The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar 2019 - Omnibus Edition

In December 2019 I created The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar - sharing one LinkedIn? tip every day from December 1 - 24 inclusive.

And just in case you missed any (or all) of the tips, here's the omnibus edition for you.

By way of an explanation before I share the tips:

In each of the daily posts I address the imaginary 'Emma.' - a sort of 'amalgam' of many of the clients I've worked with as a LinkedIn? coach over the past 5+ years. By addressing the tips to Emma I hoped to make them more practically applicable - you can be the judge of whether or not I succeeded ??

If you find the tips omnibus helpful, please comment below (it's a l-o-n-g way below, admittedly!). It'll encourage me to create The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar 2020.

My personal favourite tip? The very last one!

Here's wishing you a prosperous 2020, friend.

Darrel

PS please follow #6PStrategy for my ongoing LinkedIn? tips and advice.

Here follows the tips...

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DECEMBER 1

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

(By the way, Emma, this is tip 1 of 24.)

?? Hello Emma,

I’m so excited to share some of my favourite LinkedIn? tips with you in the run up to Christmas ! ??

And here’s my first tip: GIVE DOCUMENT POSTS A TRY

I love being creative with content, Emma - and I know you do, too.

That’s why I know you’d love sharing (PDF) document posts on LinkedIn?.

But did you know just how easy PDF documents are to create in the free version of Canva (.com)?

? Login to Canva or create a free account (desktop version)

? Click ‘Create a design’

? Click ‘+ Custom dimensions’

? Create a square design 150 x 150 mm (square designs look really neat on LinkedIn? IMHO)

? Design your document (Click ‘Add a new page’ each time you want to… you know… add a new page)

? When you’ve finished creating, click the download arrow (top right), then file type ‘PDF standard’ from the dropdown (‘standard’ quality is perfectly adequate for social media posts)

? Then upload to LinkedIn? and add your text

Pretty neat, huh? ??

Another tip tomorrow, Emma!

Darrel

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?? Hey, does anyone have any additional document post advice for Emma?

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DECEMBER 2

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

(By the way, Emma, this is tip 2 of 24.)

?? Greetings again Emma!

I do hope you enjoyed the first LinkedIn? tip I shared yesterday?

Well, here’s the second tip: BE STRATEGIC WITH LINKEDIN?

It used to be said, ‘Content is king.’

But I believe ‘Strategy is king.’

Because with the right strategy, LinkedIn? can become a very effective business tool for you.

For example, the right LinkedIn? strategy will ensure you:

? Know exactly whom you serve and why what you do matters to them - before you even login to LinkedIn?

? Position yourself to effectively attract better clients

? Publish content that helps you become top-of-mind for your area of expertise

? Proactively seek to turn online conversations into offline opportunities

So in closing, Emma, my question to you is this:

As a busy entrepreneur, are you implementing an effective LinkedIn? strategy - or are you throwing mud at the digital wall in the hope some of it sticks?

(You really can’t afford to do the latter, surely?)

Another tip tomorrow, Emma!

Darrel

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?? Hey, does anyone have any additional LinkedIn? strategic advice for Emma?

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DECEMBER 3

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

LinkedIn? Tip 3 of 24

CREATE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Hey Emma, 

What kind of thinking process does your potential client Sally go through before making a decision to buy something?

On a very basic level:

1. She becomes aware of a need
2. She then searches for solutions to that need
3. She then evaluates the various solutions available to her
4. Then - and only then - does she make a purchasing decision

So please don’t make the assumption that many business owners make:

That Sally is ready and eager to buy what they want to sell her.

You see, most business owners are Transfixed with the Transaction.

In other words, they make zero effort to build a bridge to Sally earlier in - or before - the buying process.

But what if you approached things differently, Emma...

What if you got to know Sally?

What if you were to add value to Sally’s life?

What if you were to engage with Sally’s content?

There’s your competitive advantage right there, Emma:

Whatever your competitors AREN’T doing to get Sally’s attention - do that!

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Need some help creating a competitive advantage for yourself, Emma? DM me.

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DECEMBER 4

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Here’s tip 4 of 24...

?? Enjoying the tips, Emma?

Today’s tip is absolutely critical to success in any field...

PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING

Preparation is so critical that I won’t work with a client who wishes to skip it!

Why? Because thorough preparation gives us a far greater chance of success.

So as part of the preparation process, I always start with these 4Ps:

? Who’s the Patient? (Who’s coming to you for help, Emma? Be specific as possible.)

? What Pain is the Patient in? (Again, please be as specific as possible, Emma.)

? What’s your Prescription? (What are you going to do to take the Patient’s Pain away, Emma?)

? What’s the Prognosis? (What are the expected benefits of your treatment, Emma?)

EVERYTHING is built upon this preparation foundation;

How you position yourself for the market(s) you seek to serve...

How you package your services to make them easier to understand and buy...

How you create content to position yourself top of mind for your area of expertise...

How your website communicates...

How your brochures read...

How your advertising makes me feel…

EVERYTHING starts with preparation, Emma!

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DECEMBER 5

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Here comes Tip 5 of 24…

?? Hello again, Emma!

Please don’t underestimate

THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

Your LinkedIn profile is the digital representation of the professional you to your potential clients.

(Please read that last line again, Emma - very slowly...!)

In other words, if a potential client doesn’t know you personally, your LinkedIn profile may be all they have to go on to judge your suitability to help them.

Many, MANY of our potential customers now use LinkedIn as part of their supplier due diligence process.

So please, please, PLEASE don’t underestimate the importance of your profile.

“But how will I know whether or not my LinkedIn profile is serving me well?”

Your gut will tell you in response to the following illustration, Emma:

Imagine you have a meeting scheduled with an important potential client.

But you awake on the morning of the meeting feeling extremely unwell, and can’t attend the meeting.

“Oh well,” you say, “My LinkedIn profile represents me well so I’ll forward a link to it in my absence.”

Hypothetical, maybe. But how’s your gut responding to the thought of that, Emma?

Until tomorrow!

Darrel

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DECEMBER 6

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

A very practical tip today…

?? Emma,

This one’s important if you want to be visible* on LinkedIn.

DON’T BE A LINKEDIN GHOST… ?? oooOOOooo

If you often see a grey silhouette where someone’s headshot should be, it may be that they haven’t uploaded one.

But more often than not it’s because their settings need adjusting.

If you’re on LinkedIn to network and / or to become known, liked and trusted for your area of expertise, it’s probably wise to ensure your headshot is visible to everyone, right?

So here’s how to check the visibility of your headshot, Emma:

On the desktop version of LinkedIn:

?? Go to your profile

?? Then click your headshot

?? Then, in the bottom right hand corner of the window, above the blue ‘save photo’ button, you’ll see ‘visibility’

?? Click it

?? Then ensure it’s set to ‘public’ (which means that even if someone’s not logged in to LinkedIn and finds you on Google instead, they’ll still see your warm and welcoming smile ??????)

I hope that’s been a useful tip, Emma?

Until tomorrow!

Darrel

*by the way, this is no criticism of those who’ve chosen to keep their headshot invisible to those outside their immediate network - if that’s what you’ve chosen to do, I’m sure you have your reasons ??

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DECEMBER 7

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 7 of 24

?? December 7 already, Emma!

Ready to get creative?

DESIGN YOUR OWN BACKGROUND IMAGE

You may not have access to design software like Photoshop, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with your LinkedIn profile background image - just use canva .com instead.

? Login to Canva or create a free account (desktop version)

? Click ‘Create a design’

? Click ‘+ Custom dimensions’

? Create a design 1584 x 396 pixels (px)

? Design your document:

Sites like pexels .com and pixabay .com are really good sources for free commercial use images. (If you’re stuck for creative inspiration, stick ‘abstract’ into the search engines of these sites and you’ll probably find something you like.)

Note also the position of the headshot is to the left hand side - and though the headshot is also on the left on the app it is significantly bigger than on the desktop version - which is worth bearing in mind when you’re designing.

? When you’ve finished creating, click the download arrow (top right), then file type ‘PNG’ from the dropdown.

? Then upload to LinkedIn?

And that’s tip 7, Emma!

Darrel

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DECEMBER 8

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

An apology, Emma…

I really should have shared Tip 8 on Sunday. But I didn’t.

You see, I was in a nativity production with my family over the weekend.

