Internet Marketing Tools

A month ago, Oprah sent out her first tweet on Twitter.  In the space of three days, she had 300,000 followers.  Twitter has official become an American icon!  In an interesting article, Kenneth Yu talks about how you can use the Oprah effect to help your marketing.  I had have taken some excerpts (click here for complete article http://tinyurl.com/cq84nq) from his article for this post.  Enjoy and prosper and Tweet!

If you are on Twitter, your world just got bigger!

As you know, Oprah is one of the most influential people on earth. Love her or hate her, her endorsements have turned otherwise obscure books into New York Times best-sellers; she is the reason why The Secret is the world-wide phenomenon it is today as opposed to a niche viral video.  And now, Oprah endorses Twitter above Facebook and Myspace and all the other social media.

It doesn’t take a detective to know that whatever Oprah endorses becomes successful.  We can already see the spike she’s caused; over 1.5 million more users were added on Twitter because of her arrival.  Now you have a fresh audience on Twitter. Twitter’s grown immensely over the last year (1000%) and it’s probably going to grow another 1000% in the next few months because of the Oprah endorsement.

The right demographics are using Twitter

The second point is the acceleration of a trend that’s already growing on Twitter, namely that the older demographics are the first to get on board the Twitter wagon.  The 25-35 year-olds and the 45-60 year olds are by far the biggest users of Twitter right now, as opposed to teenagers or kids.  The Oprah audience is largely of this demographic as well.

This demographic has money, is eager to do business, and have the disposable income that marketers and businesses covet.

It’s not a fact ignored by many corporations either, because tons of brands are getting on Twitter.  Although Twitter has one seventh or one-eighth of the audience of Facebook, there are more businesses on Twitter than there are on Facebook already.

You Know what people want

Oprah now has what is probably the most effective channel of knowing what people are thinking of or about at the moment. Remember that I’ve said before that Google is good for what people are searching for at the moment, while Twitter is good for what people are thinking of at the moment.

As you may know when it comes to marketing research and focus groups, a lot of focus groups don’t really work simply because people in that kind of setting will give an answer they think you want to hear as opposed to what they really think.  On Twitter, it’s uncensored and spontaneous; you get a true feel for your market’s demographic and you can craft marketing angles one after the other to create really excellent response results.

Dominate a marketing channel

It’s easier now to dominate a certain channel of marketing for a particular niche as opposed to dominating the niche itself (unless of course the niche is really small and is at its beginning stages).  We’ve reached a point where nearly any and every niche is crowded.

What you can do is be an authority in a specific marketing niche. And because of the newness of Twitter and because of the pioneering aspect of Twitter you can go on Twitter now and be the expert in your field for that particular channel.  Because of Twitter’s mainstream acceptance, when you position yourself as a Twitter expert, you have a large inbuilt list of buyers and prospects that you can reach out to that will see you as an authority, as the channel expert in your field on Twitter.

To read Kenneth Yu full article, click here:  http://tinyurl.com/cq84nq

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

By Jan Wallen

The economy and job market have made a sea change. Things aren’t the same as they used to

be. The marketplace has changed. The job market has changed. Now many more people are

looking for the jobs that are out there. So it’s critical that you stand out in a crowded market. If

you do, you can take days off of your job search.

LinkedIn is one of the best ways to do that and to be successful in finding a job. You can take

days off of your job search when you use LinkedIn.

The first step is to join LinkedIn and set up your LinkedIn Profile. Your LinkedIn Profile is your

presence on LinkedIn. You can’t do anything until your Profile is up. Your LinkedIn Profile is

not the same as your resume. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to simply copy and

paste their resumes into their Profile. And make them backwards-oriented like a resume.

Your Profile is a sales and marketing piece for you. And it’s like your personal Web site.

Search engines find your LinkedIn Profile when it’s complete, and you’re not limited in space or

format the way you are with your resume. It’s the first impression someone has of you, and they

decide to connect or not based on what they see in your LinkedIn Profile.

LinkedIn members are helping people in their networks find jobs. For example, the Susan Todd

of the NJ Star Ledger wrote on March 15, 2009 about Abby Kohut’s LinkedIn Success Story:

“Abby Kohut got LinkedIn. And then she got work. After creating a detailed profile and

shamelessly collecting recommendations, the 42-year-old staffing consultant landed contract

work with a nonprofit organization and a major publishing group.

