by Amanda Hoffmann | Featured Contributor
LinkedIn is one of THE MOST powerful social media sites that a SME can use.
If as a small business owner you do not use another social media platform, Linkedin should be the one that you make the time and money to learn.
Need more evidence?
347 Million Users
40% of users check LinkedIn daily
41% of LinkedIn Users are Millionaires
Average user time spent on LinkedIn is 17 minutes
48% use LinkedIn 2 hours or more a week
18% use LinkedIn 7 hours or more a week
What do these statistics tell us?
LinkedIn will help you find professional partnerships, clients and is an excellent networking platform.
Real life example
Angela Reedman-Polinski – Australian Freelance journalist and Technical Author
After attending one of my workshops, these are the steps Angela took:
No.1 Angela updated her profile picture to be more professional
No. 2 As discussed in my workshop she updated her title to have a clear and active voice about what she exactly does rather than just a job title.
No. 3 Deleted unrelated work experience and work skills that were not in line with what she wanted to do.
I hadn’t thought of this before and your workshop highlighted to me how important a step this was and forced me to look at my own goals for both myself and my business
No. 4 I began listing my work examples in multiple media formats including video, web links and images. This was a fun step and enabled me to build up a portfolio which I have since been able to showcase to prospective clients.
No. 5 I then linked my LinkedIn link in to my signature block so it reached any correspondents I deal with regularly.
Finally I went through my client list and looked at who I might want a reference from and asked them for a recommendation. Once received, these were proudly displayed on my profile.
Regular upkeep that Angela finds quite easy to maintain:
- Each time my work is published I link it to my profile
- Each time I meet a new colleague that I wish to work with now or later, I add them on LinkedIn.
- When I take on a new client, I review their profile and check their skills , recommendations and length of time in business.
These simple steps have enabled me to build a significantly useful network on my LinkedIn profile and strengthened my work connections.
I also secured an ongoing contract through meeting a colleague in a publishing industry group two weeks after updating my profile.
Amanda’s workshop was a great introduction for me to LinkedIn and highly recommended.
Want to know how to update your profile on LinkedIn? Click here
In Conclusion
LinkedIn is a must for all small businesses on a global scale is an important investment in time and financially.
If you would like to know how you can improve your profile, click through to my free ebook on slideshare
Resources
By the numbers: 120+ Amazing LinkedIn Statistics
104 Fastinating Social Media and Marketing Statistics for 2014/2015
New Research: 2014 LinkedIn User Trends
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Amanda Hoffmann – Sensational Entrepreneur, Bookkeeper Extraordinaire and loves Social Media
Hi, I’m Amanda Hoffmann and live in Brisbane, Australia. I am passionate about business and social media. I currently juggle being a mother of four school-aged children and run three businesses in completely different fields. While challenging, I believe they keep me thinking outside of the box. I have always loved being busy and I believe it is a mixture of my “can do” attitude and loving life that allows me to accomplish so much. Oh, not liking to sleep much certainly does help!
I started managing my first business over 18 years ago but sold it when I decided to start a family. I was unable to envision at the time how I could run a business and still be a dedicated mother. Since I now run three businesses and have a large family, I have found being organised and prioritising is the secret to success.
What are my businesses you might ask? My Office Books Virtual Bookkeeping, Kidd House Accommodation specialising in fully furnished accommodation for both students and professionals and Co-Founder of a new Social Media start-up called The Likeability Company helping SME’s get the most out of using social media and building communities.
I would like to share my experience in small business and answer any questions you might have regarding office organisation, cloud technology and share my experience in property investment.
I personally am fascinated by social media, particularly the fast pace of twitter and exploring the world of blogging. I invite you share my journey and get to know each other.
Twitter – Blog – Pinterest – Facebook – Google+
