Increasing LinkedIn Engagement and Credibility with Endorsements and Recommendations

17Jul

A large part of LinkedIn has to do with your reputation and how you are viewed by not only your peers, but also the masses at large. Credibility and visibility are two other factors that, when paired with a solid reputation, can make for not only a killer LinkedIn profile – but also a more successful LinkedIn marketing campaign.

Two elements that help you elevate your LinkedIn reputation are endorsements and recommendations. Here I want to give you a quick overview of these two topics and show how they can help you build your reputation on LinkedIn.

The first thing you need to do is create a list. I know, I am always telling you to create lists, but this is the best way to move quickly through certain social media marketing functions such as this. Your list should be made up of two categories: peers/influencers in your target area as well as those who can recommend you, your work, your company’s work.

On this list, make sure to have the person’s full name (first and last) and their current email address.

Now let’s move onto the endorsements and recommendations:

Endorsements: One of the newer features of LinkedIn, endorsements allow you to go to a person’s profile and “Endorse” or vet them for certain skills (and vice versa). So for example, if you go to my profile on LinkedIn here the first thing that you will see is a large blue box above my profile that says “Does Christopher have these skills or expertise?” From this list, you can select all of them, click the x to remove, or type in another area of expertise. When you have made your selection, click the “Endorse” button. This will immediately let that person know that you have given them a thumbs up about their skill set.

Now, using your list, search and locate peers and/or influencers (as well as potential clients) that you wish to get in front of, visit their profiles and endorse them. Has someone endorsed your skills? Send them a thank you! This is a great tool to build credibility on your profile and to begin engaging with people you normally wouldn’t.

Recommendations: These are more familiar to LinkedIn users as they have been around since the beginning of LinkedIn. The most straight-forward explanation of these are that recommendations are testimonials you are able to post to your public or private LinkedIn profile. You can see how they appear by visiting my profile above and scrolling down through my experience.

Obviously, having a testimonial on your profile looks great – but why should you recommend others?

So that your picture, words and links are visible on others people’s profiles! Just think if their profile is viewed 100 times more than yours and your testimonial and profile link are visible on their page….pretty powerful right? While it can be a bit tough and time consuming, recommending pays off.

My only rule? Don’t ask or write recommendations for ANYONE that you do not know or haven’t worked with.

To get started, click on Profile, then Recommendations. This will bring you to the main recommendations page where you will be able to manage your recommendations, request recommendations and make recommendations. This is where your list comes in handy. Make sure that if you are going to make or request a recommendation, you choose the right relationship from the list provided. And off you go! All recommendations are reviewed before they are posted live, so do not worry about anything being posted that you are not aware of.

——–

These two functions, while a little tricky, can be a great way for you to not only get in front of those decision makers you are so eager to meet, but they also give you the power to pop up everywhere on LinkedIn, thus increasing your visibility!

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10 Ways to Choose the Perfect LinkedIn Groups to Market Your Business

By Christopher Tompkins

19Jun

LinkedIn, Social Media, Uncategorized

Before I have written about the power of LinkedIn and one of its most popular features: LinkedIn Groups. I’ve discussed the power of using these groups to get your message in front of an audience of thousands, how to create your own custom group and even how to get the most out of the administration panel of your group page. What I have never discussed is arguably one of the most important factors:

How to choose the perfect LinkedIn Groups to market your business!

As I’m asked this question again and again, I thought I would take a moment and give you 10 criteria on how to choose and join the right groups to support your online marketing efforts using LinkedIn.

One thing to keep in mind before we begin: it is extremely easy to join and leave LinkedIn groups. So the groups that you choose you will not be saddled with to the end of days. You are always able to leave groups that are a poor fit and try out new ones that can be more suitable. Also, you are allowed to join a maximum of 50 groups on LinkedIn. As many require a group manager to “OK” your request, it can delay you joining groups at a fast past. But slow and steady wins the race – stay patient and you will receive.

