Download - Becoming a social CEO

LinkedIn 101 – Becoming a Social CEO

Table of contents

03 Introduction

04 Businesses are rocking social

platforms like LinkedIn

06 How can social media help my business grow?

08 How to rock your profile

10 How to build an outstanding business brand

12 How to become a social CEO

14 How do I find and attract the best people?

16 How do I fit LinkedIn into my business?

20 Summary – Take the lead

LinkedIn 101 – Becoming a Social CEO 2

IntroductionBecoming a social CEO can open up a whole world of opportunity. Your company is likely to enjoy higher levels1 of trust and people will be more likely to purchase from you. It will elevate your reputation and brand and, by doing so, help enhance your company’s reputation2, build your customer base, find the best employees and ultimately grow your business.

Between two-thirds and three-quarters of global employees believe that a company whose senior executives use social media to communicate is more trustworthy.3 They also believe CEO participation in social media can build better connections with customers, staff and investors.

In this ebook we’ll look at the benefits companies like yours are already getting from social platforms such as LinkedIn, and how – with access to a network of 313+ members and growing – you can enjoy the same advantages yourself.


Numbers of LiNkediN members From 1st quarter 2009 to 3rd quarter 2014 (in millions)

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Q2 '14Q1 '14Q4 '13Q3 '13Q2 '13Q1 '13Q4 '12Q3 '12Q2 '12Q1 '12Q4 '11Q3 '11Q2 '11Q1 '11Q4 '10Q3 '10Q2 '10Q1 '10Q4 '09Q3 '09Q2 '09Q1 '09

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Q2 '14

Q1 '14

Q4 '13

Q3 '13

Q2 '13

Q1 '13

Q4 '12

Q3 '12

Q2 '12

Q1 '12

Q4 '11

Q3 '11

Q2 '11

Q1 '11

Q4 '10

Q3 '10

Q2 '10

Q1 '10

Q4 '09

Q3 '09

Q2 '09

Q1 '09

Q3 '14

Member count in millions

Source: Statista, Quarterly numbers of LinkedIn members

Businesses are rocking social platforms like LinkedIn


Companies across the world are using social media as a primary channel4 for marketing, and it has now become one of the highest sources of leads. Forty-three per cent of marketers generated leads5 from LinkedIn in 2013 and 82 per cent find social a key source of lead generation.6

And once the lead has become an opportunity, social sales professionals find they are 51 per cent more likely to achieve their quota.7

LinkedIn generated a staggering 64 per cent of all visits8 from social media channels to corporate websites. All other social networks each accounted for less than 20 per cent of visits. It’s clear that LinkedIn is the best way to reach the audiences interested in your company.

And it’s not just about Gen Y or new graduates looking to build their network. Senior executives and business leaders are going social in droves.

In just over a year Trustpilot grew from a company with 35 employees based in Copenhagen to a global company with a staff of 170. LinkedIn helped Trustpilot manage this growth effectively, with 100% of management and mid-management positions in their New York office being filled through LinkedIn. 9


Which Lead sources have become more importaNt (over last 6 months)

0

20

40

60

80

100

Sales Professionals

Lead source

% o

f res

pond

ents

Marketing Professionals

SocialMedia

Blogs EO EmailMarketing

PPCT TradeShows

TraditionalAdvertising

DirectMail

Tele-marketing

Sales gravitates toward outbound channels whereas

marketers lean inbound

Source: Hubspot, 2014 State of Inbound


How can social media help my business grow?

From networking and recruiting to lead generation and closing business deals, there are several ways in which social platforms like LinkedIn can propel your performance and grow your business.

Sourcing and recruiting highly skilled talent is a top priority for businesses. But with a global shortage of in-demand skills, the competition is fierce.

To resolve this, businesses are increasingly using social platforms to recruit the best talent. Social networks are the fastest-growing source of quality hires, accounting for more than 37 per cent in 2013.10

They also present a huge database of passive candidates – those who would be interested in a new opportunity but aren’t actively seeking.

