Thatâ€s all it takes, and off I go, explaining how social media isnâ€t rocket science, but itâ€s not intuitive, either. I start ticking off all kinds of tips and tricks to help make it easier to make social media marketing work for his or her business.

For months, Iâ€ve been asking myself, “How can I tap into my passion about social media to help more people?” And, “How can I offer overwhelming value, but keep it affordable, so even new entrepreneurs can get onboard and itâ€s valuable for people who have a good start, but could benefit from some easy tweaks?” I want to provide something thatâ€s so amazing, itâ€s a no-brainer for every business owner. I think Iâ€ve finally figured it out!

Most business owners need a helping hand. Think about it:

Wouldnâ€t it be incredible to have someone to ask the you canâ€t quite figure out how to upload that photo to Twitter? Or, to be able to ask an expert if your tweet looks good, or if youâ€re going to embarrass yourself by publishing it?

YES! I WANT TO LEARN MORE

What about when you want to decide the best hashtag to use for something you post? Who can help? How about if the person there to hold your hand (virtually) just happens to be someone CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business and Forbes ask when they have questions about social media?

Learn everything from big-picture strategy to technical know how:

• Choose the best social networks to connect with your customers and clients.
• Save time while you stay top-of-mind for people who need to know about you.
• Leverage social media marketing to build relationships and increase awareness of your brand.
• Inspire trust, influence buying decisions and make more money.
• Look smarter than your competition.
• Get it all done faster so you donâ€t waste time!

Sound good?

Social media constantly morphs and changes. (Have you noticed how often LinkedIn changes its interface? If youâ€re confused, itâ€s not you, itâ€s them!) A kickstart is great, but youâ€re too busy doing your work to keep up with the latest and greatest on social media. You could spend weeks or months trying to unravel social mediaâ€s complexities, only to find out your favorite network just got an overhaul and itâ€s back to square one for you.

So, this program isn’t based on feeding you a bunch of hour-long webinars. Who really watches all those webinars, anyway? Isnâ€t it better to have your questions addressed directly? You need help putting your social media strategy to work every day.

Join me in a brand new group: The Smart Business Ownerâ€s Social Media Help Desk.

Youâ€ll have 24-hour access to ask your questions, and Iâ€ll be there daily to help you overcome every social media issue, from the big issues (what to say in your profile) to the most mundane. (Is there really a “best time” to post?)

A bonus for members? As the group grows, in addition to my expertise and targeted advice, youâ€ll also have access to opinions and ideas from your fellow business owners. Members will be invited to share opinions, ideas and best practices. Thereâ€s strength in numbers, and an empowered, well-informed group of business owners is a great asset.

What do you actually get?

Whether youâ€re just getting started, or youâ€re ready to ramp it up, there will be useful information for you.

Access to a group where you can ask and get answers to all of your social media marketing questions. Weâ€ll house everything in a private Facebook group (since thatâ€s where you likely spend a lot of time).

• For a limited time, a free, 30-minute, one-on-one preliminary social media coaching session over the phone. (Sign up before I decide I don’t have time for these free sessions!) My initial social media consultations normally start at $300. For anyone who joins The Smart Business Ownerâ€s Social Media Help Desk now, Iâ€ll include it for free.
• Daily Help Desk Hints – 6 weeks of  social media pointers that you can easily implement in 15 minutes or less. Learn how to strategically and efficiently target your audience, create appealing visuals and plan your social media calendar in advance.
• Iâ€ll regularly share actionable tips in the group you can implement to generate better results from your social media marketing.
• Youâ€ll always be up-to-date. Youâ€ll have the latest information when a network adds new features or makes changes that could affect your business.
• SHORT (5-8 minute) webinars with tips, tricks and trends you can apply toward your own social media marketing. Topics include “How to write great professional bios,” “How to find your customers or clients online” and “The best tools to use for social media success.”
• Checklists to help you solidify your social media business strategy – and ongoing, up-to-date information to keep you successful moving forward.