“The two jobs found me as opposed to me finding them,” Kohut said. “And the people who

found me hired me after barely interviewing me.”

When she joined the social networking site LinkedIn, she was looking for a job, but the contract

work gives her more flexibility, more variety, more connections. And there’s another benefit: “I

don’t have to worry about being downsized,” Kohut said.

Networking online isn’t new, but it’s getting a big boost from the growing numbers of

unemployed searching for work with the help of new digital tools. Although more and more

adults are joining the social networking site FaceBook, the more staid LinkedIn is still

considered the serious site for professional networking. The two are different — think of it as

going to a party and going to a work party.

At the end of last year, LinkedIn had 33 million members, and there were signs many were

stepping up their activity. The amount of time individuals spent online increased 22 percent since

the start of the year and the number of recommendations soared 65 percent, according to Kay

Luo, a spokeswoman for LinkedIn.

A recommendation and referral like this definitely helps. Even with a referral, recommendation

or LinkedIn Introduction, your LinkedIn Profile still must show that you’re qualified and the best

person for the job.

Here’s what happens when a recruiter or hiring manager is looking for someone to fill a position:

They do a search on LinkedIn for qualified candidates based on their criteria, such as job titles,

keywords, and geographic location. Then a list of people who meet those criteria comes up in

the LinkedIn results list. They skim- and-scan the list of Profiles to find people they want to

follow up with, and eliminate those that they don’t want to contact. They choose based on what

they see in your Profile.

Imagine what they see. Pages of names, photos (or not) and what I call your professional

headline. That’s the few words below your name at the top of your LinkedIn Profile.

How do they select the ones to follow up with? When they skim-and-scan the results list:

• If there’s no photo, they skip right over the Profile and go somewhere else. Gone.

• If your professional headline catches their attention and is compelling, they click on your

name to see your entire Profile. They skim-and-scan your entire Profile. (They don’t

read it.) If they like what they see in the Summary section, they move down to look at

your credentials.

• If they like what they see in your credentials, you go on their list of people to follow up

with.

• If your Profile doesn’t catch their attention and show how you’re the best candidate for

the job, they skip over you. You’re out of the running and still in the job pool.

So your LinkedIn Profile has two critical jobs to do for you:

1. Come up in the search results list. Be found.

2. Show that you’re the best person for the job. Show you have what they’re looking for,

and how you stand out from other candidates who do similar things.

That means that your LinkedIn Profile must have the best keywords built in. It shows who you

are as a person and shows you as someone they want to work with. And the Summary section

must show your real expertise – what you’re known for and that differentiates you from other

people who are in the running for the same position.

If your LinkedIn Profile does these two critical jobs well, you’ll take days off your job search.

© Copyright 2008-2009 Jan B. Wallen. All rights reserved.  LinkedIn Works! (877) 327-5058

www.LinkedInWorks.com info@linkedinworks.com

About Jan

Jan Wallen has helped thousands of executives and professionals find success in their business

and careers. Jan has 20 years experience with Fortune 500 and Big 5 firms, advising, mentoring,

consulting and training C-level executives and partners. Whether you’re a CEO, executive,

salesperson or entrepreneur, Jan’s practical, positive approach and strategies give you all the

tools you need to streamline your job search and your sales and get results.

Jan is the author of “Mastering LinkedIn in 7 Days or Less” - the proven step-by-step program

that shows you exactly how to use LinkedIn to find a job and find clients …in record time.

Her Web site is:  www.LinkedInWorks.com.  People can purchase her book there or at Amazon.com, and subscribe to her eColumn – full of easy-to-use tips they can do in 15 minutes or less.   They can also sign up for the Webinars she gives –

“Take Days Off your Job Search with LinkedIn”

“Link Up with LinkedIn – Find Clients and Grow your Business”, and

“Punch Up your LinkedIn Profile ”

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

I need some help: I’ve joined LinkedIn and now want to find other people in Colorado who can help me find work. I’ve a background in computer networking and am a civilian employee of the Air Force, but I’m pretty new to LinkedIn. Do you have some advice for me?

This was a question posted to Dave Taylor who has become an online expert helping people use technology to find employment.  He has a detailed answer to the above question.  It summarizes well many of the Linkedin principles we have covered over the last month on how to use Linkedin more effectively in your job search.  To read his response go to:
http://tinyurl.com/3d2zu2.

