This presentation was part of a webinar I gave as part of Mediabistro's Social Media 101 interactive workshop on how to get started with social media.
The session, entitled "Google+ & LinkedIn: Make Personal and Professional Connections" went over the basic of using the two social platforms for building a professional and personal network.
The session details:
Google+ is a quickly growing social platform introduced in 2011 by Google. This session explains how to share content and take advantage of Google+'s unique features, including group video chat. LinkedIn is the major social media platform used for professional networking, job search, and lead generation. Find out how to create a LinkedIn page that can serve your business and professional goals.
Check out the Social Media 101 agenda here: http://www.mediabistro.com/socialmedia101/program.asp
How To Use LinkedIn & Google+ to Build Your Network
1. How To Use LinkedIn & Google+
to Build Your Network
with
Erica Swallow
Tech Journalist
Erica Swallow
@ericaswallow
ericaswallow.com
2. About LinkedIn
• Launched in May 2003
• World’s largest professional network
• 135+ million members in over 200 countries
• Your digital resume
• High ranking in search results
• 4 billion people searches in 2011
• Networking, job search
6. Join Groups
• Types of groups
• Topical interest areas
• College alumni association
• Professional associations
• Company employee group
• Discussions & polls
• Job boards
• Email digest
7. Ask for Recommendations
• Focus on quality, not quantity
• Approach individuals separately and/or in person
• Don’t send out mass messages
• Add a personal touch
• Explain the importance of his/her recommendation
• Give recommendations!
9. Be an Expert: LinkedIn Answers
• LinkedIn’s Q&A platform
• Gain expertise points in specific topics
• All topics have experts
10. Follow Company Pages
• Learn about a company’s job openings
• Connect with employees
11. About Google+
• Launched to public in September 2011
• Google’s latest foray into social networking
• Google Friend Connect, Google Buzz, Orkut
• Estimated 90 million users
• Tech enthusiasts, students and lots of men
• Largely inactive user base
13. Fill Out the Basics
• Free SEO!
• At the very least, fill out your profile
• Profile picture
• Tagline
• About page (bio, links, employment, education)
• Banner photos
• Contact information
14. Create Custom Circles
• Based on your email contacts
• Circles enable easy grouping and sharing
15. Follow Sparks
• Google+’s algorithmic content recommendation system
• Based on Google Search, Google+ and +1 button
16. Host a Hangout
• Business meetings, industry chats, meetups
• Hangout with Extras: named hangouts, shared notes and
sketchpad, Google docs integration, screensharing
17. Share Relevant Content
• Share via your stream
• Photo, video, link
• Target specific Circles or people
• Share or comment on other people’s posts
• Everything you +1 across the Internet is documented
under the “+1’s” tab on your profile
18. Create a Short Google+ URL
• Google+ doesn’t support vanity URLs
• Use gplus.to to create a short URL for sharing
SlideShare Presentations: If you’re a public speaker or publish lots of reports, SlideShare is a useful tool for getting the word out about your work. If you don’t have a SlideShare account, get one. If you do, this app is a great way to showcase your most recent reports or presentations on your LinkedIn profile.WordPress: Add personal flair to your LinkedIn profile by importing your latest WordPress blog posts onto your profile. You can choose to display all posts or only those tagged “linkedin.”My Travel: Powered by TripIt, this app enables you to see where your professional network is traveling and post your upcoming trips. It then shows you who in your network will be close to you on your travels.
LinkedIn Answers is a Q&A platform that enables members to demonstrate their business acumen by answering questions from other members. When questioners choose another user’s answer as best, that user gains points of expertise. These points rank members on the Answers leaderboard, called “This Week’s Top Experts.”