By leveraging professional social networks you can engage top talent and stay ahead of the competition. You don’t need to be one of the world’s largest companies to do this – social platforms like LinkedIn level the playing field. They’re affordable, accessible and effective.


active vs. passive – so What?

are actively looking for opportunities

Passive candidatesActive candidates

25%

are completely satisfied with their current role anddon’t want to move

15%

are not looking, but are chatting with their closepersonal network about opportunities

15%

say they are not lookingfor a job, but areopen to talking torecruiters about career opportunities

45%

Source: LinkedIn, Small by mighty: the power of small teams with big ambitions

How to rock your profile


Here are the five key ways to stand out from the crowd:

for a killer profile, ensure your details are complete and up to date. Include a professional photo of yourself and showcase your work through rich media.

Write a personal tagline – this is your brand. Borrow from the best marketers and light up your profile with your own voice.

put your elevator pitch to work in your summary section. Highlight your skills and explain your experience: what your company does and what you do for them.

point out your skills and experience. Consider the ‘specialties’ field as your personal search-engine optimiser – a way to refine the ways people find and remember you.

distinguish yourself from the crowd and present a more human face by listing your interests and passions.

Being a social CEO puts you back in the driver’s seat, helping you influence your business brand and grow your network. To do this, your own profile is critical. Two-thirds of people say their perception of the CEO affects their opinion of a company and its products.11


1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

5

5

How to build an outstanding business brand


One of the most important factors for professionals when considering a new job is whether the company is a great place to work. As a small organisation, it can be hard to develop a strong talent brand, but it doesn’t have to be.

You and your employees are your best branding asset so highlight your company’s purpose and strengths on your LinkedIn Profile, and create a Company Page that other employees can link to. Make it easy for talent to find you and follow you – 71 per cent of your followers will be interested in careers at your company.12

Find, join and create groups relevant to your industry and participate. Invite other people and encourage and guide discussions to grow your role as a thought leader.


Insight Product Development provides product development and innovation consulting services from four expanding of fices. In a competitive environment, the company needed to build a compelling talent brand to attract top talent. It used its LinkedIn Career Page to successfully reinforce the company’s culture and message, offering potential candidates employee testimonials and videos as an insight into the company’s laid back, fun work environment.13

the importaNce of taLeNt braNd to professioNaLs

Which of the following is the most important attribute of a company if you were to consider a new job?

Reputation as a greatplace to work

56%Reputation for greatproducts/services

20%

Reputation for great people

17%

Reputation for being prestigious

7%

Source: LinkedIn, Talent Trends 2014

How to become a social CEO



Time to get social!

start by adding connections and interacting with other users. Whenever you meet new people at conferences, search for and add them on LinkedIn. Use the LinkedIn Connected app to make this easier. Get your own LinkedIn address printed on your business cards.

share your great content. If you’ve recently done a presentation, put it in SlideShare and promote it to your LinkedIn networks. Write blogs and share them as updates. Post videos.

comment on and re-share other people’s content and updates. Remember that it’s not just a sales pitch – your own promotional content should represent no more than 10 per cent of what you share.

remember that social media is a two-way conversation, so speak and listen. Ask and answer questions.

social media is a valuable and cost-effective investment, and it doesn’t need to be time-consuming. Just 10 minutes a day engaging with your network will really drive your social momentum.

1

2

3

4

5

You’ve created your account, your profile and your talent brand. What’s next?

1

2

34

5

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/linkedin-contacts/id635424128?mt=8

How do I find and attract the best people?


Social platforms like LinkedIn give you access to a huge pool of quality talent, so really consider who you want to target. What’s important to your company: its culture, mission, working environment or sense of regional identity? What traits are important in your staff?

You’ve already built a leader profile that will be appealing to potential hires. Now build your talent brand with a Company Page and a Career Page that attract attention too.

Be proactive. Identify active members in target groups who fit your hiring criteria, and start a conversation by commenting on their posts or reaching out to them directly.