Interested? Learn more about how to make the most of your social media marketing by joining TODAY!

The post Social Media Tips for Business Owners appeared first on Keppie Careers.

My job? To blog and tweet about the event and showcase information from the program. My formal post highlighting a predominant lesson in several of the sessions I attended, You Don’t Have to Grow the Trees to Build Your Deck, is on the SHRM Atlanta blog…Be sure to take a look to learn what I learned from several presentations.

I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to share some informal insights about the conference. Maybe some of my takeaways will inspire you the next time you attend an event or consider whether or not to take the time to do so.

1. There’s nothing like in-person contact to solidify a partnership or friendship. You can interact with people online and via social media all day long, but sometimes it takes sitting down for lunch or an in-person conversation and handshake to confirm your mutual interests and plan to move ahead. Never underestimate the value of attending conferences and events — if only for this purpose.

2. Make an effort to introduce people to each other — and to introduce yourself. It’s great if you are lucky enough to have someone nearby who can vouch for you and make a generous introduction on your behalf. (Think about how you can do this for other people…Being a connector and putting people together who may have mutual interests is a great way to build your value in your community.)

Even if there is no one around to introduce you, stick out your hand with a smile and introduce yourself. Ask some questions and be interested in the person who is sitting down next to you in a session or who is waiting in line with you to get your picture taken! We’re all focused on what we’re doing next or where we need to be at the stroke of the hour; use that to your advantage. Ask other people where they are going next, or about the key note address. Strike up a conversation; everyone around shares something in common with you if you’re attending your professional conference. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet someone new.  Once you do — take the time to introduce that person to someone else.

3. Ask how you can help. What a powerful question, and a great way to indicate your willingness to connect with someone else. Just saying the words, “How can I help you?” — imagine how powerfully they will land. Try it. I know I plan to.

4. Keep an open mind and stretch for connections. I’m in an interesting position at SHRM, since I’m not an HR professional. I’m not a good customer for any of the vendors in the exhibit hall — I don’t plan ways to reward employees, I don’t oversee a benefits plan, I don’t engage workers in wellness initiatives and I don’t check references and perform background checks.

However, I do make it a point to think about how I can be of service to the vendors in the exhibit by asking if they may have information or resources to share with the job seekers I normally engage via my online sites. So, maybe a vendor who offers ways to help employers reward employees can share some statistics about trends about employee rewards that can help job seekers. Or, a company that creates benefits packages can offer details about what job seekers should expect in the way of benefits for their next job; this could make it easier to negotiate. A company that does drug testing can share useful details about what they look for and how employers are using the testing.

Thinking outside of the proverbial “box,” I collected information that I hope will benefit my traditional readers and the exhibitors.

What’s the lesson? Stretch your thinking…Where ever you are, think about different ways to make the situation work for you. Think positively and be creative. You never know what opportunity is just around the corner.

photo by mag3737

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Using Global Digital Technology to Stimulate America: Building Business Alliances Abroad & In America

I’ll participate in this panel discussion moderated by Tiffani Howard, Founder and President of Stimulate America INC , a Georgia Non-Profit organization addressing the economic challenges of American citizens by providing resources to assist them in their recovery.

The primary focus of the “Using Global Digital Technology to Stimulate America” panel discussion is to identify ways entrepreneurs can develop international business relationships using digital technology that can be translated into a positive means of economic development for the United States, create jobs and promote stabilization.

We want to discover what is working, what doesn’t work, what we want to work and how to do it. It is our goal to share techniques, explore strategies and invent new ways we can use digital technology to bring liquidity to our country while savoring international cuisine at this indispensable lunch and learn.

Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Avenue Northeast Atlanta, 30303
Wednesday, November 9th
12pm to 12:50pm: Lunch Reception at the Gallery
1pm to 2pm: Panel Discussion in the Auditorium

Social Media for Job Search

Job Seekers are invited to attend this free event to learn about LinkedIn and social media for their job search. Recruiters and career coaches will be on hand to review resumes and LinkedIn profiles. I’ll have copies of my book, Social Networking for Career Success, to sell and will be happy to answer your questions about social media and job search

Wednesday, November 9th
Drop in between 5pm and 8pm for networking and learning.
Roam Atlanta, 5815 Windward Parkway, Alpharetta, GA 30005

I hope to see you there! Register for these events and learn about other opportunities at Digital Atlanta’s website.

The post Speaking at Digital Atlanta appeared first on Keppie Careers.

One of the big reasons to use social media is to help you find people you want to know. I wrote about how to find people on Google+. Be sure to take a look at my post, because it gives you the tools to figure out the next important piece of the social networking puzzle: How to BE found!

Your Google profile (which you probably own but don’t pay much attention) is important. If you’re not already on Google+, you can find your profile via Google profiles: http://www.google.com/profiles.

If you are already on Google+, you can start to test out how easy (or difficult) it is to find you via your profile by searching the various tools I listed in the “how to find people on Google+ post.”Think of the keywords you want people to use to find you. Are you a graphic artist working mostly in Atlanta?  Search, {“graphic artist” and “Atlanta”}. How many pages does it take to find your profile?

Identify the keywords you want people to use to find you. (Follow that link for advice about how.) Maybe your location is not important, but the fact you design custom Facebook pages? Decide your KEY keywords.

NOW – pack your Google profile with those words. Similar to LinkedIn, where it is easier to find you if you include keywords in your titles, descriptions, skills, etc., it appears Google will index you higher in search if your profile is packed with your keywords. List all of your titles. Include professional associations. List anything including keywords in your profile.

A trick?

Google doesn’t offer a “keywords” section to “tag” yourself in the profile, which would be similar to LinkedIn’s “specialties” section, where it is appropriate to list words and phrases relevant to you. Why not add one in?

In your “Introduction” section, add KEYWORDS: and then fill in all the words and phrases you think will help people find you in search. I did it, and it immediately impacted my search results in Google+. Take a look at my profile.

Try a “before” and “after” search to see if your rankings improve. Let me know how it works for you!

photo by Auntie P

The post How to make it easier to find you – in Google+ and via Google profiles appeared first on Keppie Careers.

He shared some great quotes:

“Memory is the soul’s witness to the capricious mind.” – Heschel

“If you’re lucky, putting together your life is a process that will last throught every single day you’re alive.” – Ann Patchett

“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” – Churchill

Mark suggested using memory to help craft the future. These were some points he suggested considering:

• Take responsibility
• Stay relaxed and alert
• Keep goals focused and diffused
• Trust the process
• Maintain a sense of humor
• Allow for moments of inspiration and awe

You can learn more about Mark at his website.

photo by Ilyas

The post How can your past inform your career future? appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Beyond the resume and typical job search materials, I believe using social media tools can really help build a career changerâ€s bridge to a new occupation or vocation. In my book, Social Networking for Career Success, I explain how social media may help career changers who naturally have a difficult time proving they have what they need to succeed in the next job: How? It solves several problems:

• It allows you to extend your network to meet people you otherwise would never encounter. Statistics show how important introductions and “warm leads” are to job seekers. Companies value referrals from within their organizations, and meeting new people you would not otherwise know via online interactions provides more potential for referrals. (Moving those social networking interactions to in-person or telephone conversations is a good next step.)
• You have easy access to information and resources about your targeted profession. I like to think of social networks as offering a constant opportunity to learn what people in the field and thinking, saying, writing and sharing. Twitter is particularly useful in this regard. In the book, I describe how itâ€s possible to follow content from conferences you donâ€t attend in person via hashtags, and share tips from Mark Stelzner, of Inflexion Advisors, for live tweeting a conference. If you find and follow people like Mark in your field, you may be able to grasp the key problems your new targeted industry is grappling with, without leaving your home and without spending a dime! (I elaborate on all the details in the book for HOW to find and follow the right community online.)
• Social media allows you to demonstrate your newfound expertise, engage in your targeted community, and make a name for yourself in your new industry. Social media canâ€t MAKE you an expert, but if you have what it takes to excel in your new field, you should be able to demonstrate it online. Show that you know whatâ€s going on, suggest solutions based on your expertise in other industries or fields and be someone who contributes to the conversation in your targeted field.
• Your lack of actual experience in the field may become less important once potential colleagues view you as an active contributor. If youâ€re good at sharing what you learn and know, the connections you gain and their willingness to promote you as a contributor will outweigh your actual lack of industry, paid work experience as a factor. (It wonâ€t totally erase it, but it goes a long way to helping you get where you want to go.)
• Being familiar with social media tools may be just the unique skill you need to help you land a job. Social media isnâ€t going away. Having an online profile, a Twitter feed and/or using LinkedIn to connect with prospective colleagues helps show you are staying ahead of the curve regarding technology. In and of itself, that may help you exceed another qualified candidateâ€s credentials.

