Establishing a Strong Personal Brand on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com/in/BrendaMeller @BrendaMeller
Establishing a Strong
Personal Brand on
LinkedIn
Presented by Brenda Meller, Marketing Consultant, Meller Marketing
to my new friends at University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Monday, October 23, 2017

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Stuff We’ll Cover
• Introductions
• Reminders (aka “disclaimers”)
• Overview of why LinkedIn is awesome
• Review of what you SHOULD be doing on LinkedIn
• Stuff I expect
• of any student
• of a student seeking an job / internship
• Your Questions
• Consider me a future employer: I might be someday
• Consider your professor a future employer: she may be someday
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Hi, I’m Brenda Meller
Introvert at heart
Recent graduate
(current Hulu binge: Will & Grace 1998)
Big fan of : Coffee / Pie / Chocolate
A LinkedIn Ambassador
On “hiatus” & consulting
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You NEVER Know…
• Klementina X. Sula
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Who are You?
• Degree
• Career goal after
graduation: “Someday I
will be..”
• Are you on LinkedIn?
GOAL = EVERYONE LEARNS SOMETHING NEW
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LinkedIn Reminders
 Company rules / policies
 LinkedIn will change… again
 Everyone has a different comfort level
 Listen, learn, consider… then decide
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What is ?
• THE professional networking site:
• Launched in 2003 (Me: 2006)
• 500 million members
• 200 countries
• “Connections”
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* https://press.linkedin.com/about-linkedin
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FOR COMPARISON:
• Facebook: 2 Billion
• Twitter: 319 Million
• World Population: 7.6 Billion
• Current U.S. National Debt: $21.09
Trillion
• Pies Brenda Has Baked This Year: 3

Three Areas to Begin
1. Create a FREE account
2. Build your profile
3. Invite and accept
connections
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1. Create a FREE Account
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• You can and should
associate multiple
emails (school, home,
work) to your LinkedIn
account
• If you are not sure if
your email is
“professional,” it is not.
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2. Build Your Profile
Pick One:
 Build Your Profile
OR
 Invite and Accept Invitations
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DO BOTH
Pick One:
 Build Your Profile
OR
 Invite and Accept Invitations
• Snowball effect
• Your profile will always be “in progress”
✓
✓
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My suggested profile checklist
1. Photos
 Profile Photo: Pleasant, smiling,
professional, face 50%
 Background Image: aligns with
company or personal brand
2. Headline
 Descriptive and Appealing.
 BONUS: add a goal.
3. Connections
10+ = active
4. Summary
 IMPORTANT: 2-lines. About 25-
42 words show on desktop
(LESS on mobile!) so make the
first few words compelling.
 First Person.
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https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-maximum-
linkedin-character-your-summary-12-top-2017-caprelli
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www.linkedin.com/in/BrendaMeller @BrendaMeller 14

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My suggested profile checklist (continued)
5. Experience
 Describe company
 Key achievements /
services offered
 Specialties
(keyword list)
Note: relevant to your
career. OK to delete
experience as your
career evolves.
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6. Recommendations from fellow students, managers,
professors, volunteer or student group leaders (people
who will say nice things about working with you)
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7. Endorsements
 Move your top 3 to the top
 You can have up to 50
 Compare to the internship
/ job description
8. Contact and
Personal Info.
 LinkedIn URL = friendly?
 Email
 Website
 Twitter (optional)
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8
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• Connect
• Request informational interview (industry, company, job title)
• Find connections when you apply for jobs
• ALL OF ABOVE: mention your UofM affiliation
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3. Invite and Accept Invitations
1. In search box,
type in name.
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ON MOBILE
• Click to view profile
• Click on three dots
• Click “Personalize invite”
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ON MOBILE
• Personalize your invitation
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SHOULD YOU ACCEPT?
• Go to your invitations by clicking on “My Network”
• In the “Invitations” list, click on “Manage all”
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SHOULD YOU ACCEPT?
• Click “Message” to send a message without accepting
• Reply with Hi (firstname), Thanks for the LinkedIn invitation.
I’ve found LinkedIn to be a more powerful tool when you
understand the basis for a connection. Have we met?
• OR (see next page)
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Hi (firstname), Thanks for the invitation to connect. I usually only
connect with people I've met, or professionals where I feel the
connection will be mutually beneficial. I am having trouble
recalling how we know one another. Can you refresh my
memory?
If we don't know one another, but you feel connecting on
LinkedIn would be beneficial for both of us, I'd be open to
hearing about that too.
If you just enjoy the content I've been sharing, you can also find
me on Twitter at @brendameller, or follow my LinkedIn blogs at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendameller/detail/recent-
activity/posts/.
Sincerely,
Brenda Meller
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Six Powerful Techniques
1. Join “Groups” on LinkedIn
2. Add LinkedIn URL to your email signature, web
bio, job seeker business card
3. Update your status weekly
4. Review endorsements / give recommendations
5. Remember LinkedIn / social media etiquette
6. Use “Help”
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1. Join “Groups” on LinkedIn
1. Join groups where you have professional memberships.
2. Join college group now, then alumni group (when you graduate).
3. Join professional interest groups to network with like-minded professionals
in your targeted industry.
4. Review targeted connections to see which groups THEY belong to, and
consider joining those groups.
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2. Add LinkedIn URL to your email
signature and business card
HOW TO ADD LINK?
1. Go into your email and find the link to adjust your account settings. Typically
this is referred to as “Email Signature”
2. Add the logo with hyperlink to your LinkedIn URL or simply the text. Ex:
www.linkedin.com/in/brendameller
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3. Update Your Status Weekly
1. Update your status TODAY. Tag sparingly and
strategically. (OK to take pic and tag me!)
2. Update your status once per week.
TO TAG:
Type “@” then
S-L-O-W-L-Y click
first and last name
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Suggested Status
Updates
BONUS
Conferences,
workshops, etc.
attended
ADD: what you LEARNED
Industry news
item
ADD: your key takeaways
Targeted
Company news
ADD: a 1-sentence preview
Trends you’re
learning in class
via articles
ADD: how this trend could change the
industry
BONUS: LinkedIn
Tips
ADD: the text “please click to share”
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Inspirational Messages
ROCK on LinkedIn
• Profile views
• Engagement with
connections
• Shares
• HINT: create your
own using Canva.
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What NOT to Post & WHY
“Let’s Discuss”
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5. LinkedIn / Social Media Etiquette
• If you’re seeking to connect for job search…ask before sending a
resume.
• People seek people… be ON LinkedIn
• Answer questions in groups, add keywords to your profile
• Go where your targeted connections are (groups, events, etc.)
• “Follow” targeted company pages
• Remember that like attracts like
• Personalization is key
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6. Visit “HELP” on LinkedIn
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https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin

HOMEWORK: LinkedIn
1. Get on LinkedIn
2. Set up your account
1. Photo
2. Description
3. One other item from my checklist
3. Connect with me
4. Connect with a few others from this class
5. Create Social Media Karma: like, share, comment
6. Join a Group and engage in discussion
7. Reply with “Have we Met?”
•
BONUS: spend 15 minutes a day EVERYDAY
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QUESTIONS?
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Establishing a Strong Personal Brand on LinkedIn

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