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LinkedIn was my first experience with social media.  Not Facebook, not MySpace, but LinkedIn.  Because of this unexpected occurrence, I immediately noticed the business potential of social media and related technologies BEFORE the personal, ‘fun’ aspects to social.

To be a great manager, put people development first. http://t.co/0LFBH7ZJ6r

— LinkedIn for SMBs (@LinkedInSMB) February 9, 2014

I quickly became a LinkedIn evangelist, with clients and anyone else I networked with.  However, I would continually ask others how LinkedIn was received in their workplace, and the reviews were mixed.

At first, bosses complained about LinkedIn usage because they viewed the social network as little more than a channel on which to post resumes – believing that their employees were secretly using LinkedIn to simply look for another job. 

Must See LinkedIn Profiles of 2013 from LinkedIn

This continued to be the prevailing assumption about 6-7 years ago, but sentiment changed when Groups, Company Pages, and other features began to appear.  As the company increased its functionality – perhaps owing to competition from Facebook and Twitter, or to provide additional services – organizations of all sizes began to recognize the fundamental business value of LinkedIn.

Going public in May 2011 didn’t hurt the company’s visibility among professionals either.

However, LinkedIn is still missing a huge swath of a professional audience, and I’m continually confounded by how many individuals are still not on LinkedIn.  Or, the response I get is, ‘Yes, I know, I have a LinkedIn profile but I haven’t done anything with it. 

One way to help get the most out of LinkedIn is to see how it is received by your company.  If resources exist to assist you in promoting your capabilities or utilizing LinkedIn’s vast, rich feature set, then additional value of using the social network is created.

Here are some considerations for utilizing LinkedIn on the job, for the benefit of yourself and your company:

1.  Find a LinkedIn champion.  Because of LinkedIn’s different audience and purpose, find an individual within the organization who can keep everyone updated on LinkedIn features and best practices.

I’ve found that a LinkedIn champion at a company is not necessarily a social media manager sitting in the PR or marketing department, but rather someone in sales, as many forward-thinking sales professionals have been quick to capture the potential of LinkedIn for prospecting and identifying opportunities.

Even if you are not in sales, nonetheless there could be much to learn from a LinkedIn champion from sales.

2.  Capture interactions in the company’s CRM system.  To prove to others – and senior management – of the potential for LinkedIn, track any relevant, valuable interactions with your network in your company’s CRM database.  These insights will not only bring you additional visibility, but it will garner a more organizational favor towards use of the social network.

Final Thought:  Spend more time on LinkedIn, even during the workday.  You may already utilize LinkedIn for your own personal professional development, but demonstrating value to others in your company will help you in other ways, and possibly net you additional resources (i.e., a premium subscription).  Agree to join your organization’s LinkedIn task force or dream team, and show others the benefits of engaging properly and professionally on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is expected to announce Q4 2013 earnings on February 6, and I’m excited to see their usage stats and new products coming down the pike.

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• LinkedIn Learning: http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/530 (Webinars from LinkedIn, on how to optimize profiles, connect with others, and other activities)

• Social Selling for Sales Leaders:  How Social Selling Works: http://blog.hootsuite.com/how-social-selling-works/ (A blogpost and whitepaper on how sales executives can sell more effectively using social networks)

• Social Learning Best Practices for the Workplace: http://elearningindustry.com/social-learning-best-practices-for-the-workplace (From the eLearning industry, an article on how to instruct employees using social technologies and modalities)

How can Realtors improve their Digital Presence?
Technology is giving real estate agents easier and more efficient ways to communicate with prospective buyers, as such it’s an ideal platform to create and build a process to generate leads and sell more homes.  By taking action and building an online brand you can separate your business from your competitors.  
Here are some ways to save you time grow your brand to grow your business.
Make an impression with your website
                 
Claire Jacobs Dream Home Specialist
•        Fresh Design:  Go a step further than posting photos of available homes, invest in a custom design that will ‘WOW’ home buyers while showcasing your brand and who you are. 
•        Dynamic: Make sure your design is responsive; the user experience should be seamless and consistent on mobile devices. Buyers may be directed to your website via mobile home buying apps, once there, they will expect the same level of functionality and sophistication experienced on a computer.        
•        Call-to-Action:  An important element on your website is content.  When developing content always have a call-to-action in mind.  If you ask visitors to do something be specific.  Remember to answer the question of “Why, do you want them to call you.”  Make it a direct action, such as “Call me for a free home consultation.” or “Sign up for my newsletter for home buying tips.”   
•        Be active: If you are going to add social media to your website make sure you are active on these sites. Post blogs regularly, update your status, create a presence on each of them.  
•        Video Customer testimonials:  The average user spends 88 % more time on a website. So invite your satisfied home buyers to share their stories by making a video, then upload it to your site. Note: you must make this process very simple for them.  Video is powerful medium as it provides a real source, while making visitors feel connected to your brand. 