In the book, I share career change success stories from several contributors, including:

• Alexis Grant (@alexisgrant), social media coach and owner of Socialexis, who is now Careers editor for U.S. News & World Report.
• Jessica Lewis, who transitioned to a non-profit career after 10 years in a different field.
• Kate-Madonna Hindes (known online as @girlmeetsgeek), who used blogging and Twitter to launch an entirely new career as a social marketer and career columnist. (She notes, “Social media changed my life.)

Don’t let the competitive market discourage you from making a change. Dive into social media — I hope you’ll take a look at my book to teach you how to get on the right path — and you may be surprised by the results! Be sure to learn more about my book, Social Networking for Career Success, as I teach you how to use all the social networks you know about — and some you haven’t even considered — and Amazon has it for a great price!

photo by vistavision

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The employer panel included:

Elizabeth Russel, Director of Change Leadership — Emerson Human Capital

Kathy Davis, Recruiting Manager — Accenture

Michelle Wilkinson, Leadership Recruiting Manager — Wellpoint Inc.

The panelist share a number of good tips for job seekers…

Ms. Russel commented on how important it is to demonstrate your ability to manage projects, an across-the-board skill to demonstrate on the resume. Other top picks to highlight? The ability to meet deadlines, manage a team and to fit the organization’s culture. Ms. Davis noted the importance of referencing key words in a resume and suggested using LinkedIn to connect with people at your target companies. She believes it is a great idea to use Twitter to network and gain and share information and explained it was important to “make your voice heard.”

The recruiters differed in their opinions about cover letters, with Ms. Davis saying she doesn’t always read them, while Ms. Wilkinson believes a cover letter is “quite important.” This is typical of advice regarding cover letters — some read them, others ignore them, so it’s a bit of a toss-up for job seekers. The best advice seems to be to write a strong cover letter, in case it is valued.

The panelists agreed it was important for the candidate to indicate on the resume why he or she left a job or had a gap. For example, “left to care for ill parent” or “stayed home with infant daughter.” They even suggested noting things on the resume such as, “department closed” or “company bought out.” Ms. Russell suggested not “over explaining” a gap, but believed (as did the others) that it was important to account for time off of paid work.

Job seekers may be interested to know that the employers agreed volunteer work, especially board-level work and significant volunteer contributions should be highlighted on a resume when appropriate. In fact, Ms. Wilkinson explained “community work is key at WellPoint,” so showcasing it would be particularly significant. This is a great reminder to identify an organization’s key culture points in order to illustrate why you are well-suited for the job. Sometimes, that cultural fit can really make a difference between two equally qualified candidates.

As for resume length, the general rule of thumb was two to three pages, and all three women agreed referrals from within the company were valued. They suggested asking the recruiter or hiring manager about appropriate intervals for following up and emphasized it was a great question to ask at the interview.

Their final words of wisdom:

Ms. Wilkinson: Know what you want to do. The worst thing is when a candidate does not know. Do your homework about the company and industry and be prepared for the interview.