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

Guest Author April 30th, 2009

This belongs to a series of contributing guest author posts from LinkedIn users. Heather R. Huhman is the entry-level career columnist for Examiner.com, career expert for the Careerealism Twitter Advice Project, job search expert for Campus Calm and author of the e-book “Gen Y Meets the Workforce: Launching Your Career During Economic Uncertainty”

For every open position, employers receive hundreds—and in some cases, thousands—of applications. As a result, they search for any and every possible way to narrow down the selection. “Cookie cutter” cover letter? In the trash. Only one previous internship when the position requires “one to three”? Moved to the bottom of the stack. Typo? You can forget about it.

You get the idea. So, how can you make your application materials stand out?

1. Proofread, proofread and then proofread again. It’s not enough to just spell everything correctly and use proper punctuation. You also have to make sure you haven’t left in another organization’s information from a previous cover letter. Have a friend or parent review every document before you hit “send.”

2. Find an insider. Do you have a contact at the organization and didn’t know it? Perhaps a friend of a friend works there. Anytime you have someone who can either personally hand your résumé to the hiring manager or allow you to use his or her name in your cover letter (first paragraph—right up front), you have a leg-up over your competition. Using LinkedIn’scompany search or advanced people search is a great way to figure this out. Other options include Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites you frequent. You’d be surprised at the depth and breadth of your network, and there’s nothing better than having someone the organization knows and trusts, recommend you.

3. Determine the hiring manager’s name and contact information. Nothing’s less exciting than reading a “Dear Sir or Madam” cover letter. You’re boring from the start, and probably already have found your way into the “circular file.” You have a number of options here. First, again, is checking LinkedIn and other social networking sites. Second, you can call and politely ask the receptionist for this information. Do not, particularly if the job ad says no calls, ask to speak with the hiring manager—just get his or her name, title and if they’ll provide it, direct e-mail address. Finally, conduct a Boolean search in Google. Using the organization’s name and a combination of either “hiring,” “employment” and/or “jobs” will likely give you a name and title.

4. Go beyond the organization’s Web site. Whether you’re in the application stage or you’ve been invited to interview, it’s important to know as much as possible about the organization. The corporate web site or blog will likely be helpful, but you shouldn’t stop there. Use Google News to uncover recent articles about the organization and its products, services, leadership and clients. Services like Glassdoor.com can help you determine the organization’s culture. Find out what bloggers are saying about the organization withTechnorati. Once you have all this information, you can definitively explain why you are the best person for the job—why you fill a need or solve a problem the organization has.

5. Create an online portfolio. At the end of the day, employers today seek results. So, show them what you’ve done—before they’ve even considered inviting you to interview. On LinkedIn, the SlideShare Presentations, Google Presentation and Box.net Filesapplications allow you to upload files in various formats. Alternatively, there are numerous other free sites to showcase your work, including VisualCV. http://tinyurl.com/c4kh6c

Guest Author April 29th, 2009

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Kelly Lux is a career development specialist and certified career and transition coach with experience in several areas of the working world including corporate/manufacturing, elementary and higher education, state government and retail.  She currently provides services to alumni and students of Syracuse University with a focus on mentoring, networking and social media, and job search strategies and tools.]

I have recently spent a great deal of time in my office talking to students who are very confused about what their options are after graduation.  The problem is, they are limiting their options before they even get started. Students think that 1) major = job, 2)  job boards = job, and 3)  NYC (or Chicago, LA, you pick) = job.  I’d like to address these three myths.

1) Take a look at the profiles on LinkedIn and see what people really do with their majors.  A quick review of profiles for people in marketing & advertising revealed degrees in creative arts, sociology, business administration, economics and journalism.  Do some searching and see what people with your degree are doing.  Remember that as you search for jobs, the more you open yourself up to possibilities, the more you increase your chances of landing a job you that you really want.  Where might you be able to apply the skills you have learned in college? Where can you combine those skills with your interests?  Answering these questions will help you come up with some options to check out.

