managing your professional networks

Managing Your Professional Networks

Strategy Session Oct. 4 2010Mary Canady

Comprendia LLC

© Comprendia, LLC All rights reserved.

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Brave New World• Economic downturn=Tough times• BUT…more tools available than ever

– Virtual + F2F=Powerful Combination

• Create a ‘personal brand’– What ‘pain’ do you address?– Can you be a ‘channel’ of information?

• What you will need– What is your channel?– Time– Creativity– Content


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Social Media. ‘Getting It.’

• It’s not all about you• 90/10 rule

• Engage, don’t broadcast• Your reputation is

paramount• To know, you must do• Don’t forget….etiquette


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My Social Media Makeover• 2008: Jobless, Modest ‘IRL’ Network• 2010

– Comprendia/SDBN Network• Mary: 1,100 personal LI connections (can contact 70M)• SDBN/OCBN LI groups: 3,400 members• LI Biotech Marketing Group: 1,700• Synergized with Twitter, Facebook & blogs• Result: can reach10,000 with any message

– Accomplished blogger, writer, speaker– Worked with more than 15 companies through

Comprendia


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Which Tools Should I Use?Application Description Good for Time Needed

LinkedIn Professional networking

•Personal brand•Job hunting•Leads

2-4 Hrs/wk

Twitter Sharing information with short updates

•Personal brand•Connecting via content•Events

2-4 Hrs/wk

Facebook Social networking

•Corporate pages

2-4 Hrs/wk

Blog Dynamic website with daily-weekly articles

•Personal brand

•4-6 Hrs/wk


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Your Channel• Related to your elevator speech• Provide information related to your

headline• Content ideas

– Article, blog post– Company news– Event you’ll be attending– News and resources from your field– GREAT if you can direct them to your website

• Leverage the community• Use tools like RSS


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LinkedIn…What Is It Good For?• Maintaining your professional network• Building corporate brand• Lead generation

– “I use LinkedIn more than our CRM.”

• Soft sell serendipity• Hiring: Post jobs or search• LinkedIn (LI)Works best

– With a large network– Leveraging groups– In conjunction with social media & face to face

interactions


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Basics

Contact Level

Primary

2 3 None

Contact Options

•Direct email

•Group•InMail•Introduction

•Group•InMail•Introduction

•Group•InMail (most)


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Maximizing Your Profile• Should be as complete as resume

– Use action words and bullets– Headline—what ‘pain’ do you address?– Adding all past companies with information for each

helps others to find you

• Use keywords from Google Adwords, company target projects to help getting found

• Get a ‘vanity’ URL– Add to email signature, business card

• Add a head shot– Friendly, professional– Next best thing to face to face

• Check for spelling errors!


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Maximizing Your Profile• Link to your company or sites of

interest• Include complete contact

information• Get recommended

– Don’t be shy• Look through contacts, you’ll be amazed• Only ~50% may respond, don’t be offended

– BUT don’t ask people you didn’t work with directly

– Reciprocate? Up to you


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Build Your Network• Bigger Web=More Bugs…er, Opportunities

– Better search results– More ‘soft sell’ opportunities

• Places to look– LinkedIn

• Upload contacts• Companies you’ve worked at• Others’ contacts• Groups• Events• ‘People You May Know’

– Ouside LinkedIn• Email client• CRM• Business card stack


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Build Your Network• Look for members with large # of

contacts– LIONs link to all, beware– Recruiters may poach your contact list

• Should you share?– Personal decision– Most do– Your connection is your connection

• Don’t be shy about asking– BUT don’t overdo it

• Small # of ‘I don’t know’ responses allowed


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Leveraging Groups• Benefits

– Directly email any group member (BIG ONE!)

– Can post questions to group– Searches give more results

• Join up to 50 groups• Choose large, relevant, active

groups– Your news will not be seen in spam-y

groups


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Don’t Forget…Etiquette• Invitations to connect

– ALWAYS include a short note– Remind them how they know you– Give them a compliment & benefit to linking

with you

• 90/10 Rule– Post 9 helpful items for every 1 self

promoting– ADD VALUE

• Avoid ‘bait and switch’ questions– E.g. ‘Where can I get high quality structural

biology?’


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Other Useful Features• LinkedIn PDF Resume• Subscriptions

– Send ‘InMails’– See more search results

• Introductions• Follow companies

– Competitors– Clients/Partners– Potential clients/Partners

• Events– Add RSVPs, connect with others

• Ask/answer questions


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Basics• Overview

– Provide 140 character updates, AKA ‘microblogging’– @[user] to send a public message (reply)– D [user] to send private message (DM)– #[text] is a ‘hashtag’ to follow events or chats

• Follow based on content, don’t need to know– Hint: this is huge for getting new leads!

• Provide information based on ‘channel’• Should be a conversation if you’re doing it

right!


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Tactics

• Fill out profile completely and carefully• Get followers

– Target: 1,000– To be followed, you must follow

• Twitterer will be sent message that you are following• Search twitter for terms (e.g., ‘kinase’)• Conference hashtags (#acs_boston)• Scientist lists• Don’t follow more than 100/day

• Provide content from RSS or other twitterers• Engage with twitterers

See ‘How To Get More Life Science Followers on Twitter’ on Delicious list


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Tactics: Applications• Posting

– Hootsuite• Web-based• Schedule Tweets (best to space out—3-4 tweets/day)• Post to many other apps

– Tweetdeck• Desktop, iPhone, iPad App• Very popular

– Twhirl• Desktop App (smaller windows)• Good for multiple accounts

To see which apps people are using, check bottom of tweets.


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Hall of Fame• LinkedIn

– Mindy Davis

• Twitter– modernscientist– sciencegoddess

• Blog/Personal Branding– TigerTox– Women in Science Blogging (Guardian)


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Get Started NOW• Networking is not just for job seekers!• Face to face is still important

– SDBN– San Diego Biotech Discussion Group– ACS– AWIS– SABPA– PGC200

• Meet for lunch ‘just because’• Pay it forward

managing your professional networks

Career

network look

complete contact information

channel of information

social media face

personal decision

personal li connections

short updates personal

weekly articles personal