online networking

How To Perfect Your LinkedIn Profile

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Every social media platform is different; some emphasise visuals, some provide you with daily news, while others exist solely as a way of keeping in touch. As a business owner it is vital to nurture all your networking spaces, and most importantly learn how to use them right! Often the first line of contact for prospective clients and established connections are our business socials, and these should be straight forward, on brand and active, but there is one platform that users still find more intimidating than others…

LinkedIn is one of the most overlooked networking tools, with the common misconception being that it is only used as a ‘formality’ or because it makes you seem more professional. However, with a few simple changes to your profile it can become a powerful ally to you and your business.

Choose an appropriate profile image

Your profile picture will likely be the first thing noticed by visiting users, and as we know, first impressions matter! If the profile is set up for your business, it is advised you use your logo as the image; it helps to keep your branding uniform and recognisable as well as boosting the profiles credibility. However, if you’re setting up your personal profile, it’s best to use a clear and recognisable photo of yourself. The image should be recent and of good quality, with a more professional tone and work or image appropriate clothing. Stay clear of selfies and filters and aim for your face to take up around 60% of the frame (don’t forget to smile!).

LinkedIn profiles also include the background photo, a great opportunity to use an attention-grabbing image in line with your branding. You could use an image that depicts your profession, the name of your brand or an image that reflects your business. It is also a great place to showcase some of your work e.g., your creations, achievements or products.

Make the most of your headline

While your current employment/field of work is the focus of the headline, passions, goals and a little extra elaboration on what you do or hope to achieve can also help to bring personalisation and attention to your profile. If you offer multiple services or wish to add more about yourself, try separating with a vertical bar (|). Don’t get carried away, for more in-depth content utilise the about section later on.

Tell your story

Your LinkedIn summary is your chance to impress, introduce your business and tell your own story, when done right it can be a gateway to exciting opportunities and new connections. It doesn’t have to be just a long list of qualifications, in fact personalised writing and anecdotes on how you’ve ended up in your profession help to improve readability and add creative flair to your summary. Achievements, your employment history and skills are all important factors which benefit from an engaging presentation, so think of creative ways to showcase them. If it is a summary meant for your business, delve deeper into the history of your brand, how you got here, where it originated as well as future goals and values. If you’re unsure of what to include follow this structure as a basic rule of thumb:

  • Introduction – who are you/ what do you do?
  • A little history – how did you get to where you are now?
  • Achievements and goals – what are your passions/ what are you proud of/ hopes for the future?
  • A call to action- contact information/ website/ upcoming events

Ultimately, remember that LinkedIn is a unique platform which caters to businesses and business professionals. It differs from socials such as Facebook and Instagram as its focus is providing an online space for finding work, marketing, as well as connecting with business partners. Whichever field of work you’re in, it’s a useful tool to have under your belt! If you’d like to find out more about perfecting your social media or require any other business support, we’d love to help. Get in touch:

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

Jetting off to Twitter Space(s)

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As you may have heard, Twitter has recently announced it’s new, modernising feature called Twitter Spaces. Describing their new addition as “a place to come together”, we certainly set our expectations high as we eagerly waited to test it out first-hand. Finally, as it become available to the general public, we thought we’d give you a rundown of its key functions.

What is Twitter Spaces?

Spaces is an audio feature that resembles an online chatroom. It allows participating users to congregate within a Twitter group and use the voice messaging function to engage in live conversations. All Spaces are public access meaning that every user can join any chosen Space as a listener – except for those blocked through the account of course. When you create a Space or are a speaker in one, the Space will appear at the top of your timeline visible to your account followers.

The user creating the Space is the host and can select co-hosts as well as speakers through sending a request once the group is established. When created, a maximum of 13 users can be speakers, while listeners can request for speaking permission to be granted by the host. Account holders wanting to create a Space need to reach a minimum of 300 Twitter followers and once they have done so, they will then be able to host and speak.

Improving on inclusivity

Twitter has actively encouraged users to utilise a certain feature of Spaces, hoping to improve upon the platform’s inclusivity. The first time a user creates a Space or is a speaker within one, consent is requested for live time speech captions to be made while using the Space. When consent is granted, it allows users to click a ‘Show captions’ button, allowing them to view live captions of all hosts and speakers who gave their permission. Changes to live captions can be carried out at any point within your device settings and play a major role in improving experiences for users with hearing impairments.

A safe Space for Everyone

Many of the settings can be modified and changed from its default settings to personalise your space, but there are also safety measures put in place to maintain online security. Twitter will have access to copies of Space audio messages/captions for one month, during which an evaluation and rule violation reviews take place. If any rules were deemed broken, Twitter then retains the right to hold those copies for an additional three months during which counter appeals can be made. Users will also be able to report Spaces as well as any accounts within the groups, while hosts and co-hosts will be able to keep their Spaces safe by blocking offending users and removing them from the Space.