Here are my 10 criteria for choosing the perfect LinkedIn Groups for your business:

Choose Niche Keywords First. It is tempting when first searching the GROUPS section of LinkedIn to go for terms like “ceo” or “hospitality”. My suggestion is to first go uber niche with your search and get specific. Think about who your exact target market is, and then use that as your search criteria. For example, skip just using “hospitality” and go for “hotel managers florida”. If you put your search between quotes, you will see the ONLY groups with this phrase in their description. While it may turn up less results than a general search, it will be extremely targeted and you may just find a gem.
Read the Group Description. The description, which appears under the title of the group on the results page, should give you a good idea about who the group is targeted to and what types of discussions are fine to be posted. Make sure that this matches the type of content that you would like to use to engage and the audience is suitable.
Check the Group Activity Level. It is always better to be in an active group. Below the group description, there is a grey line of text that will tell you about the activity level of the group. My favorites are “Very Active”, but “Active” is good as well.
Check the Number of New Discussions Created. If the activity level is not present, you need to go to the next check which would be the number of discussions posted per month (this will be found at the same place below the group description). If in a 30 day period there were only 9 discussions and the group has 12,345 members – it would not be a group that I would join immediately as it seems pretty inactive.
How Many of the Group Members Are in Your Network? The green text at the bottom of each search result will give you the number of the group members that are also members of your LinkedIn network (in the form of connections). If you have a very targeted LinkedIn network, this number is a good indication if the group is on target for you.
Does One Person Post All the Discussions? Once you join a group (or if an open group, when you look at the main discussions page) look to see if one or two members are monopolizing the conversations/discussions. If this is the case, I tend to leave the group and keep a note to circle back later. As a new member, it is hard to break through in a group where certain members are posting new discussions extremely frequently, so it is better to go with a group that has less competition.
Explore “Similar”. If you find a group that is spot on using the criteria above, make sure to click on the green link at the bottom of the description that says “Similar”. This is a great way to discover harder-to-find groups that can be right on target for your marketing.
Beware of Brand Groups. You will see that some groups have a brand name in their title, description and/or logo. While some are membership groups only for members of the company’s team, there are others that function as a normal group but have their members of staff marketing in it consistently. I try to avoid these as comments and discussions can be held in moderation and never be posted, making it extremely challenging to engage and connect with other group members.
Open Groups are Good, But Can Be Spammy. There are many groups that you are immediately able to join without going through a vetting process with the group manager. While these Open Groups allow you to quickly join the conversation, make sure to look at the first page of discussion posts to see if they are mostly self-promotional or filled with job seekers. If you see this, I would leave the group (unless this is a market you are trying to target).
Where Does the Group Manager Belong? This is a close second to using the “Similar” link under the group description. You will be able to see (sometimes before and sometimes after) who the group manager is. Click on their name, go to their profile and then scroll down to the bottom of their profile where there groups are listed. Go through their groups to see if there are other ones there that may benefit your business.

Now you should be able to properly and effectively choose a LinkedIn Group that fits your company’s targets and needs. It is up to you to generate good solid discussions, add to discussions and engage with other group members. But this is much easier when you are in the right spot and in front of an audience you are familiar with.

I’d like to invite you to join my own LinkedIn Group: feel free to ask any questions that you have! Click here to join!

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5 Ways to Effectively Manage Your LinkedIn Group

By Christopher Tompkins

30May

LinkedIn, Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized

In my last post I discussed how to setup your own custom LinkedIn Group in order to market your business effectively. Hopefully by now you have used the step-by-step instructions to get your very own LinkedIn Group off the ground.

But now what?

You’ve probably started some discussions, sent out a few invitations…but isn’t there more to it?

There sure is!

Here are the top 5 things you need to know to effectively manage your LinkedIn Group to foster growth and engagement:

1. Check in Daily. Log into your group once a day and click on the Manage tab. Take a look at the Submission Queue, Moderation Queue and Requests to Join. If you have your Group settings configured in such a way that you have to approve all new members, comments, discussions, promotions, etc (which I highly recommend) it is important to check in consistently in order to keep the conversation going and your audience interested.

2. Use Your Templates. In the Manage section, look on the left hand side and click on the Templates link. This page will help you create, manage and automatically send custom messages to people interested in your group when they ask to join and once they are approved! Make sure to add your other social media links, weblinks and maybe even a special offer to your templates to increase your visibility.