2) I can’t tell you the number of students I’ve met with who have told me that they have applied to everything they can find online and they aren’t even getting a response…nothing!  I ask what else they are doing and inevitably they look at me blankly, like there’s something else I should be doing?  Online job boards have done a very good job with their advertising and therefore students think that they are the keeper of all jobs.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can get a job without talking to people (OK, some can, but not many).  The true value of your LinkedIn network is the opportunity to connect with these people offline, live, either on the phone or in person.  Find people who are doing what you want to do and ask them for 5-10 minutes of their time. Search out people in the companies you are interested in and do the same thing.  You will yield much better results than throwing your resume down the black hole of on-line job boards.

3) This is my favorite and probably the hardest thing for students to wrap their heads around. THERE ARE JOBS OUTSIDE THE TOP FIVE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY!  In fact, there are good jobs in places like Austin, TX, Kansas City, MO and Salt Lake City, UT. Consider checking out a place other than where millions of other students are heading to at the same time you are, especially now when the big cities have been hardest hit by layoffs, increasing your competition exponentially.

Try to look at your job search as a treasure hunt, where you have to dig to find clues to the best route to take. Keep a vision of where you want to end up and don’t worry so much about the exact steps you will have to take to get there.  Just keep in mind that your first job after college is not the biggest decision you will ever have to make in your life, it just seems that way.  http://tinyurl.com/nbhp2x

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

Guest Author April 30th, 2009

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Bruce Biskin, PhD is a career planning and assessment expert, and senior associate with Delaware Valley Career Solutions. He also co-administers a job/career resource wiki in Bucks County, PA]

It’s almost May and graduation is right around the corner.  A year ago, many college juniors were expecting to be popping the academic bubble and taking the next step toward independence–and some have. But the short-term job outlook is more uncertain for many others and stress-levels are beginning to ratchet up. So what can you do to kick-start your career?  Here are four tips.

1. Remember that jobs are still out there. The “perfect” job rarely is waiting just for you, but good ones are there to be found. Focus less on a particular job or career path and more on your marketable skills. If you are stuck in a rut and need help, check in with the career services center at your college and get help before you graduate. Or hire a professional career counselor or coach to help hone your job search skills and support you through the job search process after you graduate.

2. Keep networking. Use your network to find the best possible job for you. Web-based professional business networks such as LinkedIn are great places to find out about companies, make contacts, ask questions, and get yourself known. [Not a member? Get started at the LinkedIn Grads Guide] But don’t ignore other virtual networks like Facebook and Twitter–just make sure there’s nothing embarrassing or unprofessional there. Let your trusted contacts know you are looking for work. And certainly use family and friends not in your virtual networks. And speaking of family….

3. Use your family network wisely. The boundaries within families are not always seen the same way by students and their parents. The better you know yourself, the easier it will be to draw what you need from your family to continue to grow as a responsible adult. As much as possible, take charge of the process parameters, be willing to negotiate, and avoid being too compliant or defensive. If you and your family collaborate without falling into destructive familial roles, your family can be a great source of support and job possibilities.

4. Consider service options. Non-governmental organizations, some federal and state agencies, federal service programs like AmeriCorps, and the armed forces will be getting direct and indirect economic stimulus support in the next fiscal year. If you consider continuing your education later, you can earn support for graduate school and possibly forgiveness on some educational loans through AmeriCorps and military service programs. You can also learn transferable job skills that should make you a more attractive job candidate when your service is completed.  http://blog.linkedin.com/category/linkedin-seek-week/

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

Guest Author April 30th, 2009

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Paul Carpino is Employer Outreach and Internship Coordinator at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. His ten year career in the Hospitality Industry includes management, production supervision, concept and menu design, along with creating the food service program for one of the largest athletic clubs in the nation.]

How do I use the power LinkedIn? Let me count the ways!  When you return from an event/mixer with business cards, quickly invite your contacts to join your LinkedIn Network. After returning from an interview, invite the interviewer to join your network. Read a good book or just returned from an awesome event? Post it through the “Updates” feature.

Students and recent grads, the “New Job Seekers” are using new, creative strategies to find jobs and launch their careers.  Here is a brief guide to help you expand your reach, build your network and seek out that new job:

1. Invest in professional looking business cards and create a title such as, “Entry-Level Candidate, Human Resources” or “Management Candidate, Hospitality.”

2. Include phone and email, physical address is not needed. Leave your cards with contacts, stuff them in your bill-payment return envelopes. Give them to friends / family to hand out for you.

3. Send an announcement email to the appropriate connections your contact database informing them what job you are looking for or update your LinkedIn status.

