IT’S YOUR BUSINESS
Advice for enterprising speakers
Make LinkedIn Work for You
LinkedIn, launched in 2003, has over 100 million reg- istered users in over 200 countries and territories. This social media site can be a very effective marketing tool for your speaking business if
you follow these basic steps:
Develop a client-focused profile. Create
a profile that lets people know who you
are, what you can provide and what
you are seeking. Generate interest in
your profile by focusing on your specific
accomplishments and by describing what
your clients are able to do because of you.
Add a professional photograph.
Your profile will be far more appealing
if readers can see you. Past associates
are more likely to find you if you post
your picture. Build your brand by using
the same professional headshot on all of
your social media sites.
Write a descriptive professional
headline. Your headline communicates
your brand succinctly. It should grab
people’s attention and motivate them to
learn more about you.
Label your website and blog links.
People are more likely to visit your
website and blog site if you use formal
titles instead of URLs. Using titles can
increase your chances of being found
during searches.
Customize your LinkedIn URL.
LinkedIn will provide you with a randomly generated URL address for your
public profile. Replace this with a customized URL that communicates your brand.
For most speakers, using your name will
be an effective way to direct traffic to
your profile. You also can use a keyword-based URL such as “fitness-speaker.”
Ask for recommendations. They are an
excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and the quality of your work. Get in
the habit of requesting recommendations
from clients. Offer to provide recommendations for your business connections.
Invite people to connect. The
primary purpose of LinkedIn is to
provide you with an opportunity to
develop a network of business connections. You can only do this by regularly
inviting people to connect with you. As
you meet people, check to see if they
are on LinkedIn and, if so, invite them
to connect. Encourage others to invite
you to connect.
Post your events and activities. Let
your network know about your seminars, webinars, keynotes, presentations
and events you will be attending.
Start or join user groups. Become
active in groups related to your brand
and market niche to increase your
exposure and perceived expertise.
Use applications effectively. Use
LinkedIn applications to post your publi-
cations, connect your blog posts to your
profile, display recent Tweets, add pre-
sentations to your profile, facilitate polls
of LinkedIn members, and much more.
Tyrone A. Holmes, EdD, CPT, is an author, speaker, coach and competitive cyclist. He helps his clients build successful speaking, coaching
and consulting businesses and improve
athletic performance. He recently published
his latest book, Developing Training Plans
for Cyclists and Triathletes. Visit www.
holmesfitness.com and his Fitness Corner
blog at www.doctorholmes.wordpress.com.