3. Set the Rules. In the Manage page, you will also see the Group Rules link. It is important to set the rules of your group in order to best suit your market. For example, if you do not want people hocking their wares or posting job vacancies all the time – set this in stone by stating this in your Group Rules.

4. Send Announcements! One of the most under utilized tools in LinkedIn Groups is Announcements. As a Group Manager will have the ability to send announcements once a week (or every 7 days). Make sure that they are group related: either a promotion, discussion or an update that you feel is important. Remember, if you abuse this people will leave the group just as they would opt-out of an email blast that turns spammy.

5. Keep Track of Your Statistics. Conveniently hidden and hard to find, the LinkedIn Group statistics page is very helpful in terms of you getting more familiar with the demographics of your custom Group. When in your Group, click on the “More…” tab and select “Group Statistics” from the drop-down menu. You will see helpful items such as Summary, Demographics, Growth and Activity. By monitoring these trends you can see how you can improve your group, enhance engagement and attract better quality members.

Now your homework is to login to LinkedIn and explore these items in your LinkedIn Group today. Write some templates, send an announcement and check out your statistics. These 5 items will help you get that extra benefit from LinkedIn Groups that many don’t take advantage of. Let me know how you get on!

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Social Media 101: 8 Steps to Social Media Marketing Success

By Dale Griffen

17May

Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized

Social media has taken the world by storm over the last few years. It not only serves as a great form of public relations for any organization, but as a wonderful way to network, measure your efforts as a business, see what the competition, your peers, and industry leaders are doing. It is a tool to constantly find ways to improve the delivery of services and care you give your clients.

As someone who specializes in the online marketing arena, I meet and chat with people everyday who are interested in using social media to promote their business. But surprisingly many of these people have a major problem in that: they don’t know how to start!

So in this article I want to provide you with a fool- proof step-by-step 101 list to get your social media marketing campaign underway in no time flat!

Step 1: Write Down Your Objectives

The first thing you’ll want to do is identify what you are trying to achieve through using social media to market your company. Keep in mind that more leads or followers is not your only goal. The types of objectives you should be looking at include engaging your current customers/clients, offering better customer service, learning about new services and governmental issues, building brand recognition and getting more local exposure.

Step 2: Know Your Target Market

A social media marketing campaign that is laser focused has the ability to reap better results than a broad shoot campaign. Make a list of 5-10 target markets that you want to hit and keep it handy throughout your campaign. Having this list will help you keep your “eye on the prize”.

Step 3: Look at What Your Competition is Doing on Social Media

Many of us do a competitive analysis when we put together a traditional marketing plan….so be sure to do the same when developing a social media marketing strategy. Usually the easiest way to begin this exercise is to go to the competition’s website and follow their social media links. If you can’t find the links on their website, login to sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and search for their company name. Are they getting lots of comments? Do they use lots of graphics and design elements? Are they posting often? Taking a look at these items can give you good solid ideas of what you need to do.

Step 4: What Are You Going to Say?

This is one of the trickiest things to come by as many organizations don’t have a wealth of available info to share. Make sure you are able to come up with content that is timely, engaging, entertaining, thought provoking and educational. Think out of the box! If I was a healthcare organization, I would go to the website for the medical association that is within my niche and share some of their updates and tips, as they would be relevant and interesting to my audience. Sharing is caring….not stealing! But content is king. People write blogs and post information online so it can be shared!

Step 5: Choose Your Sites

Once Steps 1 through 5 are complete, it is time to choose the social media sites you want to start using in your marketing campaign. Every business is different and some will find success quicker on one site than another. There isn’t a hard/fast rule on this. All sites are evolving and making it easier for businesses to get involved. The playing field has changed greatly over the past years (and even months) and there is a spot for everyone on all social media sites. One thing we suggest that you do today, if you haven’t already, is log on to the ‘Big 3’ – Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (and while you’re at it create accounts with Google+, YouTube, and Pinterest – collectively the ‘Big 6’) and stake your username and piece of ‘online real estate’ before your competition does. (Note – this happens often!)