Ms. Davis: Don’t sell yourself short. Take phone interviews seriously – be sure to smile, even though you’re on the phone; it makes a difference!

Ms. Russell: Dress up for those phone interviews. Be open minded. Recognize your next role may not have existed five years ago!

photo by K’vitsh

The post Job search advice from recruiters appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Writing about job search and interacting regularly with job seekers, I thought it made sense to also contribute a brief blog with tips about how to be kind to job seekers. It’s very easy to make half-hearted offers to help someone in the midst of a job search. Everyone has made one of these offers in one way or another: “Let me know what I can do to help.” Or, “I’m happy to help, just let me know what you need.”

It’s easy to say, but unlikely to encourage the job seeker to follow through. We all know it’s difficult to ask for help — job seekers are no more likely to follow up with your offer than someone with a broken leg you tell to “let me know what I can do.” We’re all self-sufficient and don’t like to accept assistance.

What’s a better suggestion, in honor of Celebrating Kindness Day? Just do something nice! Here are some suggestions that came to mind.

• Invite a job seeking friend to meet for coffee with a contact who might be able to help him or her connect with a company of interest.
• Ask the job seeker what companies interest him or her. Review your own network; if there is a good contact, invite both to meet for lunch and facilitate an in-person introduction.
• If you’re attending an event that could be useful for your job seeking friend, invite him or her to go with you and make a point facilitate targeted introductions.
• If you’re a close friend, offer to do something nice personally — offer to babysit, so the job seeker can have some time alone – for job hunting activities or just to relax.
• Keep an eye out for useful information that could assist the job seeker, and pass it along. If you hear of well-suited opportunities, offer to forward a resume and actually make an effort to connect the job seeker with the opportunity.
• Peruse your own social networks — your LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook connections — for possible good contacts for the job seeker. Do everything you can to facilitate their connection.
• Keep an eye open via your own networks about resources such as Hiring for Hope/Job Angels — where volunteers offer to assist job seekers.

What other ideas do you have? What have you done to help a job seeker? If you ARE a job seeker, what’s the best thing someone could do for you? Also share tips of what is NOT kind — or not helpful — for job seekers.

Thanks to this group of Twitter users for co-hosting Celebrating #Kindness Day! Be sure to follow them and tweet some kindness today with the #Kindness hashtag!

Kim Wells @kwells2416 http://Twitter.com/kwells2416
Susan Smith @togetherwf http://Twitter.com/togetherwf
Dave Carpenter @Dave_Carpenter http://Twitter.com/Dave_Carpenter
Sarah Hodsdon @Sarahndipitous http://Twitter.com/Sarahndipitous
Georgia Feiste @feistycoach http://Twitter.com/feistycoach
Jacob Share @jacobshare http://Twitter.com/jacobshare
Melissa Cooley @TheJobQuest http://Twitter.com/TheJobQuest
Phyllis Mufson @PhyllisMufson http://twitter.com/phyllismufson

photo by the_moment

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They reported growth in 17 of 18 industries; only Technology was down a bit (-2.0%). Reported large growth areas: Military (22.7%), Travel (20.9%) and Agriculture (20.0%)

Month-over-month, growth in job openings (based on posted jobs on Simply Hired) were up 3.8% and year-over-year (compared to February 2010), they were up 49.7%.

There are (statistically) 4 people for every 1 job opening nationwide. Top hiring companies nationwide included:

• Home Depot
• HCA
• Securus
• Starbucks
• U.S. Air Force

Top hiring sectors based on jobs listed on Simply Hired included: agriculture, automotive, construction, education, financial services, government, health care, hospitality and legal.

Statistically, the most competitive place to land a job was Miami and Fort Lauderdale, where there are 9 candidates for every one opening. Washington D.C. has one job for every one candidate. (Remember, this is a statistical analysis, which doesn’t necessarily mean you will or will not be able to land an opportunity.)

