social media

We’ve posted in the past about optimizing your personal LinkedIn profile to build your platform and business connections. And with more than 90 million users in over two hundred countries, LinkedIn is certainly still a powerful social media tool that you should be using for personal gain. But have you taken the time to focus on your corporate presence on LinkedIn? Companies can now take advantage of LinkedIn more strategically than ever before, making it essential that you learn how to get the most out of your organization’s page. We’ve listed the essential steps to optimizing your LinkedIn company page below.

1. Edit and develop

Unlike Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn allows all employees with an @company.com email address to edit a company’s profile. Start by designating someone at your company to keep track of the company’s LinkedIn presence—likely the person who is currently handling your other social media accounts.

Next, develop and edit the page. LinkedIn aggregates information about your company from three sources—Capital IQ, Yahoo!, and LinkedIn user profiles. Read over what is already written about your company on LinkedIn and edit as needed. Write strong, clear copy for the overview section and list your company’s specialties. Upload your company logo, designate a website URL, and list vital company stats. Keep in line with your company’s positioning, but be short and concise, as is appropriate for social media profiles. If you’re having any difficulty editing your company page, check out LinkedIn’s Learning Center to learn more about the specifics of editing.

2. Have a keyword strategy

The prevalence and relevance of keywords are what will enable people to find your LinkedIn profile through online searches. Want to show up when someone searches LinkedIn for “design”? Use the word design as much as possible in your summary, specialties, and profile description. This also makes it more likely that your LinkedIn profile will show up in Google search results for the same term.

3. Utilize the LinkedIn profiles of employees and connections

Ninety percent of the information on a company’s page comes from its employees’ profiles, according to a Mashable article on optimizing your LinkedIn presence for recruiting purposes. The more optimized your employees’ LinkedIn accounts are, the more cohesive and complete your brand will appear. Consider hosting a LinkedIn optimization workshop for your employees. After all, the landing page for your company’s LinkedIn profile proudly lists the employees of the company with links to their personal profiles, and you want them to be the best possible brand ambassadors.

What employees have on their LinkedIn profiles is also important because viewers of your company page are able to see statistics about them. LinkedIn lists the average highest degree obtained by your employees, annual company growth (as reflected by employees’ LinkedIn profiles), average years of experience, and other facts. All this information is displayed in a chart with a comparison to other companies in your field, making it important that your employees list things like their degrees and their correct titles and start dates.

If you’re connected with any clients on LinkedIn, solicit recommendations from them. A client’s personal championing of your product or service is a powerful sales tool, and it’s easy to get these recommendations on LinkedIn. Endorsements are handled the same way as they are on individual profiles. You can request them with the click of a button, but be sure to personalize the default message.

4. Show off

You want your company’s LinkedIn profile to showcase your expertise in your field and prove to users that your company is the best in the business. Luckily, LinkedIn gives companies plenty of space to display what they bring to the table.

Company profiles now feature a “Products & Services” tab where you can list what you have to offer, including descriptions and 100 x 80 pixel icons of each product or service. Here, you can also create banners that rotate with each user click. These banners include much larger photos with accompanying links to your website; think of this as a landing page to educate potential clients and generate leads. Done correctly, your Products & Services page can be a great marketing tool.

You can also upload your YouTube videos onto your LinkedIn profile, on both the Overview and Products & Services pages. Do so if you have great videos—visually interesting videos can be informative and make your page stand out.

Be sure to embed your Twitter and RSS blog feeds onto your page. This is a great way to display your knowledge in the field and also keeps your page looking fresh.

5. Tailor your page to specific audiences

This step is especially important for companies with a very diverse product offering. LinkedIn’s “Audiences” function is powerful in that it lets companies change what page viewers see depending on specific audience attributes—similar to the Circles feature in Google+. It isn’t hard to do, either. You can create an audience by selecting a few different attributes (industry, job title, company size, seniority, etc.), and then LinkedIn prompts you to edit a clone of your basic company page. Just a few clicks and voila!—you have targeted marketing.

6. Cover all your contact bases

Now that you have people on your LinkedIn profile, you want them to take it to the next level and actually contact you. Facilitate this by including several different ways prospective clients and employees can reach out to you. Designate a contact person’s LinkedIn profile on your company site and also be sure to list his or her email address and your company’s phone number and website.

7. Monitor your analytics
LinkedIn provides an analytics tab on company pages that displays a number of different charts measuring statistics such as page views, unique visitors, clicks, visitors broken down by industry, and more. Importantly, it compares your company’s performance in these categories to that of similar companies, allowing you to measure your LinkedIn success against your competitors’. Like any measurable social media campaign, you should keep an eye on your analytics; be wary of any dramatic dips or rises in unique visitors and any accompanying strategies executed that month. Tailor as needed.

While you’re out optimizing your own LinkedIn profile, be sure to follow Greenleaf! Find us at http://www.linkedin.com/company/greenleaf-book-group.

Disclaimer: This post has nothing to do with Lady Gaga, so don’t get your hopes up.