Step 6: Find a Good Support Site

Search and find a site to help you manage your accounts. There are free sites out there such as HootSuite, TweetDeck, SocialOomph, IFTTT and others that allow you to track, search and even schedule profile updates on the fly. When you create your plan, these sites will make it easier for you to manage your overall campaign.

Step 7: Create a Daily Plan to Ensure Consistency

This strategy is key to a successful social media marketing campaign. Your daily plan should contain a combination of Steps 1-6 and have daily time constraints attached. Make sure you identify who will be the touchpoint for the communications you get as a result of the campaign. For example, if you have a marketing team of 5, decide beforehand who will be in charge of delegation and qualification of the leads, information requests, comments, etc. If you’re doing it alone – start with 20 minutes, using a site you’re comfortable with, say Facebook. When you’ve developed a comfort level on one site, gradually add another.
Step 7A – When you’re on social media sites – remember it’s called ‘social’ for a reason. Act the same way you would at a ‘real-time’ networking event or cocktail party. Show up with a goal of connecting with people who can help your business. Reach out and introduce yourself to people and companies that may be within that target audience. Remember there are wallflowers online too! Just as at a party – know that people like to hear about themselves before they hear about you, be sure to comment on their posts, articles, or blogs and make sure to thank them if they comment on yours! Your goal is to take the conversation offline (away from the party) where you can develop a closer and more synergistic relationship.

Step 8: Create a Form of Measurement

This is tricky, so I would suggest waiting until after your first month of social media marketing. At this point you will be able to see what sorts of results come in: website hits, likes, comments, messages, leads, etc. In social media, we like to look at the acronym R.O.I. as ‘Return Of Influence’ rather than ‘Return On Investment’ – as this IS P.R., just as a billboard, tradeshow, or TV commercial – all are difficult to equate the initial outlay to the number of new sales/clients, however with social media you have the results of your influence (likes, comments, shares, etc). Once you get a handle on this, you will begin to understand what generates the best results. Create a quick spreadsheet and track these measurements on a weekly basis. As all of the sites have wonderful archives, it makes it a cinch to go back through the week’s activity to find what you need. If you are going to use your website to track effectiveness, make sure you have an analytics program installed that can monitor where your traffic comes from. If you don’t, Google Analytics is a free and easy option to use (and the results are carefully tracked).

Now you are on your way! The best part about social media marketing is it is an organic process that can change from time to time. Don’t forget to audit your campaign monthly to see if any of your measures or activities need changing or updating. Staying consistent, organized and informed will help you not only launch effectively, but promote your company and business successfully.

“I don’t have time to do this!” you say. That’s where a social media marketing firm may be of assistance. Spending the time doing it yourself does take away from what you do best. Having an entry level person do it can be tricky, as it IS your reputation they’re handling. Dedicating a higher level person or marketing manager may take them away from other marketing and sales opportunities. Although social media works in conjunction with your operations and marketing team, having them do the day-to-day activities may be more costly than outsourcing.

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Are LinkedIn Groups the Missing Piece of Your LinkedIn Marketing Strategy?

By Christopher Tompkins

15May

LinkedIn, Social Media, Uncategorized

With over 225 million users, my guess is that if you are reading this right now, you are probably have a registered profile on LinkedIn. You have already filled in your details and maybe even registered your company. You have been building your connections and networking, but still haven’t found the key to open the door of opportunity for your business on LinkedIn.

But with between 1 and 800,000 members – are us using LinkedIn Groups?

As I say with social media marketing campaigns, the key is to have a blog on your website. The key with LinkedIn success is being actively involved in LinkedIn groups. Simple as that.

If you have seen LinkedIn groups, joined a few and still not sure what the fuss is about, here are my 5 tips to making a lasting impression, building hits to your website and increasing your visibility with one of the most active markets on LinkedIn.

1. Use Keywords to Find the Right Group. Once again, I’m bringing up the power of keywords. Take your keyword list that you use online to target your consumers and do a “Group Search” on LinkedIn. Take a look at the results and choose the “Very Active” groups with higher group member numbers. This will ensure that you are in a fast moving group that is influential and, well, active. There is nothing worse than being in a group of 1,000 members where no one is talking or engaging.