A dress rehearsal on Friday and two shows on Sunday.

And I was just too tired to share a LinkedIn tip when I got home.

But just perhaps this is the tip I’m meant to share:

That if you’re in business, please try to do it to make time for what you love and those you love.

I got to spend the whole weekend with my beautiful family and be part of an amazing production with my children, Morison and Martha (pictured).

I probably wouldn’t have been able to do this a few years ago, but I’m thankful that I can now - because what’s the point of all the sweat and tears of business if it doesn’t give you back some time for what you love?

So I guess there is a tip in all this, Emma:

That time is precious.

That family is precious.

And while business can be fun and fulfilling (and damn stressful at times, let’s face it!), it should be a means to an end, not the end itself.

What do you think, Emma (and friends)?

Bless you all!

Darrel

PS in case you’re wondering, I played King Herod ??

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DECEMBER 9

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 9 of 24

?? How are you today, Emma?

Let’s talk about

YOUR PROFILE’S EXPERIENCE SECTION

Many don’t seem to make a huge fuss about the Experience section of their LinkedIn profiles.

But as for you, Emma…

You’re a solopreneur business coach providing ONE-TO-ONE COACHING, right? Ah, but you also deliver WORKSHOPS and you’re about to release an ONLINE COURSE.

So why market all these ‘products’ via a single Experience entry?

Why not create an Experience entry for EACH of these ‘products’ instead (as I have done)?

For each Experience entry you create, remember to make the most of the

? 100 character title

? 2000 character description

? Opportunity to attach a branded PDF brochure

Remember, you can also RE-ORDER your Experience entries to suit your current marketing priority.

Why would this even matter?

Well, try Googling yourself. Your LinkedIn entry on Google will display the first 40 - 50 characters (depending on the length of your name) of your PRIMARY EXPERIENCE ENTRY.

I hope today’s tip gives you some food for thought, Emma?

Until tomorrow!

Darrel

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DECEMBER 10

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 10 of 24

?? Ten days in to the tips already, Emma!

So what’s today’s tip?

FURTHER HUMANISE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

Now admittedly I don’t currently have one of these myself (I honestly don’t know why!), but in the past I’ve certainly benefited from recording and attaching a short 30 - 45 second video introduction to my LinkedIn profile.

Why?

Because it’s very easy for us to forget that behind every profile is a real human being. And adding a video introduction to our LinkedIn profiles is a great way to welcome visitors and further ‘humanise’ our profiles.

How?

Simply record the video on your phone (or other tool like Loom .com), upload it to YouTube (I’d recommend as an Unlisted video because it won’t make sense outside of the context of your profile), then link to the video via the Media in your About section. It’ll then appear as a thumbnail at the bottom of your About section.

And if you like the idea, you could also consider adding introduction videos for each of your service Experience entries (discussed in yesterday’s tip), and further humanise your services.

Worth considering, Emma?

Have a great day!

Darrel

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DECEMBER 11

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 11 of 24

?? Day 11 already, Emma!

Today’s tip?

PACKAGING YOUR SERVICES MAKES THEM EASIER TO BUY

I can’t tell you how much my business has benefited from effectively packaging my services.

But what exactly do I mean by ‘packaging my services’?

Well, for example, I provide 1-2-1 sales / marketing / LinkedIn? coaching - and I have a 10 page PDF brochure that provides all the details about that ‘product’ which I can email to anyone who wants more information.

I also provide LInkedIn? workshops to companies and organisations - and I have a similar PDF brochure that provides a thorough overview about that ‘product’.

As I shared in Tip 9 a couple of days ago, Emma, if you decide to create a separate Experience entry for each of your services, you can then attach a relevant PDF brochure to each separate ‘product’.

And as I’ve mentioned in several of the tips already, Canva (.com) is a great tool for creating the actual brochures themselves - and using their free templates makes it far easier!

Hope you found today’s tip helpful, Emma?

Have a great day!

Darrel

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DECEMBER 12

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 12 of 24

?? Hey Emma!

Today’s tip may polarise opinion - but so be it...

WE MUST LEARN TO RESPECT OTHERS’ TIME

Time.

It’s something we all seem to have less and less of.

So the wise content creator will always take this into account.

Take video as an example, Emma.

