collaboration Archives -

How to Use LinkedIn That Will Help You Build Your Business

Lately, there’s been a resurgence of interest in LinkedIn. Maybe because that other social media platform (that one based in Menlo Park) has been scaring off a lot of people.

Vanity Metrics and Buying Followers

Although the number of followers should not be the end-all, it’s nice to have a few followers. Whatever you do, though, don’t buy followers on LinkedIn or any other social media platform. You might want to read Why Not to Buy Followers on Instagram, from Hootsuite. And by the way, you’ll get the same lack of engagement on other platforms, including LinkedIn, if you decide to buy followers.

Photo by Michael Vadon

Start Conversations

You might not want to talk to every follower you have, but if you have conversations with those who are in your target audience, that could be a start. And if your target market is everyone, then we need to have a talk. Your target market is not everyone unless you’re selling water or air. In most places, those things are free. You might like this guide to engagement if you need help starting conversations on social media.

Photo by MoneyConf

Have a Brand Identity

Who are you and what is your brand about? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Where are your best opportunities? If you want to know about creating your brand identity, I highly recommend Clement Lim’s Creating a Kick-Ass Brand Identity in Six Easy Steps. It’s one of the best articles on brand identity I’ve ever read. Every time I read it, I get something more from it.

Photo by theps.net

Drive Conversations Offline

Some of the best conversations online end up being friendships. Once you meet people in real life, you don’t know what could happen. Often those friendships end up as business partnerships. And you can have an awful lot of fun meeting people, in any case. You might like Why Friendships Are Absolutely the Best ROI of Social Media.

Photo by eekim

Find Collaborators

Collaboration makes work easier and less tedious. When you run out of steam, others on a team can pitch in and help you, either by doing work for you or with encouragement. Many entrepreneurs suffer from loneliness without some human contact. LinkedIn is a great place to find collaborators.

Photo by Stig Nygaard

Publish

Are you publishing on LinkedIn? It’s one of the best reasons to be on LinkedIn. I’ve found that people connect with you more easily if you publish your own work and also share others’ posts. Here’s an article that you might like, too: Here are 10 Surprising Stats You Didn’t Know About Marketing on LinkedIn.

Photo by Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office

Why Are You on LinkedIn?

Leave me a comment! Thank you.

Why Collaboration is Crucial to Your Business

Why Collaboration is Crucial to Your Business Success

The Internet can be a big and lonely place. If you are a freelancer, you may only see your dog or cat for most of the day unless you work with other people. That old saying “two heads are better than one” has staying power for a reason. And working with others makes you stretch and keeps you on your toes. Sharing content from others on social media gives you greater reach. And collaboration makes sense from many different angles.

Twice the Information

There is so much information out there right now, especially in social media. When you collaborate with someone, they may have heard of something that you haven’t. They’ve read an article, heard a webinar, or know a shortcut that you don’t. Not only that, but their circle of friends and contacts is different than yours. Also, twice as many people could see your content. By the way, here’s a great article on how to avoid information overload.

Extra Laughs Per Minute

Besides the extra reach, collaboration is fun. Working with someone else always leads to more laughs per minute (LPM). As this article from PBS states, we don’t need scientists telling us the benefits of humor. A few of them are:

increased creativity
decreased pain, and
an increase in the ability to deal with stress.

Inspiration and Support

Every entrepreneur has moments when they want to throw in the towel. We don’t talk about them much. But with other entrepreneurs that you trust, you can share some of those moments. Chances are, your work friends will share how they’ve made it through those moments. Some days are tough, but someone else has had the same problem as you.

My good friends at Blue Steele Solutions Create Websites

Shared Clients

Often, when someone asks me for a service that I don’t provide, I’m happy to give names of others who do. For instance, I don’t create websites, but my good friends at Blue Steele Solutions do. Odds are, others can do the same thing with your business. Some clients may need anything from a new website to SEO to social media marketing. You may be able to create a virtual business organization to provide everything.

What Has Collaboration Done for You Lately?

I’m curious if you have collaborated on projects. Were they long-term or short-term? And what benefits did you receive from them?