4. Be flexible to taking a position related-to, but not exactly in your career field: Hospitality goes to Theme Parks, Office Building Concierge or Fast Service Food.  Finance / Accounting / Management goes to Federal Government or Non-Profits.

http://blog.linkedin.com/category/linkedin-seek-week/

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Stop looking for a job. Start looking to meet people.

Guest Author April 29th, 2009

Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Dr. Susan Bernstein is an expert on career reinvention and renewal. As the founder of Work from Within , she helps high-achieving professionals to get clear and confident about their career direction through her speaking, writing, and coaching.] http://tinyurl.com/c3mxg6

One of the best pieces of career advice I ever received was, “Stop looking for a job. Start looking to meet people.”

During my first year in the MBA program at UC Berkeley, I was at an informal “consumption function,” our ritual Friday afternoon drinking in the courtyard. I met the wife of one of my classmates and discovered that we shared an interest in applying technology to human resources issues. She told me that her group at Intel wanted to assess different technologies, but no one had the time for such analytical work. I suggested an approach to the research, and she said, “Hey, maybe we could make this your summer internship!” I was thrilled. All of Intel’s posted summer internships were in the finance function, so I hadn’t even considered applying to the company. I’d uncovered an unforeseen positive opportunity.

If you’d like to uncover unforeseen positive opportunities for your career, here are some suggestions:

1. Take LinkedIn beyond just an online tool. Set up phone and in-person meetings with people who can be helpful to you. First, do some detailed keyword searches (for example, “HR” and “technology”) and then narrow your results by geography so you find people within reasonable driving distance from your zip code. Then, find those who are most helpful and send them requests to meet for informal phone and in-person (even better) meetings. Tell them about what you share in common and ask if they would be interested in sharing ideas so you make it mutual.

2. Additionally, look at the “Groups and Associations” on the profiles of people you’d like to meet. Find the local chapters of those organizations and attend their meetings, so you get face-to-face contact with real-life people who can talk to you about their work, the industry, the trends, and so on. See and hear and shake hands with actual people, especially in informal settings, so you can share a smile, build trust, and learn things you’d never find out by simply sitting at your computer. I also suggest using Meetup.com and Twitter to find other venues to meet people.

3. Get curious. Instead of asking people, “Do you have a job for me?” ask them “What’s the biggest problem you or your company is facing?” That’s how you start to uncover problems that you might be able to solve. Then you can offer to work on a project that leads to full-time employment. With some people you might not find a problem you can solve for their organization. Still, you’ll learn more about what’s happening in the world. Look for patterns and trends, and envision where your expertise could be useful.

4. Leverage your new contacts. For each new person you meet, ask, “Can you please suggest at least two other people I who could be helpful to me?” Because most people want to be helpful, they almost will almost always share at least one additional contact. Keep following the trail of others who share your interest.

5. Stay in touch. After you meet these people, send a personal note of thanks and personalize a note that invites them to join your LinkedIn network. Post updates on LinkedIn about your discoveries, including links to people you’ve met, companies you’ve discovered, or new products or services you find along the way. Your new (and old) contacts will be able to see your updates and it gives them a reason to stay in touch. And of course, when you land a project or job, send out a big note of thanks and an update on your coordinates to the people who have been helpful to you.

Even today, while I’m self-employed, I still make it a point to meet at least one new person a week — usually in person, but sometimes by phone. I simply follow my curiosity or my need to learn or discover something new. Over the past five years, I’ve met over 250 new people, many of whom have shared advice, ideas, contacts, and even fantastic friendships. I’m constantly asking about people about the problems they’re facing. The question brings us closer and often opens up opportunities where we both benefit.

To be continued, your comments are welcomed..

Al Hanzal

Did you know that one-third of today’s employers are now using Linkedin to find potential recruits?  At the same time only one in ten job seekers are using Linkedin to help find a job.  It makes sense to  use Linkedin to get a competitive edge over other job seekers.

Read how Mike Berry outlines ways to use Linkedin in your job search.  When you are finished with this article, click on the link at the end of the article to view a five minute video on ways experts suggest to use social media programs to find your next job.

Mike Berry18 June 2009

Did you know that one-third of today’s employers are now using Linkedin to find potential recruits?  At the same time only one in ten job seekers are using Linkedin to help them find a job.  It makes sense to  use Linkedin to get a competitive edge over other job seekers.