I’ll very rarely watch a video in my LinkedIn newsfeed which is over 59 seconds long.

Harsh? Perhaps on the surface of things.

If they could, the video creator might argue that their content is great value.

But I have the power of choice, And as far as I’m concerned, I’m being kind to myself by setting this boundary.

Do I always get it right myself?

No I don’t, Emma.

But I do try to apply a couple of filters to my content:

“Will this add value?”

and increasingly I find I’m asking myself

“Could I make this more concise?”

Adding value has always been important. But as we move into 2020, adding value as concisely as possible is going to become a necessity, too.

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DECEMBER 13

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 13 of 24

?? How are you today, Emma?

Today’s tip...

BECOMING TOP-OF-MIND

Determine to become top-of-mind in your LinkedIn? network for your area of expertise.

In other words, Emma, do you want your LinkedIn? network to think of you first when they need the services you provide?

Of course you do!

So how do you do it?

Well, you don’t do it by connecting with your potential customers and then sending them spammy, sales-y messages - that’s just not the 'done thing' on a social medium like LinkedIn?.

Yes, connect with potential customers, by all means.

But the key to becoming top-of-mind in their thinking is to consistently add value with your content.

Tips and advice which showcase your talent.

Now, let me say this, Emma: it’s a long game. I’ve had clients come work with me who had been following my content for two years before engaging my services.

But what’s the alternative?

More spammy messages, cold calling, ads? 

No thanks - I’ll stick to the long game.

(And the best time to start playing the long game is right now, Emma!) 

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DECEMBER 14

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 14 of 24

?? Good morning Emma!

Today’s tip?

CREATE YOUR OWN HASHTAG

Consider creating your own hashtag to make it easier for your network to follow your content.

For example, if you’re consistently sharing valuable tips and advice with your network, you might wish to add something like this to the bottom of your LinkedIn posts:

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Liked this tip? Never miss another! Click & follow #EmmaLovesCoaching

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That way your network can ensure they’ll receive your content in their newsfeed (since merely being connected to you won’t guarantee that).

(Of course, this assumes you’re sharing content that your network actually wants to follow - and that’s a whole other topic!)

You could also add  > FOLLOW #EmmaLovesCoaching < to your profile About section and / or Experience section.

And you could add to the hastag all your LinkedIn messages as part of your ‘signature’ i.e.

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Thank you for connecting - I look forward to chatting further and learning more about your business!

Emma

Follow #EmmaLovesCoaching for tips & advice

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Another tip tomorrow, Emma!

Darrel

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DECEMBER 15

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 15 of 24

?? Hello Emma,

Here’s today’s tip:

CONSIDER CREATING TRAILERS

LinkedIn?’s algorithm resists the ‘spray and pray’ tactics of yesteryear - where people would sign up to every platform only to broadcast their external content.

Consequently, posting a link to your blog (for example) as a LinkedIn? post is going to meet with resistance from the algorithm - in other words, it’ll achieve very limited reach.

So consider creating trailers for your external content instead, Emma.

A trailer may be a short video, text post or document post communicating the key points of the content (just like a trailer for a movie does).

The point is you’re not posting the URL directly - you’re asking those interested in reading the full article to request the URL:

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“INTERESTED IN READING THE ARTICLE? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW AND I’LL DM YOU THE LINK.”

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This approach has worked well for me because (i) it doesn’t ‘offend’ the algorithm and (ii) it creates an opportunity for further dialogue with those who request the link.

Could trailers work for you Emma?

Another tip tomorrow!

Darrel

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DECEMBER 16

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 16 of 24

?? Day 16 Emma

And today we’re getting strategic!

THE 1-2-3 STRATEGY

It can be quite challenging to get traction with LinkedIn? articles, Emma.

So I created the 1-2-3 STRATEGY to give mine a little help.

Here’s how it works:

• Step 1 ‘PRESALE’: 3 days before publishing the article I announce that it’s imminent using a regular LinkedIn? post i.e. a video post, and I ask my network to comment if they’d like the URL when it’s released. I make a note of those who say ‘yes’ on a spreadsheet;
• Step 2 PUBLISH: 3 or 4 days after the LinkedIn? post, I publish the article as promised, ensuring I send the article URL to everyone on the spreadsheet. This, combined with the limited help you’ll get from the algorithm, helps give the article a bit of a ‘boost’ in terms of exposure.
• Step 3 ‘POST SALE’: The next day I follow up with a text only post saying ‘if you missed my article published yesterday and would like the URL, please comment below.’