Just when you finally figured out how to correctly use a hashtag, Google+ made its debut on the social networking stage. Perhaps you cheered the opening, quickly adding anyone and everyone on your Google+ radar. Or maybe you’re disillusioned with social networking and simply can’t take another alert on your smartphone, consequently letting out a resounding “Boo.”

Regardless of your relationship with social media—and before you either delete your invite or start posting dozens of photos of your grandma’s birthday party—consider using Google+ primarily as a networking tool.

Whether you’re a writer, reader, or presenter, Google+ likely has something to offer you. Read on for suggestions on how you can utilize G+ to your advantage.

G+ for Writers

G+ Hangouts is a great way to keep in touch with fellow writers, especially if you’ve attended a writers’ conference and want to continue getting feedback from participants you particularly clicked with. Hangouts is essentially a videoconferencing tool. You can connect with up to ten people, and G+ recognizes when someone is talking, focusing the video stream on that person until someone else speaks up.

The feature also offers excellent networking opportunities if you participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, which takes place in November), or any other sort of marathon writing event.

Hundreds of writers are already organizing cowriting events on G+, rejecting the solitary nature of writing in exchange for interaction and peer motivation. Creeped out by the idea of watching others write but still want the feedback? You can minimize your screen and mute your microphone while writing, and then rejoin your group during chat breaks.

Mary Robinette Kowal suggests the following steps to create a writing meetup on Google+ Hangouts:

1. Put up a post saying that you are going to have a writing date at [x] time OR just spontaneously open a hangout.

2. As soon as the hangout is open, place a comment on it that states that it is a writing date and what the parameters are.

3. Suggested parameters: "We’ll chat for fifteen minutes. Then at quarter past we’ll start writing for forty-five minutes. On the hour, there’s another fifteen-minute break for chat . . . Rinse and repeat. If you want to join in mid-way, that’s fine, but we’ll just wave at you until the next break."

4. Continue until you need to log off. If the other participants are still going, they will be able to keep writing after you leave.

If you’re at all nostalgic about your college workshop days of wacky writing prompts and open sharing, you should definitely find a G+ writer’s group to join.

GalleyCat is collecting a list of writers interested in connecting on Google+. If you want an easy way to find dozens of new friends, check it out.

G+ for Authors

Authors, consider using Google+ to organize initial readers of your manuscripts. Use your blog or newsletter to choose a group of three to ten beta readers and send them your piece. Ask them to read it over the course of the week and decide on a time to chat about their reactions and suggestions.

Google+’s main claim to fame is its personalized sharing features; authors should use this to their advantage. Unlike Facebook, Google+ allows you to easily group people and decide what you share with particular groups. This feature, called Circles, enables you to share a link with a specific group—say “readers”—but not with another—say “family.” Target your fan base by posting news to them without spamming your family and friends.

You could also organize virtual book events to interact more directly with your readers. If you have a good blog or fan following, announce a G+ “book tour” date. Encourage fans to post questions and connect with them via Hangouts or Circle posts.

G+ for Readers

Virtual book clubbing is another great way to use G+. If you have a club on GoodReads or a virtual club over email, migrate the group to Google+. Instead of simply messaging or emailing about the book, get onto Hangouts to have a face-to-face conversation.

If you are involved in any genre reading groups, fan clubs, academic conferences, literary holidays (like Bloomsday), or reading events (like  the thirty-hour reading of Moby Dick that happened earlier this year in Portland) you could also organize Circles to facilitate sharing of interesting research and articles related to your topic of choice.

G+ for Speakers

Professional speakers can also use Google+ to expand their reach. Use blogs and forums to identify influential people in the expertise circle you should be connecting with. Add them on G+ (unlike Facebook, it’s not taboo to add people on G+ you’ve never actually met) and position yourself as a pro by hosting workshops, webinars, or live tutorials to select circles through Google+ Hangouts. Offer cooking classes, marketing webinars, or personal finance workshops—whatever will build your online platform in the arena of your personal expertise.

Google+ may not be as insanely popular as Facebook yet, but it’s never a bad idea to get in on the ground floor of a social media movement. If you’re a little timid about getting started on Google+, check out this collection of fifty helpful get-started links.

When it comes to building a brand as an author, there is one asset that can’t be measured in dollars: brand equity. The power that comes from building a personal brand that dovetails seamlessly with the book releases can turn perception into profits. While there is no single secret to success when it comes to building a brand as an author, here are ten New Year’s resolutions that you can make in 2011 to strengthen your own personal brand:

1. BE COURAGEOUS, OFTEN

Take bold steps to stand out from the crowd. Reflect on 2010 and look at what you did well, and what you could have been different. Take courageous steps to help your brand stand out in 2011.

2. REVISIT AND REFINE YOUR PURPOSE

Take the time to look back at your mission and vision and ask if you were living it in 2010. Look for places to bring it to life with your team and explore whether you need to refine it. Remember: the words aren't set in stone. If they're not resonating, rewrite and revise!

