Category

Social Media

Dec 06
Love1

Rubbernecking in the Wake of the #MeToo Movement

By Communications, Social Media

I used to think a person finds out who their true friends are during a divorce. I was wrong. The real friends stick around after you’ve met someone new and start dating and are happy and in love again. I was surprised at the people who were more interested in the falling apart of my life than the building back up. I thought about the way we share our lives on social media, though, and became less surprised.

There’s a perception that people create these carefully crafted, happy looking lives with great vacations and beautiful families. Everything, as seen in Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts looks just perfect. To me, that’s sharing only the shareable — not sharing what the user considers private. So yes, to some, that might look manufactured. And so, when a person’s life undeniably falls apart, we’re curious. Did we miss some clue in the photos on the Instagram account? Why were those last vacation photos all solo selfies?

We’re in the beginning of a movement that is going to have a lot of those online images crumbling. The #metoo movement, and today’s recognition of the Silence Breakers as the Person of the Year in Time Magazine is huge and will have an ongoing impact. It is only a matter of time before our colleagues, friends, friends’ husbands and partners lose their jobs or are called out publicly for sexual abuse or harassment.

I hope that we can refrain, as a culture, from social rubbernecking as peoples lives crumble around us. No, of course no one’s life is perfect, even if their social media would otherwise indicate. Victims will share what they wish and we should be respectful of that. Families of abusers are often collateral damage in these situations. Let’s let them be.

Sep 27
Love0

Maintaining the Sanctity of the Business Network on LinkedIn

By Social Media

I have had a great deal of success using LinkedIn as a business development tool. When I first began using LinkedIn, I set out to maximize the time I spend there and to keep my profile consistently up-to-date. I learned all I could so that I could teach others how to effectively use it and frequently teach workshops or coach individual client contacts to get the most out of LinkedIn.

I’m a big believer in thoughtfully developing one’s business network and so after a number of out-of-context requests to connect from strangers, I published this update.

Dear people who wish to connect on LinkedIn: I think you’re probably great and a good contact for me to have. Unfortunately, we’ve never met, and when you sent your invitation, you didn’t send a note. I don’t know why you want to connect with me and doubt very much we will interact since you didn’t see fit to share that with me in our initial chance for interaction. I simply don’t connect with people with whom I don’t have a real, meaningful connection. It’s not a dating site. It’s not Twitter. It’s LinkedIn, the social network for business. You’re welcome to follow me on Twitter @marijean and maybe you’ll introduce yourself and we’ll get to know each other and that might lead us back here. But for now, I’m not going to accept your request.

Sincerely, Marijean

 

It seems I struck a nerve because so far, more than 6,400 users have seen the post, with several likes and comments. It also generated some online conversation, which I would like to open up here. Do you agree with my position on LinkedIn relationships? Why or why not?

More help: How to Block Someone on LinkedIn

 

Aug 10
Love0

5 Reasons Not to Be a LinkedIn Hater

By Communications, Social Media

 

 

I was in a client meeting not long ago when the use of LinkedIn was mentioned.

“I hate LinkedIn,” a meeting participant said. Here’s why I think that’s a mistake:

1. Search plays a big role in the management of your reputation. When someone googles your name, (particularly if your name is unusual) your LinkedIn profile does appear.

Whether you like it or not, if you have created even an incomplete profile, it will show up in search engine results. If you have no profile at all, you are only frustrating the person who is trying to locate you (and what if they have a really great business deal or offer to extend to you; what then?)

2. Recommendations are third-party endorsements that say that you are who you say you are. Think about it; you wouldn’t hire someone to do plumbing or painting at your home without a referral from someone else, right? It speaks highly of you and your business to have a few recommendations from clients and colleagues visible in your searchable profile. (They’re also good to read if/when you’re having a really bad day.)

3. Avoid that awkward blind-date scenario by allowing a new business contact (with whom you’re meeting for the first time in person) to see you and know a bit about you beforehand. It’s a courtesy in today’s business world, and expected. A fully completed profile should have a photo of you so if you’re meeting for coffee, your contact will know who to look for.

4. Maybe it’s not you (maybe it is), but someone in your company is responsible for website traffic. Give them a leg up by listing the company website and going the extra mile by giving it the right name instead of accepting the default settings of “My Company” and/or “My Blog.”

5. LinkedIn is easy; it’s people you know (not those you don’t or those you used to know, long ago). It’s not scary and does not have the privacy issues that Facebook often faces. No one plays games like Candy Crush or posts quizzes on LinkedIn. It is a social network designed for online business networking; that’s it. Its simplicity and clarity of mission make it an important component of your overall social media strategy, whether that strategy is personal or on behalf of your brand or company.

LinkedIn has stood the test of time and consistently added smart upgrades to remain current but true to its original purpose. Don’t hate LinkedIn; it’s there for you to use to succeed. See you there.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/marijeanoldham

 

Jun 22
Love0

Google to Save America with New Job Search Function

By Communications, Social Media

The announcement came from Google this week: Google is going to make America great again help Americans find work. Could Google, with its new job search function, pulling in job listings by geography into a user’s search results, be the tool that helps people throughout the United States find the work they seek?

As a search engine, Google has proven it is the best. Google is a full 43% ahead of its nearest competition, Bing. With stats like that, you have to wonder, why do other search engines even bother? I, for one, have never heard anyone speak of a “Bing ranking.”

The job search function is really promising. It’s rather time consuming to go from site to site (LinkedIn, Ziprecruiter, Snagajob, Glassdoor, and many more) in one’s job search. Streamlining the process can only help the unemployed or dissatisfied find their next, great opportunity faster.  In a quick test, I searched Marketing Jobs in Charlottesville and got back a solid list of opportunities, the first several the most recent and relevant, in under a second. The second page of results provided a dropdown that displayed employers and let me filter out different parameters. Pretty nifty.

It still takes the future employed persons of America following through, applying, showing up for interviews and doing a good job when they get hired, but I have hope that this will benefit some seekers to get off the couch and into the office.

May 16
Love0

To All Ye in a Job Search Panic

By Social Media

Hi there!

I know you’re freaking out because you thought you’d have a job by now. But what’s really happened is that you’re at the bottom of a hill looking up, and you’re not really sure now how you’re going to get to the top because that hill just keeps getting bigger.

I get it.

I hear how you’ve been “networking,” by asking people to coffee and lunch, asking to pick the brains of others (what are you, a zombie?).

I want you to stop a second. Back up. Google Thyself. Do you like what shows up? Have you paid attention to it? Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Are you proud of it? Is there nothing, or not much at all to find? That says something, too, you know.

Here are 12 Things to Do on Your LinkedIn Profile Today. 

What are you doing with your resume? Is it searchable? As in, is there an online version of it? Have you bought the domain that is your full name? Do that. It’s inexpensive. And then put your resume on it. I promise there’s someone you know who can help you with this. Ask a high school kid.

You’ve done all that? Great. Now, start working on what I call the “Five a Day” plan. FIVE. Reach out to (see in person, call, write a letter, send an email, text, bake a pie and deliver it) five people for help in your job search. Five. A day. Seriously.

Expand your thinking. Be open to new ideas. Perfect is the enemy of great and other buzzy workplace platitudes. Just get in there and stop panicking.

There’s a lid for every pot. Go find your lid.

Then come back here and tell me how you found it.