Read on Mike Berry outlines how you can use Linkedin in your job search.  When you are finished with this article, click on the link to a five minute video on how experts suggest ways to use social media programs to find your next job.

One-third of employers now use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to connect with potential recruits, research has shown.

A survey of 208 firms by recruitment consultants Harvey Nash and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) found that in a bid to reach out to a wider pool of talent, social networks are increasingly becoming a mainstream recruitment tool.

Half of employers said that if candidates invested time in developing a strong online brand using social networks and networking online, they are more likely to be hired.

And almost a quarter routinely use sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn as part of their recruitment processes. Fifteen per cent said they would miss key new recruits if they didn’t tap into to social networks.

However, this trend is going unnoticed by young jobseekers. A separate study of 1,224 18-24 year olds found just one in 10 currently used these sites to get job leads or make useful career contacts.

Rob Grimsey, strategic development director at Harvey Nash, said: “While real-world networking and traditional job services remain invaluable, web-savvy job seekers should act now to gain the competitive edge as online networking helps jobseekers stay well connected and get career-informed.”

Top tips on how to use social media to attract employers:

• Clean up your Facebook profile for prospective employers
• Sign-up to LinkedIn if you haven’t already
• Track potential employers and recruitment consultancies on Twitter
• Don’t leave a blank or incomplete personal profile
• Post content relevant to your job search but limit the photos you post
• Network strategically - connect to people who can help with your job search
• Think about joining groups which fit your field of interest
• Continue to speak to recruitment agencies with expertise in your local labour market

http://tinyurl.com/le5orf

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

As I continue to add some expert posts about Linkedin and your job search, in this two part series by C.G. Lynch, he takes a wider view on the proper way to complete some of the Linkedin tools in your job searching process.  Enjoy.

LinkedIn Etiquette: Five Dos and Don’ts

Creating a useful LinkedIn profile, and knowing how to interact with your connections on the professional social network, isn’t always as straightforward as it seems.

By C.G. Lynch

December 03, 2008 — CIO — Building a strong profile on LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, has taken on greater importance as the economy slips deeper into a recession. What information you decide to include, or exclude, could affect future job opportunities as well as your overall identity on the public internet.

Although LinkedIn doesn’t pose the same reputation perils presented by Facebook — such as being tagged in photo albums or being victimized by random comments left on your profile — the pitfalls of a poorly constructed LinkedIn profile, or employing bad LinkedIn etiquette, can alienate your contacts (known as “connections”). It can also turn away potential employers interested in hiring you.

We caught up with Kirsten Dixson, a reputation management and online identity expert, who helped us with our Five Dos and Don’ts for maintaining proper Facebook etiquette to get her tips on proper LinkedIn etiquette.

1. Profile Picture

Saying your LinkedIn profile picture should appear “professional” states the obvious. But more specifically,Dixson says paying a professional photographer to give you a few headshots to choose from is worth the modest investment because your picture is one the first things people will notice on your LinkedIn page.

Do some research online to find a photographer near you. You should be able to hire one, Dixson estimates, for $200-250 who can get the job done well. Remember: this is a modest investment when you consider how many professional contacts — some of whom you know, some of whom you don’t — will view your LinkedIn profile.

If you don’t get a professional photograher, you want to keep a fairly neutral background with very good lighting. Dixson says people do use Photoshop to eliminate wrinkles or unflattering features, but be careful: future employers will want to meet you in person for an interview and that picture will set their expectations for what you look like. While this is not supposed to matter, we all know it does.

Lastly, on the issue of timeliness, it can be tempting to leave pictures up of your younger and perhaps better-looking self. Dixson says while you don’t need to update your picture every year, it should still match up pretty well with your current appearance.

“If people are going to meet you and be suprised by the difference, it’s time to get a new one,” she says.

2. Summary

When you read a newspaper or check out articles on a website, many good stories don’t get read without a good headline. As such, Dixson recommends that you be very concise, engaging and specific in the summary field of your LinkedIn page. If the summary doesn’t draw people in, all the great gigs you’ve had over the years (listed in the “experience” section below it) might not receive any attention.

“You really want to express your personal brand in the LinkedIn summary,” Dixson says. “You want to show who you are, what you do, and why it’s unique.”

Part Two in the next post.  To see the complete article go here:http://tinyurl.com/qb3v6b