2. Start Discussions that Link to Your Blogs. If you have a blog on your website, share a sample of the blog as a discussion and link to your blog to read the rest of the article. Make sure that the article is relevant to the group, is not overtly promotional and has value. If you are starting a discussion in a highly active group that is about your latest sale or product promotion, get ready for some backlash.

3. Comment, Like and Share. This is “social” media after all. Make sure that you find articles where you can express YOUR expertise and comment. By commenting, liking or sharing a discussion with your LinkedIn connections you will be getting in front of more people than you can imagine.

4. Use the Group Email Updates. When you join a group, the default setting is to get a Daily Group Digest. When you post a new discussion or comment on an existing discussion, you have the option to click “Send me an email for each new comment”. The wonderful aspect of LinkedIn is that you can follow and respond via your email inbox. This will save time when you don’t want to constant login and logout and then search for the discussion when it gets active or a new topic pops up you want to jump into.

5. Follow Influential Group Members. By clicking on the “Members” tabs within a group you are a member of, you will be able to see “This Week’s Top Influencers”. See who they are and click “Follow” to receive their updates. Watch which topics they post, comment on them, message them privately. Getting in front of influencers will help you gain support while also increasing your visibility.

The capabilities of LinkedIn groups don’t stop there, but it is where we will stop today. By using the above, you can take your LinkedIn marketing to the next level and generate more interest in your company, visibility for your profile and hits to your website. Join our LinkedIn group, The Go! Healthcare Marketing Insider by clicking here!

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Your Social Media Prescription: The Cost of Social Media

By Dale Griffen

13May

Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Pinterest, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized

This has been republished courtesy of Doctor’s Life Magazine – take a look at the online version here.

Well, it’s free! Sort of. We all know the importance of social media, and to utilize it effectively, you’re going to have to spend either time, or money! It’s up to you as to which one you use! Currently ALL of these powerful social media sites are free to use. Sure, there are options that they utilize to try and get your money, from paying for (promoting) your posts, upgrading your account (you probably don’t need to do this) and with e-commerce options. But basically there’s no charge for using these platforms. But we all know the saying: “Time is money.” To optimize, populate (with a targeted audience), and fill your site (with content that moves your audience to action) takes some time, effort, and planning. Many businesses out there are seriously vamping their following, their sales, and reputation as thought leaders using social media—all the while using social media as a vehicle of P.R. and brand awareness—with speed racer proportions! Are you up to the challenge?

Social media platforms are a constantly changing and evolving medium. With that in mind, although we consider ourselves “specialists,” one can never be an “expert,” as all of us are constantly learning these changes, updates, tweaks, and new applications within the platforms. But the general principals with social media, as we mentioned above are:

Optimize your site. Make sure your images mirror your website so that your brand carries through. After all, this is a living, breathing, evolving version of your website. Make sure you fill it out completely—people expect it to look as professional, and it is a reflection of you and your business. Be sure that it has your location, contact info, hours and that all the links work. Also, be sure that you aren’t utilizing a personal page for your business.

Populate it with people that you feel might be interested (peers, current and potential clients and supporters, industry leaders, and more). Don’t be a wallflower here—reach out and follow/like/connect with at least 10 new businesses or people a day, and leave a comment on their site, letting them know you like something they have posted (if you do, remember – be genuine).

Fill your site several times a day with great content (comments, quotes, pictures/videos, questions, tips, news article links, announcements, new products/services, upcoming events/appearances, achievements, links to your blog/website).

Engage with your audience. If someone likes or comments on something you’ve posted be sure to thank them, and maybe even encourage them to sign up for your newsletter or blog “for more great tips like this.” But make it easy for them—include the link that will bring them there. Bit.ly is a great site for shortening and customizing a link. Check it out. (Tip: Always test a link before you send it – for example I recently wrote an article that was published in Doctor’s Life Magazine, and we posted it on our website. I created a short link, but every time I share it, I test it to make sure it’s still valid, or that I didn’t mistype it. Check it out: bit.ly/SocialMediaRx

With that in mind we recommend that everyone complete a simple marketing plan to ensure that you know what you have to do each day and get it done. Much like a diet, exercise plan, or even a road trip, having a pre-written plan or map in front of you makes you much more likely to stick to the proper route and reach your goal more efficiently and effectively.