Daniel Greenberg, CMO, SimplyHired.com, explains how they calculate these ratios and what they mean for job seekers:

SimplyHired.com’s unemployment ratio is calculated by taking the average of the total number of currently unemployed persons in the U.S. (as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) over the total number of job openings listed on SimplyHired.com each month. In February, the unemployment ratio was 4:1 nationally. This means that on average there were four job seekers for every one job opening. What this means for job seekers varies by location, if you’re looking for a job in an area like Miami, the unemployment ratio is actually 9:1, and in Washington, DC the unemployment ratio is an ideal 1:1.

This ratio also includes every job opening, meaning that part-time and contract work is considered – not just full-time jobs. Everything else being equal, job seekers in highly competitive job markets would be well served to relocate to areas that have more favorable job seeker-to-unemployment ratios.”

—

If you’re looking for a job — or thinking you need to start using social media to propel your career, my book: Social Networking for Career Success is available on Amazon (at a great discount). Please order now!

photo by Redvers

The post Simply Hired reports opportunities up for job seekers appeared first on Keppie Careers.

An interesting point made in the early part of the conference: LinkedIn wants to emphasize itself as a network helpful for job seekers, but not JUST for people looking for jobs. They strive to be a place for people to share insights, build relationships  and update profiles to illustrate expertise and offer information all of the time. I’ve been promoting this concept for years, and it was not surprising to know that being a go-to network for every professional is one of LinkedIn’s goals.

The three objectives they outlined:

1. Be the professional profile of record to help people find and be found, ultimately eliminating the need for the “cold call.”
2. Be a source of professional insights with a focus on making content relevant to readers.
3. “Work where our members work,” in other words, create applications to use via smartphones and on the go in addition to on the Web.

Some of their latest – and newly announced features:

LinkedIn’s InMaps – allow you to visualize your LinkedIn social graph (the people you are connected to and how they connect to each other). You can learn where there are pockets in your networks and consider where you may want to expand your connections, and it’s all via a visual tool. (The picture above is a piece of an InMap. Try it out: http://inmaps.linkedinlabs.com/.

LinkedIn’s Signal – This has been in beta in September 2010, and today is available for everyone. Find this on your LinkedIn home page or via http://www.linkedin.com/signal. (See picture below — the link is in the bottom, right corner – Search Updates.)

See updates from your immediate or expanded network, or information shared by company or industry, location, time, University, or any combination of those search parameters. This gives you access to updates from people who are not in your network.

This search is sort of similar to searching a hashtag on Twitter, which shows you updates from everyone – not just your network – using that search term. LinkedIn aims to share “professional” updates with you via this tool, but this all depends on how your network or the network you are searching uses LinkedIn. Let’s face it, there are plenty of updates that are not exactly “professional.” I found many by searching only by city. However, in theory, this type of search should clue me in to what professionals in a given city are thinking and sharing. (Searches by industry are more focused and will likely produce useful results.)

LinkedIn Today Beta. Find this at http://www.linkedin.com/today. LinkedIn calls it, “A new product that surfaces the top headlines and stories being shared the most across multiple industries by LinkedIn’s trusted network of more than 90 million professionals.”

They explain, “LinkedIn Today gives members a customized and tailored way to consume the top trending news relevant to a particular industry and by what is being shared the most frequently by those industry’s professionals. It lets members access their professional news through three different lenses – by their connections, industry, and the broader global professional network.”

LinkedIn Today integrates with Twitter and StumbleUpon and other news sources, including Bloomberg.com, Wall Street Journal Digital Network, CNNMoney, and many more. They also integrated this into their iPhone app (version 3.6), which has special features allowing users to quickly access the news they need.

Learn more about this new feature by taking the “tour” offered right below the site’s headline. It’s easy to personalize the experience and save stories so you can track the information you want.

Be sure to take advantage of these useful tools, whether you are looking for a job, have a business, or just know you need to keep up-to-date to stay ahead of the game professionally!

Want to learn all about how you can use social networking to propel your career? My new book, Social Networking for Career Success, is available for pre–order (at a great price). I want to invite you to order now!

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