Create New Opportunities        
According to a study done by the National Association of Realtors, 92% of people turn to the internet as the first step in the home buying process, making it increasingly important for realtors to provide them with information on the networks they are familiar with. 
A savvy realtor understands that this sometimes means going beyond the usual social networking platforms, like Facebook or LinkedIn, to generate leads. Social networking sites like Trulia and Zillow provide comprehensive information about homes, neighborhoods, etc., as well as group potential buyers into targeted and specific communities in which realtors can engage. 
Building a profile on industry specific social sites has enormous potential to generate lead by allowing sellers to engage and start discussions with buyers early in the process. This is a simple yet effective way to generate leads, particularly if you are just starting your business or if your marketing budget is limited.  Treat these sites just as you do your social media pages, with regard to being consistent and active. 
  
Trulia, Real Estate 

Use Social Media to Connect with Prospects 
In order to build a sustainable online brand and business you must engage your visitors and potential buyers on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram without being too aggressive or pushy.  Use these platforms to gain insights into the needs and expectations of buyers in more personal and casual manner. Some ways to do this are:  
•        Ask questions: Where they are located?  What are your home buying concerns? How is your day going?  Start a discussion and ask for feedback.  
•        Offer something of value:  Give them information they can use, such as the latest home loan rates in their area. Give free online home buying seminars, or tips about home repair. 
•        Be Personable: Use platforms such as Facebook or Instagram to show who you are on a level outside of real estate. Prospective buyer may share a common interests or hobby, which increases the level of connection and trust. Remember, buying a home is a very personal purchase, and people buy property from realtors they trust, like, or respect.  

Final Thoughts
Today there are many avenues for real estate agents to generate leads and market themselves, the key to success finding a way to merge all the elements together to build a successful brand. Finally, use these social platforms to nurture communication throughout all the stages of the buying process- before, during, and long after it’s completed.  

The internet is the first place people turn to when looking seeking general legal advice or the services of a lawyer.  It is important to develop a clear digital marketing plan for your law firm you can help you identify the right potential clients and grow your practice.  
Here are just a few tips to help you build an effective digital marketing strategy for your practice. 
Invest in your website
Your first plan of action to attract more clients is upgrading your website to stand out from other law firms in your area.  Focus on what you do best by highlighting your specialties because people don’t come to your website to purchase goods, they want to see what you do and how well you do it.   An effective website should be use an advertising channel like search engine optimization to make it easier for potential clients to find the legal representation they are looking for.  Your website should be easy to navigate, have contact information, credentials, office hours, location. Lastly, it is important to note that since law firms are subject to rules of ethics you should make sure that the content on their website is in compliance.
Maintain a legal blog 

Having a blog provides the foundation for social interaction and should be an integral part of your website.  By maintaining a legal blog you can provide clients with useful information and drive traffic back to your site. The content you discuss in your blog will help establish credibility and expertise which can influence a potential client’s decision to choose your firm over the competition. When writing posts be mindful of how you present the content, avoid too much legal jargon as your potential clients are not well versed in legal terms and this could possibly alienate them early on. 

Have a mobile plan
Like most other businesses the success of your practice is affected by how you respond to the emerging technology.  Since you invested time and money in building a great website you will want to reach your audience on the mediums that they have become accustomed to, which is mobile.  A mobile site is easier to navigate and responds to the need for instant access to information, while allow you to offer a more direct call-to- action to ‘Contact Us. This increases your opportunities for success because visitors often want legal advice right way.  Also, in order to stand out among so many other law firms, keep your mobile site focused on a very specific area of law. Being too general will cause visitors will pass up your site in favor of one that advertises a particular expertise.   

Social media
Lawyers need to be active on select social media sites to not only attract new clients but to build a level of trust well.  LinkedIn is one of the best professional social sites used by business owners or people searching for professional services.  However, sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ are also effective for boosting your visibility, as well as long as you invest the time to create profiles that will speak directly to people looking for legal advice. You can do this by providing useful legal resources to your targeted audience 
Final Thoughts
A digital marketing strategy is critical to the success of your law firm because it provides a unique opportunity to be in constant contact with new and existing clients.  You firm will see the greatest results by identifying the synergies between traditional methods of marketing and new online technology.   

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Lexis Nexis Resource Center http://bit.ly/1z3ZViU

You know the law, we know law firm marketing. Access these free resources to gain insight into best practices in online marketing for your law firm. Fresh resources are added often so come back frequently to keep abreast of the latest trends.

Business Development for Lawyers: Strategies for Getting and Keeping Clients by Sally J. Schmidt. http://amzn.to/1qSrMbD  

Written by one of the leading law firm marketers, this guide covers the gamut from positioning to preparing pitches and proposals, helping lawyers create their own sources of work

Solo and Small Firm Resource Center  http://bit.ly/1D6UnTa  

Marketing, Technology, Practice Management, CLE & Substantive Law Resources for SOLO Lawyers & Small Firms