What about the cost? Well, with the platforms being free of charge, what you have to think about in terms of cost is the time factor, and who you will have do all of the above actions. Here are your options:

1. Do it yourself

2. Office manager / marketing manager

3. Receptionist / entry level person

4. Outsourcing

Doing it yourself is a great option, as this is your reputation and business that you’ll be promoting. However, it does take you away from what you do best—running your practice.

Having an upper management person take over your social media is also a good idea, as they usually have a great understanding of your business, products and services, vision, and goals in mind, but it also takes them away from other duties, and if it’s your marketer, it takes them away from other sales duties, and face to face activities. Additionally, these people tend to be your higher paid employees and if they’re constantly being interrupted or aren’t proficient with social media – the added time equals more money out of your pocket.

An entry level person may seem to be a good alternative, they are more economical, sometimes are younger and more proficient on social media—but remember, this is your reputation we’re talking about. Will they deliver the business acumen, professionalism, and deep-digging, laser-focused campaign that you need? Will they be on top of the latest applications and logistics with these platforms that change daily?

Outsourcing to a company that specializes in social media may be your best bet! A common misconception is that hiring firms like ours to perform your social media marketing campaign is just too expensive. Having an in-house person do the work, or hiring someone may also include you having to pay for their benefits, taxes, insurance and when that person is out sick, someone else has to do the social media or it doesn’t get done.

Our services provide everything listed above so that you and your business can have 100 percent social media management, optimization, engagement, and monitoring taken care of—all for the cost of 4-10 venti coffees a day, depending on the services you choose!

Now, it’s obvious, no one drinks that many coffee’s a day, but it’s not out of the question for your sales/marketing rep to bring that many coffees and bagels to the offices that they call on. In fact, I utilize a caterer that specializes in pharmaceutical rep lunches. I asked them what the range and average is that pharma reps spend on lunches—I was surprised that the range was between $100-$500 per lunch, and the average is $150-175! Many times you have to feed the entire office in hopes of getting to the ONE decision maker that they need an audience with. With social media, you can get directly to that target or decision maker without all that hassle.

Think of that in terms of other more “traditional” means of advertising and P.R.—billboards, print and TV ads, trade shows—are all great ways of getting your name out there – however with social media, your message can change several times a day, is portable (it can be shared across the world with the push of a button), looking at peoples comments and the logistics – you are able to see what your following likes to hear about, and most importantly – you can connect with that laser focused target audience – people that WANT to be educated by, entertained by, and engage with YOU.

When outsourcing your social media, you may ask how we learn about you, your practice, your business, what sets you apart, what we can post, and to whom—this is where we excel. In the beginning, we have our clients complete a short questionnaire that gives us our parameters to start, and then we give you the option to pre-approve the posts that go out in your behalf. Our team of social media strategists meet regularly to discuss your campaign, how to improve, manage, and innovate your campaign. We also check in with you if anything comes up that is beyond our scope, is a referral, or can be put in your sales funnel for follow up by your sales and marketing team.

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Why Bother With LinkedIn? Because Others in Your Industry Are!

By Christopher Tompkins

7Jan

LinkedIn, Uncategorized

CC BY: Nan Palmero

If you are on LinkedIn already, you may be familiar with the following information. But if you are still trying to figure out how LinkedIn is relevant to your company (or just want to know if your marketing is a little off the mark on LinkedIn)….read on.

You may know that LinkedIn is one of the premier social networking sites for professionals to connect, share, discuss and hobnob with one another. What you may not know is how many professions and professional categories that LinkedIn currently services.

While you may be in a niche within a niche inside of a niche professional category, chances are that there are many other professionals networking on LinkedIn just like you.

