise. Plus (and I have to get this in) Its GREAT for SEO, like all other social media channels and, as you can add feeds to your blogs and twitter account, works as a dashboard.In short; all good!Take care Tina

Thanks for the comments Christina. You are right that LinkedIn is not necessarily any less social. It is a super source of information, but the real power of LinkedIn can only be accessed through interaction.

Here is the secret behind the good profile:

- limit the insider information to the minimum
- no details about your actual scope of work as bits and pieces posted by different people in the same organization create a pretty comprehensive picture about what is going on in that organization; This is STUPID and IRRESPONSIBLE

- limit the self-written praising and sugarcoating

- for managers: Do not write ‘I did, I created, I designed’ when you managed and directed. Write ‘I managed a team of xxxx, accomplishing yyyy’.

- the most productive and focused on business (and not on themselves) people have very lean Linkedin profiles

- those starting useless discussions, engaging in polemics are usually the most incompetent, seeking self promotion, having too much free time to kill…

- reading too less from a Linkedin profile makes it appealing to invite the person for a job interview to get the details. Reading too much (bullshit) closes the door. Only incompetent recruiters will find a fully blown Linkedin profile an advantage.

- linkedin RECOMMENDATIONS are sugarcoated nonsense composed out of buzzwords and usually the best people in the business have no recommendations, simply because they do not need them as a safety harness

Thanks for the good tips for those getting started. It is also a great tool to create and manage your online reputation. Here are some tips on how to do this. http://mpowerphilosophy.com/business-marketing/3-steps-to-managing-your-reputation-with-linkedin-com/

Thanks for your comment Marilyn. I am a firm believer in bringing a strong reputation and personal brand on line across multiple platforms.

Thanks Niall, nnI didnu2019t have much luck with twitter until I began to develop a plan u2013 not in the formal sense as shown above u2013 but thinking more strategically and also looking at how others do it. nnFor example, Scoble made some points about how Brogan was doing it wrong (I know!) but then explained how he used Twitter. When I read how heu2019s using it, the penny dropped and I began to rethink my approach. Live and learnn

What a super and comprehensive post. Consider it bookmarked:)

Great question Tina and perfects even strangely I think the answer is cost. While the internet makes information freely available, it’s often only very difficult to know what it is that you are looking and in turn, what constitutes good or bad advice. Good Information always has potential value but it’s the speed at which this information can be turned into business results which leads to ROI. In my field, I can do that faster and more effectively than a business would on it’s own, so ultimately I’m a time and money saving device.

What a great question Tina. It is true that because of the ease of entry and cost factor, many individuals and businesses jump on in there and muddle along, some quite effectively, so why would you hire someone to do what you can do for free? Both Niall and Fred mention the time factor and to that I would add that sometimes it is productive to have a fresh pair of eyes bring a new perspective to your online marketing. Perhaps also, youu2019ve reached the limits of your proficiency and you need an expert to take you to the next level. Of course the next question, is how do you determine the right person for the job? But that’s another Bloggertone post in the making

Hi Marie,nnYou’re right, it’s productive and efficient to have a fresh pair of eyes / perspective. Its the value of experience. I tend to find that many businesses try something, it doesn’t work, so they approach a professional.nnRe: Right person for the job post. I’ve already part-promised Ivan a post called ‘ Treat a consultant how you would a Lawyer’……plenty of scope for both I think.

I’m liking that comment Niall, what a tagline ‘Niall, your time and money saving device’. That is in essence what we do – save time and money. Simple.

Hey Elli, nnThe real question is ‘Do you want something done, or do you want something done well’. Its one extra word, but makes a hell of a difference. nnThere is a balance, totally true. You have to weigh up the outcomes.nnI could also add performance and profit for the client. You may pay the professional, but they also pay you!

Hi there Ivan,nnThin line alert! How much info do you give away for free? Its expected to a point to display expertise, but how much is too much? How do you know talking to you isn’t a way for them to research the topic and gain free advice?

Hi Facundo,nnI’ve found the same. Small businesses like the support, but are willing to learn from you. Yes, companies do tend to add the function as a part of someone’s role, which is a pressure for them. A professional will ease this stress and give value. But how do we convince them of that?

Difficult I guess. I think the key comes in selling the problem rather the solution (still working on how to present the problem better though)…

Marie’s right, a lot of companies are happy to muddle along and hope they get lucky. nnThere’s nowt wrong with that approach; if they’ve got the time and resources it takes to learn from their mistakes and hone their skillsets all the better. Generally though they hit a ceiling at some point, they can see the potential and what needs to be done but lack the time, the skills and/or resources. They may get to the point where they simply don’t know exactly what it is that they need, but they do know they can’t continue with the same inefficient business processes and systems in place. Their systems simply won’t scale up effectively, and too much business inefficiencies are being created between knowledge acquisition and time to implementation. That’s when they have to make a few decisions:nnHow much is their time worth, and how much of it is lost just keeping on top of things?nHow much time is wasted by employees using inefficient business systems?nHow much could they save by automating standard business processes?nHow much potential business are they losing out on because of inaccurate business intelligence?nHow much profit are they losing because employees simply don’t know which products/services have the best margins this week?nnWhen a company ‘grows up’ to the point that it realises it’s okay to ask for professional help, then it can start googling ’10 questions I should ask an internet consultant’ and asking around for referrals.nn> How much info do you give away for free?nnInformation is cheap, experience is priceless (plus VAT)n;)

Thanks Mairead, Hubspot.com is worth reading as they cover this also quite well.

Hi Niall,
John is an accountant who uses the smart thinking that he applies to his clients’ businesses to his own business too – a cobbler who looks after his shoes! When I was presenting on building digital business at an accountancy conference, he rocked up to watch the reaction of other accountants to the app, because other accountants could be an important source of referral business for him, another smart move.
Thanks Niall, the interview practically wrote itself
~Helen

Thanks Niall, you are too kind
It’s been a very interesting experience, both in terms of development and marketing. The app is a great fit with our business and we’re especially looking forward to how people use it from the start of the new tax year in January.
It was great too to hear Helen speak at the accountants conference, even if I probably shouldn’t have surprised her so!

Thanks John, credit must also go to your tech team as It looks fab and is easy to use. Well done all! 

Thanks Helen – an interview with utility! I will download the app immediately