So, in an effort to ensure that you get the most out of our time together, I thought I would follow up with some more tips on LinkedIn and how it can help your company grow. Luckily LinkedIn is a search-based network, so getting info is a snap, and finding who you need to connect to is getting easier with each small update to the network. To get the most out of any social network, you have to participate.  The reality is that you are time starved but want to get started with LinkedIn, so here are your daily “5 in 5” to get the most out of the Professional Networking site, in less than five minutes per day:

1. Update your status
   1. Share an article
   2. Share a wisdom quote
   3. Ask a question (just a few ideas)
2. Engage
   1. Scroll down the feed and like or comment on interesting posts
   2. Find new people to LinkedIn and say hi
   3. Share someone else’s update or article and thank them for sharing it with you
3. Endorse
   1. Find 1-10 people to endorse each day to ensure that you get endorsed (try to make it purposeful, don’t blindly endorse)
   2. Write a recommendation for a client or prospect
   3. Ask a client or prospect to write a recommendation for you
4. Connect
   1. Find 1-5 people per day that you know on LinkedIn and connect with them; remember, only people that you actually know
   2. Message 1 new person per day and ask to “catch up” over coffee, lunch or just via phone
5. Use Advanced Search
   1. Find companies that you want to work with and follow them
   2. Find people who are key decision makers at businesses that you want to work with
   3. Find people that you want to hire

These extra tips will give you extra focus and make sure that you are staying top of mind with your best clients and prospects (especially engineers).

Thanks for your kind comments and for spending a few hours with WMEP and me!

Gary Stockert

SMCpros

Don’t fret, here are some ideas:

1. Structure is no longer more important than trust, make sure you trust your team, and they trust you.

2. Offer less stringent guidelines, give them the “curbs” to the road and ask them to stay inside.

3. Be specific about expectations especially when it comes to time. The quality of work only improves so much better each passing hour.

4. Be direct and timely with feedback to get instant improvement and better results.

5. Ask questions, next ask follow-up questions, and follow up those follow-up questions with more questions. Ask before making assumptions.

Bottom line: Show your team that you are willing to roll up your sleeves and do great work together. Then, their success will be your success.

Let’s start with the most important part of this question, should you pull your Facebook Ad campaign because one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers did? Well realistically, that answer really shouldn’t have anything to do with GM to begin with. My point is, you are asking the wrong question.  Marketing with a “follow the leader” mentality has never proved to promote growth, only sustaining market share.  So to make advertising decisions based on what other marketers are doing, or not doing, is only the beginning of the question.  The more important question should be, can my content and ad campaign produce the results my business needs to achieve its goals.  So what are those goals?  If it isn’t to sell more cars than modeling your marketing after an auto giant isn’t really a good idea.

Ultimately, my belief is that any media purchased the right way can deliver results.  You wouldn’t stop doing direct mail because GM did would you?  Why should your marketing choices be any different when it comes to social media?  Marketing with Facebook ads isn’t a guaranteed way to results; neither is TV, Radio or magazines.  However all of these media choices are still in business for a reason, and that reason is demand.  Demand for different types of media will always be changing, and consumer habits of engaging with different media are more diverse than ever.  So the proper question is whether or not Facebook ads are right for your particular business and market, not whether it is working for someone else.

Listening more than you talk is important for so many reasons. Pardon the pun, but hear me out on this. People in this country have been conditioned to have listen to everything in order to handle the stream of messages they are being served. That’s the only excuse you can make for why you aren’t aware. Actively listening is more than just giving you the ability to robotically repeat someone to show your ability to duplicate their words, but rather to actually understand what the person is saying from their perspective. Understanding each other more completely is critical for development as professionals and as people. Try this next time you get into a tough conversation (instead of waiting to talk), make a point to listen so you could explain the details to someone else if asked later. While this is virtually impossible, it forces you to ask follow-up questions which end up allowing you to better understand exactly what the person is trying to get you to comprehend.

Communicating effectively through active listening improves every aspect of your daily life. It aids in understanding people more completely, which ultimately helps you get your thoughts across more efficiently. Active listening requires lots of questions to complete the brains ability to retain information and understand its relevance. You can’t listen if you are waiting to talk, don’t believe me?  Count how many times someone’s nose flinches when they tell you a story sometime…

Nodding and smiling is not genuine, and is NOT engaging.  If you want to get people to understand you better, try understanding them better first.  (It’s amazing, I promise!)

S = Social Marketing

M=Measurement Analysis

C=Creative Development

So it’s one thing to say we are experts, it’s another to put our words into action to show our clients and agency partners what this entails.  First off, we are the leading experts in Social Media planning and development.  With a strong ROI focus we are one of the few Social Media agencies that will be able to deliver results and drill down to show you how your efforts will pay dividends for your business.  Secondly, our analysts take the idea of Measurement and Analytics to the next level via a thorough needs assessment of your business.  Through this process we can take a sniper rifle approach to ensure that your goals will be met and exceeded with your campaign.  Lastly, Creative development means messaging and copy writing that deliver a high click-through rate and brings quality leads to your web presence.

So to make sure that your business has the most effective and efficient web-based marketing platform possible, trust the three letter experts – the SMCpros – for your business.  What’s that?  You are emailing or calling us now?  Three cheers for you!

I was downright uncomfortable.  For some of you, while this feeling is all too common, for me it was a bit shocking.  Well, what could be so uncomfortable about a new team you say?  Intelligence, pure unadulterated intelligence.  My new home is already occupied by people who constantly challenge themselves to make sure that the clients we take on make good case studies and great referrals.  They make sure that we take time to understand the complexities and nuances of every opportunity.  While this probably sounds very self promoting, and more of an advertisement than a blog post, I wanted to share it because it reminded me of a few thoughts on what makes for happy employees.  I truly believe that to have a well balanced work-place full of quality people, you need to make sure your employees have the following:

1. Enough money not to worry about the necessities of life.  ( I realize this is subjective, but however still relevant)
2. A good work/life balance
3. The ability to contribute to the organizations success (hopefully at a high level)

These qualities are evident in the best places to work and the most successful companies in the world.  Thanks for reading.