But as always, the proof is in the pudding. Here is a comprehensive list of all of the professional categories that have vibrant LinkedIn communities. Scan through and see if you find the one that best describes your organization, and THEN make sure that’s the one you categorize yourself under on LinkedIn. Without further ado, here is the list:

Legal

Law Practice
Legal Services
Legislative Office
Judiciary
Law Enforcement

Government

Defense And Space
Aviation And Aerospace
Research
Military
Legislative Office
Judiciary
International Affairs
Government Administration
Executive Office
Law Enforcement
Public Safety
Public Policy
Political Organization
Nanotechnology
Think Tanks
Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering
International Trade And Development
Government Relations

Consumer Goods

Cosmetics
Apparel And Fashion
Sporting Goods
Tobacco
Supermarkets
Food Production
Consumer Electronics
Consumer Goods
Furniture
Retail
Electrical And Electronic Manufacturing
Wholesale
Wine And Spirits
Luxury Goods And Jewelry
Packaging And Containers

Arts

Design
Arts And Crafts
Music
Photography
Graphic Design

Organizations And Non-Profit

Environmental Services
Individual And Family Services
Religious Institutions
Civic And Social Organization
Consumer Services
Non-Profit Organization Management
Fundraising
Program Development
Political Organization
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Security And Investigations
Think Tanks
Philanthropy
E-Learning
Renewables And Environment

Recreation, Travel And Entertainment

Sporting Goods
Entertainment
Gambling And Casinos
Leisure And Travel
Hospitality
Restaurants
Sports
Food And Beverages
Motion Pictures And Film
Broadcast Media
Museums And Institutions
Fine Art
Performing Arts
Recreational Facilities And Services
Newspapers
Publishing
Printing
Libraries
Writing And Editing
Computer Games
Music
Health, Wellness And Fitness
Media Production
Wine And Spirits

Corporate Services

Management Consulting
Accounting
Marketing And Advertising
Market Research
Public Relations
Program Development
Staffing And Recruiting
Professional Training
Translation And Localization
Events Services
Logistics And Supply Chain
Outsourcing/Offshoring
Commercial Real Estate
Import And Export
Human Resources
Business Supplies And Equipment

Agriculture

Railroad Manufacture
Farming
Ranching
Dairy
Fishery

Transportation

Leisure And Travel
Hospitality
Package/Freight Delivery
Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
Warehousing
Airlines/Aviation
Maritime
Translation And Localization
Import And Export
International Trade And Development

Manufacturing

Food Production
Consumer Electronics
Consumer Goods
Furniture
Retail
Aviation And Aerospace
Automotive
Chemicals
Machinery
Mining And Metals
Oil And Energy
Shipbuilding
Utilities
Textiles
Paper And Forest Products
Electrical And Electronic Manufacturing
Plastics
Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering
Business Supplies And Equipment
Renewables And Environment
Glass, Ceramics And Concrete
Packaging And Containers
Industrial Automation

Construction

Real Estate
Construction
Building Materials
Architecture And Planning
Civil Engineering
Commercial Real Estate
Glass, Ceramics And Concrete
Industrial Automation

Service Industry

Restaurants
Food And Beverages
Recreational Facilities And Services
Package/Freight Delivery
Individual And Family Services
Events Services
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Security And Investigations
Facilities Services

High Tech

Defense And Space
Computer Hardware
Computer Software
Computer Networking
Internet
Semiconductors
Telecommunications
Biotechnology
Pharmaceuticals
Airlines/Aviation
Information Technology And Services
Venture Capital
Nanotechnology
Computer And Network Security
Wireless

Education

Primary/Secondary
Higher Education
Education Management
Research
E-Learning

Media

Entertainment
Motion Pictures And Film
Broadcast Media
Museums And Institutions
Fine Art
Performing Arts
Marketing And Advertising
Newspapers
Publishing
Printing
Information Services
Libraries
Design
Writing And Editing
Computer Games
Arts And Crafts
Online Publishing
Media Production
Animation
Photography
Graphic Design

Medical And Health Care

Biotechnology
Medical Practice
Hospital And Health Care
Pharmaceuticals
Veterinary
Medical Device
Health, Wellness And Fitness
Alternative Medicine
Mental Health Care

Finance

Banking
Insurance
Financial Services
Real Estate
Investment Banking/Venture
Investment Management
Accounting
Venture Capital
Capital Markets

So, as you can see, there are absolutely TONS of categories represented on this professional networking site. I’m a firm believer in LinkedIn networking and LinkedIn marketing – so I hope this list will give you that extra push to dive into LinkedIn and either renew your efforts on the site, or if you haven’t already – see what sort of outcomes you can achieve for your own company!