The 1-2-3 STRATEGY has served me well for the last couple of articles I’ve published, Emma, helping achieve far greater exposure.

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DECEMBER 17

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 17 of 24

?? Day 17 already - wow!

And today’s tip, Emma, is this:

DON’T BE DECEIVED BY THE DOPAMINE

According to Harvard University article, Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time, dopamine is released by our brains ‘when we have successful social interactions.’

So we can end up chasing the dopamine because it makes us feel good... and then find ourselves forgetting why we’re on LinkedIn in the first place.

So I no longer chase the dopamine. (I’m not saying I never have, because it’s very addictive.)

I no longer post for likes, I post strategically.

In other words, I post these tips not for something to fill my time, but to position myself as a subject matter expert. 

Why? Because it’s what eventually leads to business opportunities.

No, I’m not saying we should never have a bit of fun on LinkedIn - far from it - but if we’re on LinkedIn to attract clients with our content, our objective should be the adding of value.

I want to be top-of-mind in my network for my area of expertise, not top of the ‘likes list.’

What do you think, Emma? 

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DECEMBER 18

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 18 of 24

?? Emma,

Today’s tip is very practical:

REPLYING TO CONNECTION INVITATIONS

Want to reply to incoming connection invitations before accepting them?

Well, you can.

But in what context would you want to?

Well, you might if you prioritise quality of connections over quantity.

(If your ‘connection policy’ is more open, Emma, I’m not knocking it.)

For example, say you’ve received a connection invitation from someone you don’t (yet) know and they haven’t included a personal note with their invite.

You could:

• Click ‘My Network’ from the menu
• Click ‘See all XXX’ (no. of invites)
• You’ll notice under every invitation there’s an opportunity to message the sender
• Click ‘Message’ and send them a note (I typically say something like, ‘Hi John, thanks for reaching out to connect. I’d like to welcome you to my network, but I’d prefer to have had a conversation with you first. Tell me a bit about yourself.’)

If I get a response, I usually accept the invite because we have something to build upon.

If I don’t get a response within a few days, I typically click ‘Ignore’.

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DECEMBER 19

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 19 of 24

?? Hi Emma,

Today’s tip:

SEND A VIDEO MESSAGE TO NEW CONNECTIONS

Want to make a lasting impression on your new connections, Emma?

Then consider sending them a ‘thanks for connecting’ video message (like the one below).

It’s very easy to do with a tool called Loom (.com).

Here’s what I do:

• I visit the new connection’s profile
• I record a short video message (you’ll find Loom very easy to use)
• I then send the video URL via LinkedIn message to the new connection (usually accompanied by a few words explaining that I’ve recorded a short video message to thank them for connecting)

And what’s really cool about Loom is that it notifies you when the recipient has viewed the video - which is great if you want to follow up a few days later.

I’ll be honest with you, Emma - I don’t get the chance to do this as often as I would like - but in the Digital Age where everyone’s competing for attention, this is a really great way to make a deep first impression on a new connection.

What do you think, Emma?

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DECEMBER 20

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 20 of 24

?? Tip 20 already Emma!

Today’s tip:

THE POWER OF LINKEDIN SEARCH

“Who’s your patient, Emma?” I asked.

“What do you mean, ‘Who’s your patient?’ I’m not a doctor!”

“But if you WERE a doctor, Emma, who would your patient be? In other words, who does your business serve?”

“Oh, I see!” Emma laughed. “CEOs and Managing Directors in Perth, Australia.”

“Okay, so would you like to find some more ‘patients’ to ‘treat’?”

“Sure would!” Emma replied enthusiastically.

“Well, Emma, there’s 11,078 on LinkedIn…”

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LinkedIn Search is a powerful tool (to search for people on the desktop version of LinkedIn I typically click in the Search box, select People, select All Filters, and then populate the boxes) - but note that on the free version of LinkedIn (and Business Premium) you can only search 1st and 2nd connections (comment if you’d like to know what that means). For (almost) unlimited search capabilities you’d have to upgrade to Sales Navigator.

