I'm quoted in here, yo.
I create content for online magazines. I blog here at Freelancedom. I spend way too much time on Twitter. I get all my news from whatever I happen to be subscribed to in Google Reader. I spend my days seated in front of this laptop and, when my phone rings, I get confused. Why didn’t they just text or email? I wonder. (God I’m a recluse.)
My husband, meanwhile, works full-time for SocialFlow, a social media startup that optimizes tweets. He has a web development business on the side. He’s always glued to his Droid, and he uses Foursquare even when we’re at the goddamn recycling center.
His best friend says we’re “so Web 2.0.”
Yet I avoid Facebook. I’m not as active on LinkedIn as I should be. And when Google+ launched, I wanted to flee the country (or at least my inbox). Am I missing marketing opportunities?
I’m not one to embrace every social media site out there. I believe in figuring out where your audience hangs out, and participating accordingly. In fact, I wrote a lot about this — and other ways to avoid social media fatigue — here. But active participation on a handful of social media sites can really boost your traffic, your visibility, and your career.
LinkedIn, for example, has increased my visibility even without my active participation. I’ve even landed several lucrative projects through the site. Imagine what I could do if I joined some LinkedIn groups and jumped in on the discussions happening there. Imagine what I could do if I started reaching out to more people, and swapping recommendations, instead of passively accepting a small number of connection requests.
Yes. Imagine.
Unfortunately, I’m too damn lazy. But I do know what can be achieved with even a little bit of effort, and I’ve seen results from these (tiniest of) efforts, which is why — I suppose — Susan Johnston was good enough to interview me for her recent ebook, LinkedIn and Lovin’ It.
Published through Rockable Press — an online publisher offering detailed how-to guides and resources for web professionals — LinkedIn and Lovin’ It places a magnifying glass over one of the most popular — yet still underused — social media networks out there, and shows readers the marketing possibilities they’re missing. In fact, this book is so in depth that it even provides readers with the step-by-step on how to set up their own profiles, going into the nitty-gritty of headline writing, resume creation, photo uploading, and how to include external links.
It goes on to cover:
- the ins and outs of building your online network
- ways of maximizing your LinkedIn presence (and establishing yourself as an expert in your field)
- conducting research
- finding jobs
- and more.
What I love about this book — aside from the fact that it contains concrete steps for boosting your online presence, helpful case studies, and… um… me — is that, despite how much I thought I already knew, this books goes even deeper. I walked away from it feeling inspired to do even more with my account. Because, honestly? Why wouldn’t I take advantage of a smart and easy way to bring in more eyeballs?
LinkedIn and Lovin’ It will become available later this month. In the meantime, you could always consider boning up on another aspect of online media. WordPress design? Facebook marketing? Freelancing? Copywriting? Rockable Press [<—– That’s an affiliate link, FYI] has you covered.
Related: How To Avoid Social Media Fatigue in 5 Easy Steps, Will An Editor Judge You If You Don’t Have An Online Platform?, Using Twitter To Achieve World Domination (in Your Field), How To Market Yourself: Strengthening Your Web Presence
Steph, thanks for the awesome review and for sharing your expertise in this book. Glad you found it useful!