Business benefits of Twitter Spaces

While Spaces is available for everyone, businesses are also gaining many unique advantages from the new feature. Spaces is already proving to be a beneficial tool in business marketing and communication as it provides a direct and personal way of interacting with your audiences while being in full control of the conversation. It opens doors to fantastic new opportunities for customer engagement such as:

  • Regular/semiregular Networking Events
  • Q&A Sessions
  • Offering advice and business support
  • Interviews
  • Open-mic discussions about new products and services
  • Discussing changes and upcoming events

Currently a full version of Twitter Spaces is only available on iOS and Android, however Space on the web will likely be an addition in the future. If you’d like to discuss any of the subjects we’ve touched upon or any other matters, make sure to reach out to our team. We’d love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions.

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

Getting The Most Out Of Online Networking

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From webinars to virtual business shows, Twitter hours to web hosted speed networking, making new contacts and schmoozing online has been around for a while. But it seems now, more than ever, we are relying on it as part of our new daily norm, and to be honest, it’s not that easy!

OK, so showing up, saying hello and listening to what everyone else has to say isn’t that hard … but really making the most of it and getting as much from online networking as you would from meeting someone face to face is definitely a bit trickier.

As experienced remote workers, we’ve been attending these types of events for years. Let us share with you our top tips for making the most of them:

First off, you need to find the right event/s to attend. The same as you would for an ‘in person event’, consider what you can give and what you will get out of it. Is the audience right for you? Who do you want to work with, support or develop new relationships with? Whether you’re at home; a local sports hall; or a conference centre, your time is just as valuable – show up to the right event for YOU.

Once you’ve discovered your ideal Twitter hour or online lunch networking group, find out as much as you can before you attend. What subjects do they discuss? What’s the format of the event? Before you join, use the information you find out to think about some questions and useful content you can share. That way, not only will you add real value, you will also save time allowing you to focus on speaking with and learning more about the other members.

Prep’ done! Let’s talk about ‘being in the room’. 

The best piece of advice we can give you for online networking is to constantly visualise ‘being in the room’. With the safety and comfort of being behind your laptop screen, it can be easy to shrink into the background and just watch the events unfold in front of you. It can be daunting wondering what to say, how to say it and even when. Imagining you’re in the room with everyone, sipping a drink, wandering round and poking your face in to say hello and introduce yourself, suddenly makes it much easier. If you were there, chatting away, what would you say? You would ask them about their business wouldn’t you! You’d find out more, ask probing questions, and conversations would flow onto various subjects – business and personal. From there, you can network as you usually would. Show an interest, see if you can help each other, find out as much as you can for a short period, then move on to find out more about the next person. Networking!

Beware the danger trap – Don’t just shout and run!

It’s easy to mistake shouting and leaving as ‘getting involved’. For example, you’re attending a virtual business show and have done all your prep’. You’ve spent ages working out what you want to say and have created a few posts ready. It’s very likely that all those posts talk about you, your business, what you have to offer, why I should use you etc. and so on… That’s great, and of course will be needed, but it’s extremely important to think about timing and engagement. If you were ‘in the room’ and someone came to your stand, would you turn to them, quickly highlight your services and then just as quickly turn away again saying nothing more? Of course not! You would say ‘hi’, introduce yourself, ask them about themselves and what they do. Apply the same logic here. Don’t go ‘into the room’ shout your name and leave again. It will have the same effect as if you had walked into a face to face meeting. You might cause a stir initially, but no one will pay much notice after that. 

Your personal brand, business brand and how you come across are also important to consider. Again, continue to use the ‘being in the room’ trick. Just because you’re online, doesn’t mean you should start acting like you’re on Facebook or a family WhatsApp group! Remember that you’re still representing your company, and you want to make the best impression possible (much harder without the luxury of body language I know). Try to strike a nice balance between professional and friendly. Nothing stand-offish, and definitely not too familiar – even if you know someone very well, others won’t know that and a few eyebrows might be raised! At all times, imagine you’re standing in front of the person you’re talking to and respond as you would normally. Be open, helpful and genuine. Try to help as many people as possible, showing your worth and adding real value to the event.

Finally, once the speed networking, webinar (or whatever it is!) has ended, remember to progress any key contacts or developing relationships outside of the event. Follow up in the same way as you would if you had met them in person and taken their business card. Remember – all the best business is done once the event has finished.

We hope you’re found this blog useful. We run our own weekly networking hour over on Twitter between 8-9pm on a Wednesday evening. Please come along @SMESupportHour #SMESupportHour.

If you have any questions about online networking or would like to chat, please get in touch anytime! We look forward to hearing from you: makeithappen@mbsmih.com  |  01903 688789