You can quickly identify LinkedIn members that closely match your top candidate attributes using the “People Similar to…” section on an ideal hire’s profile page. Don’t forget to promote career opportunities to followers of your Company Page.


the aNatomy of a successfuL career page

Home Careers Products Insights

Expedia Careers Follow36,894 followers

JOBS AT EXPEDIAPEOPLE AT EXPEDIA

Where will you go with Expedia?Connect with us to start today.

WORK AT EXPEDIA

At Expedia, we have the freedom to be ourselves and let our personalities come out—and that’s what San Francisco is all about. We are a quick moving company where anyone’s idea can become the next new release. Every day offers a new challenge and a new way of looking at things.

See more jobs at Expedia »

View all employees »

arresting copy

bold, memorable visuals with

lively colours

focus on employees

through videos and quotes that

emphasize culture

multiple page versions highly

targeted to visit-ing talent

custom ads with a branded

look

AppSense needed to fill complex, specialist roles while competing with some of the world’s largest tech companies. By building its employer brand, it has managed to source 25 per cent of hires through LinkedIn, and now fills 60 per cent of its roles directly.14

How do I fit LinkedIn into my business?


Becoming a social CEO is about evolving – not restructuring – your business, but it requires a holistic approach.

Fifty-nine per cent of global consumers said their opinions about companies are influenced by what company executives communicate15, so it’s important to get your whole team involved.

Encourage your staff to complete their own profiles, join your Company Page and be positive brand ambassadors. Take your HR department through the recruitment solutions available, and give training in how to use the site to find the best candidates.

Once you’re up and running, LinkedIn will be a great fit and a highly valuable tool for your business, whether for networking, sales and marketing, or recruitment.


visits to corporate Websites from sociaL media

0%

80%

20%

60%

100%

40%

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

Flickr

SlideShare

Other

YouTube

Google+

64%

17%

14%

0.2%

0.1%

0.1%

0.1%

4%

Nov 11 Feb 12 May12 Aug12 Nov 12 Feb 13 May13Aug 11 Aug13

LinkedIn is the biggest source of visits from

social media sites

Source: Investis IQ Research, Audience Insight Q3 2013

A successful business needs a strong leader who is visible and clearly engaged. Becoming a social CEO is a key way to do this.

‘Post and pray’ is no longer enough when it comes to recruiting the people who are going to drive your business forward. Skilled people are increasingly hard to find, and you need to be proactive about identifying them.

LinkedIn can help you reach millions of potential customers, partners and employees – both locally and globally – for a fraction of what it would cost to go through traditional channels and agencies.

It’s time to take the lead and become a social CEO today.


Summary – Take the lead

41%of LinkedIn users have more than 500+ connections

57%of businesses have LinkedIn Company Pages

1 20 people spend an hour a day on LinkedInin

To find out more about LinkedIn Talent Solutions, or to talk to a LinkedIn representative, visit talent.linkedin.com.

Source: Wayne Breitbarth, Portrait of a LinkedIn user 2014 edition

http://talent.linkedin.com

1 Brandfog, The Global Social CEO Survey 2014 2 Weber Shandwick, Socialising your CEO II 3 Brandfog, The Global Social CEO Survey 20144 Statista, Quarterly numbers of LinkedIn members 5 Hubspot, 2014 State of Inbound6 Hubspot, 2013 State of Inbound 7 LinkedIn, 7 Ways Sales Professionals Drive Revenue with Social Selling.8 Investis, IQ Audience Insight 9 Linkedin Trustpilot Case Study10 LinkedIn, 2013 Global Recruiting Trends11 Weber Shandwick, Socialising your CEO II 12 LinkedIn, Talent Brand Catalysts: Reasons to Cultivate Followers13 LinkedIn, Insight PD case study14 LinkedIn, AppSense case study15 Weber Shandwick, Socialising your CEO II

Sources


Download - Becoming a social CEO

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