“So I just start firing off connection invitations, right?”

Not so fast, Emma! We’ll discuss what I’d do with your search results in the remaining tips...

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DECEMBER 21

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 21 of 24

?? Just a few tips to go, Emma!

Today’s tip:

FOLLOWING vs CONNECTING

Let’s recall yesterday’s tip, Emma.

We used LinkedIn Search to find CEOs and Managing Directors in Perth, Australia.

And we discovered that there were 11,078 of them on LinkedIn.

(At this point we drilled down further into industry. We chose Marketing & Advertising and received 260 results - far more manageable!)

Okay, now what?

Any of them could be a potential customer for you, Emma.

So the temptation is just to start firing off connection invitations.

But considering 99% of these will be absolute strangers, consider another approach:

Following.

The advantage of following an individual is

(a) they’ll receive a notification that you’re following them - which may prompt a visit to your profile, and

(b) you’ll receive their content in your newsfeed - which may provide you with an opportunity to engage with their content and strike up a conversation - a far better context for connecting, no?

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To follow someone, go to their profile, click the More button, and click Follow

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DECEMBER 22

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 22 of 24

?? 3 tips to go, Emma!

Today’s tip:

GET INTRODUCTIONS

I’ve taken a lot of care building my online network.

And there’s a reason for that:

A well-constructed network can open doors.

For example, if I carry out a search on LinkedIn for 2nd connection Managing Directors in Perth’s Marketing & Advertising Sector, I get 133 results.

So I’ll click on the first one.

In the person’s Highlights box I discover that we have 143 mutual connections.

Now, since I’ve built my online network carefully, one of these 143 mutual connections could introduce me to this person.

So I click ‘143 mutual connections’ in the Highlights box and scan the list. On the first page alone there are two or three people I know well and whom I could contact for an introduction.

That needn’t be an introduction on LinkedIn, of course. It could be an email introduction - or even an in-person one. Whichever suits my 1st connection best.

I’ve found that carefully building a network (rather than just a database of connections) can lead to all kinds of introductions and potential opportunities.

Helpful, Emma?

Two tips to go!

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DECEMBER 23

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 23 of 24

?? Penultimate tip, Emma!

And here it is:

LOOK OUT FOR THE OPEN PROFILE ICON

We’ve been focusing on LinkedIn Search and how we might use it strategically.

When you use LinkedIn Search, you’ll occasionally find a LinkedIn user with what’s called an ‘Open’ profile - and you’ll find a gold LinkedIn ‘in’ logo displayed on that person’s profile, or alongside their name when you carry out a LinkedIn search - and it essentially means you can message that person for free (i.e. a free InMail).

(Note: only LinkedIn Premium users can have Open profiles.)

But the question remains, Emma:

If you could message a stranger for free, what would you say to that person?

A sales pitch would be unwelcome.

So perhaps it’s another opportunity to get creative and use Loom .com (see tip 19) to craft a personal video message? i.e. you could look up one of the person’s recent posts and record a video explaining what you like about it.

It’s an opportunity to be memorable, Emma - and who knows where ‘memorable’ could take you?

Last tip tomorrow!

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DECEMBER 24

The (unofficial) LinkedIn? Advent Calendar ??

Tip 24 of 24

?? Last tip, Emma!

A LINKEDIN MANIFESTO FOR 2020

LinkedIn should never be regarded as an end in itself, Emma.

It was created to provide us with an opportunity to network with one another.

So let’s use it for its intended purpose.

Let’s use LinkedIn to begin conversations and build rapport with one another - but let’s not stop there:

Let’s take the rapport we build off LinkedIn over coffee (or virtual coffee).

Some of the best business relationships we’ll begin on LinkedIn may be with people with whom we never do business directly - but we may become great friends and referral partners to one another, for example.

Or we may end up doing something crazy like the #eandeshow - like I’ve done with my ‘crazy’ friend Anthony English!

Let’s face it, Emma:

We’ve all been business commodities for too long.

It’s time for us to change that.

It’s time to make the most of tools like LinkedIn to build better relationships with one another.

Not to ‘convert targets’.

If we respect one another and seek one another’s best interests, we can all prosper.

Happy Christmas, Emma!

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