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LinkedIn for Healthcare: 5 Must-Haves

By Dale Griffen

6Jan

Healthcare Marketing, Uncategorized

With everyone going on about the wonders of Facebook and Twitter, my poor friend LinkedIn sometimes gets left out in the cold. While not the most visible of the major social media sites, it is definitely one of the most powerful. With millions of people from all over the globe taking part in the conversation on LinkedIn, it is definitely a place online where your target healthcare audience thrives.

Whether your healthcare organization is B2B or B2C oriented, you can carve out your own audience on LinkedIn.

So if you have registered for a profile, why isn’t anything happening?

I have the answer.

Let’s get moving and create some stellar results! Here are my 5 LinkedIn “Must Haves” for healthcare organizations who are looking to get the most out of their valuable time online.

1. You MUST Fill Out Your Profile: A name and title is not enough. LinkedIn gives you ample opportunity to showcase yourself and your healthcare brand. Instead of leaving half of the profile blank (the percentage of which LinkedIn will show you on the right hand side of your profile), why not take an hour or two and really fill it in properly. Want people to call you? Add a phone number. Want people to look at your website? Mention it with hyperlink at the drop of a hat. Don’t skimp here…this is where people are going to find you credible or not credible. Oh, and one final thing. Have a professional profile picture, nothing wild and off brand. No picture = no credibility in my book.

2. You MUST Join Groups: Not only must you join groups, you must also take part in them. I know it seems like a tall order, but this is one of the areas where the magic happens on LinkedIn. Now don’t get stuck on the fact that you have to find groups only within the healthcare sector only, you want to find those in addition to groups where your target consumers may be. For example, if you are a cosmetic surgeon in NYC you may want to join 25 groups on cosmetic surgery and 25 groups based around the NYC area. The idea is simple. The professional ones will help you gain news and knowledge in your sector while the others will help you share your business and expertise with target consumers. I say join as many as LinkedIn allows (50) and start working them!

3. You MUST Ask Question and Answer Questions: There is a wonderful function of LinkedIn that allows you to answer and pose questions to your network as well as LinkedIn at large. This is a great way to get in front of prospective supporters, consumers and referral partners – so don’t be afraid to jump in there and share your expertise by answering a few questions now and again.

4. You MUST Reply: Nothing drives a social media user up-the-wall more than sending messages that never are replied to. I’m not saying the mass messages that start with those wonderful words “Dear Friends”, but rather those emails sent to your on LinkedIn. Not interested in what they have to say? Give them a polite “No thank you, but I appreciate your kind offer”, don’t say “Leave me alone” or ignore them completely. This is networking. Would you act like that in a cocktail party? Not likely.

5. You MUST Bring Your Profile Alive With Testimonials and Applications: Even the most engaging profile can use a helping hand now and again. First off, anyone that you have ever worked with or has known you professionally – ask for a recommendation, a mutual recommendation. This is an eye-catching way of proving credibility and the quality of your work. Never ask for testimonials from people you don’t know, never worked with, and just friended. That’s tacky. On the application side of things, go onto your profile and scroll until you see the Applications section and click “More Applications.” This will take you to a section that allows you to not only integrate your Twitter account and your WordPress blogs, but also share pdf files and PowerPoint presentations. These are wonderful ways of bringing your profile to life….not to mention adds to your credibility as a expert in your niche!

I’m sure I could go on with the wonders of LinkedIn, but these are definitely the ones I am most passionate about. These steps will help your healthcare organization get the most out of LinkedIn in addition to helping you learn more about shaping your LinkedIn marketing strategy. Its not easy at first and can be time consuming, but keep with it. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is your social media following. It is an ongoing effort that will bring you what your after, if you are patient.

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Tag : linkedin

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