3. SHUT UP AND LISTEN

There's a lot to learn if you just take the time to listen. Make sure you ask your team for feedback, ideas and suggestions. Listen to your consumers and pay attention to research. Listen to what they have to say and act on what you've heard. Honest, unfiltered feedback is fuel for change.

4. FIND AN ENEMY

An enemy gives you and your team something to push against–something to challenge. An enemy inspires passion!  This year, define a clear enemy and rally your team. It could be a competitor, a trend or an element of your internal culture. No matter what it is, create a plan to beat it, share the mission with your team and go forth!

5. STRETCH AND SET SOME BIG GOALS

Set at least one wild and audacious goal for 2011–something you've never tried before. Outline the goal, share it with your team and challenge them to play their part in achieving it. Just don't forget to celebrate the small victories and successes on the journey.

6. BUILD A PASSIONATE AND ENGAGED TEAM

Your most valuable resource is your people. This year, weed out those who don't contribute and aren't engaged. Replace them with active, passionate and energized people who will make a true difference to the rest of your team and your brand.

7. INJECT FUN INTO THE EVERYDAY

One of the best motivators for your team is a great work environment. This year, start doing small things that make your employees happy. A monthly massage for a those who have put in extra hours or a weekly pot-luck for the team. Small gestures or events can make a big difference. And the benefits won't just stop with your team - they will show through everything that your brand does. Happy people equals happy brand.

8. PLAN FOR LEARNING

This year, make a commitment and ensure your company is continually learning and is inspired by the word at large. Create a program that allows your team to take classes. Host a "learning lunch" monthly with guest speakers. Injecting new thinking into your organization will energize your team and, ultimately, benefit your brand.

9. MAKE FRIENDS WITH OTHER BRANDS

Partner brands can be your best ally–whether they're in your space or not. This year, chart a "circle of love," identifying brands with similar values that you'd like to partner with in 2011. Set one member of your team with a potential relationship and have them explore how to collaborate. You'll be surprised by the results, even just the initial conversations you'll have about your own brand.

10. SAY THANK YOU AND SHOW THAT YOU REALLY MEAN IT

And, lastly, do what your mother told you! Thanking people goes a long way to creating valued and appreciated fans–internally and externally. This year, find new ways to show you appreciate your team, your customers and your partners, in ways that truly make a difference in their lives. You'll be surprised and delighted by the results.

Shawn Parr is the CEO of Bulldog Drummond, a design and innovation consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients include Starbucks, Pepsi, Jack in the Box, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, Virgin, Disney, Nike and American Eagle Outfitters.

Writing a book can be a lonely experience, and you don’t want to completely isolate yourself during the writing process. It’s important to get feedback, especially while you’re developing an idea. Not only does this help motivate you, it also helps you catch issues and address concerns on the front end rather than trying to overhaul a manuscript after it’s already complete.

It’s not difficult to find people to provide regular feedback. Here are a few ways of locating people willing to give you critiques:

1. Start by asking fellow authors. Though it’s nice to get a variety of opinions, authors within your genre are best. Not only do they know who the competitors are, they also have a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t within your genre.
2. Put out an all-call on social media. Put out a post asking for people to read your work. You’ll be surprised at how many will respond!
3. Ask colleagues. Ask people at work or others in your industry. This is especially good for nonfiction authors, as people in your industry represent your reader.
4. Locate a formal writers’ group. There are many writers’ groups already established by genre and location. Check with local groups such as the Writers’ League of Texas or with genre-specific groups such as Sisters in Crime—or go to Writer’s Digest and other forums to find groups in your area.

But getting someone to read your work is only the beginning. In order for the feedback to be useful, you need to keep the following in mind:

1. Distance yourself. It's not a critique of you. It’s an honest opinion about your work, so don’t take it as a personal affront to you or your abilities as a writer.
2. Maintain veto power. You don't have to accept every suggestion or change made. It is ultimately your work, and it should reflect you and be something you are proud of. If you truly want to keep something, then keep it, but do consider the reader’s reasons for suggesting changes.
3. Recognize patterns. If more than one person says the same thing about your work, take notice. If on every critique you hear that your characters are flat, you may have to accept that your characters are flat and strive to correct it. If several people say a passage is confusing, you may want to consider rewriting it. The point here is to improve as a writer.
4. Respect their opinions. Show the one who critiqued you the same respect you expect by acknowledging and thanking them for their time and feedback.
5. Have them focus on the big picture. Most readers are apprehensive about critiquing because they feel you want a complete copyedit. Unless they’re an editor, ease your readers by instructing them to focus on feedback related to the overall feel and goal of the book. Have them point out what works and what doesn’t work in relation to plot, narrative arc, usefulness of information, and style rather than addressing issues such as misplaced commas and word usage.

Remember, you don’t want to write in a vacuum. Despite all of your genius, in order to truly understand what your readers want and how to give it to them, you need to engage them from the beginning. Not only will it make you a better writer, your advance readers will have a vested interest in the final project and will do everything they can to help you succeed.