With more than one third of professionals worldwide members of LinkedIn, opportunities have never been greater for finding future employers, generating business leads, making deals and generating revenue.

In fact, according to the Content Marketing Institute’s 2014 Benchmark report, LinkedIn has witnessed the biggest jump in B2C platform usage: from 51 percent last year to 71 percent this year.

LinkedIn has chimed in with its statistics and research stating that with over 300 million potential brand advocates, LinkedIn’s “ Pro-sumers” – Professional Consumers – are the most sought after audiences for brands. They carry more purchasing power than members active on other platforms, are 152% more likely to be active in online conversations and 80% more willing to pay more from a brand they trust.

Along with those numbers comes some fierce competition. Your professional experience needs to match your and groomed appearance and the quality of the content you are sharing needs to be on-target to grab the right eyes and generate leads.

So are you “doing it” all right?

LinkedIn offers various best practices from how to find a new employer to how to author winning content.  But when I took a look none of the below tips said “wow” to me. They screamed “business, and boring, as usual”:

Best practices found on LinkedIn:

Profile

• upload a professional image
• ensure your profile is complete
• share content your audience is looking for
• update your skills
• get endorsements
• use your business email address (and let people contact you!)

Job-Seekers

• build a profile
• ask for recommendations
• inform your network you are looking for a job
• purchase Premium

Content

• keep an authentic voice
• showcase your expertise
• include concrete advice you’d like to give someone new to the field.
• talk about what your industry will look like in 10 years
• address industry issues or problems, offer your thoughts

How to get ahead on LinkedIn

I don’t personally use LinkedIn for lead generation or heavy networking, but one thing I will be doing soon though is leveraging LinkedIn’s latest innovation — Linkedin Publishing

Will I be alone? I doubt it. Will all of the other LinkedIn member also begin publishing their own content and clutter opportunities? Will publishing long-form posts (in the short-form world) help highlight my professional achievements, expertise and know-how? So far the quality of content I read is outstanding. My bet is that this feature is a game-changer for members.

LinkedIn members, social marketers and influencers alike have begun publishing.

Alone the visibility of posts in terms of views and shares speak volumes and can’t be discounted as a player in building, or increasing, trust and opening doors to new opportunities. A new era of social influence has begun.

Image by David Bruyland from Pixabay

Our lives are increasingly impacted by fast-moving technology: In fact it’s moving so fast that it is starting to feel like a sci-fi movie: Smart assistants doing searching and buying on the consumer’s behalf, intelligent customer support bots driving the consumers’ shopping decisions, smart applications predicting your competitive edge in the next few years…

The Internet of Things (IoT) growth is astounding: 20.4 billion IoT devices are expected to be purchased and used by 2020, according to analyst firm Gartner (source).

There’s no denying the fact that the new technology is changing the private information perception. Consumers tend to be willing to compromise on privacy for the sake of convenience.

Is your site prepared for increasing security and privacy concerns?

Here’s why you need to make security your #1 marketing priority:

Every 10 Seconds Someone Becomes a Victim of Identity Theft or Fraud

This number comes from Aura, an innovative digital threat protection platform that unites privacy, identity, and security products enabling customers to manage disparate cybersecurity needs.

Take a moment for this to sink in.

Count to 10: This is how much it takes for a new person to suffer identity fraud.

Still not convinced?

Let’s proceed.

Safety Drives Customers’ Purchasing Decisions

Are you a brand targeting millennial mothers? If so, IAB’ and BabyCenter’s “2015 State of Modern Motherhood: Mobile and Media in the Lives of Moms” may be of interest to you. The study takes a look at the technology and media habits of moms in the U.S., U.K., Brazil, China, and Canada.

Millennial mothers are savvy consumers. Their purchasing decisions are influenced by safety (77%), convenience (65%), value (64%), online product reviews (60%), and recommendations from other parents (51%). They also value products that simplify their lives, especially in Brazil (75%) and Canada (59%). A quarter of moms do half of their shopping online.

Mobile devices are also a big part of their lives. When visiting physical stores, 81% of U.S.-based moms, 79% of Chinese moms, and 73% of Canadian moms will use their smartphones to compare prices, find deals, download coupons, and check reviews, among other things.

The average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million as of 2020

IBM reported this number last year revealing a huge increase in hacked and breached data from sources that are increasingly common in the workplace, like mobile and IoT devices.

Cybersecurity concerns have pushed thousands of businesses to adapt to the new normal. Don’t let your business fall behind!

Image source: Pixabay

Starting a new business is both exciting and daunting at the same time. Any budding entrepreneur will likely be full of energy at the beginning and at the same time, scared of any possible pitfalls.

It is an emotional time and the wave of energy and determination must be directed towards productivity.

The first 100 days of your new business, commencing on the day you commit yourself to turn that wonderful idea of yours to a reality, need to be spent wisely on tasks that would eventually be your basis of reference for the next months and years to come.

It is therefore necessary and vital that you do the steps correctly and timely to give yourself a head start and get the ball and momentum rolling.

Here are some guidelines on what to do once you have commitment to bring that bright idea of yours into a money making venture.

Create a Business Plan

You may think yourself as a genius but it is still important to write the things down associated with your business idea and formulate a plan . Tackle the basics first, figure out your core business, your competitive advantage, narrow your target market, sort out a general marketing plan, work on the finances.

Seek a second opinion from a trusted friend or a business mentor once you’ve made a plan and be open to their insights. In the course of writing down your thoughts, you’ll discover the philosophy you want to adopt when doing your business. Perhaps you can write that down into a mission vision statement.

A good plan may just be the key to your success so check and review your plan very well, take your time. It is better not to rush this part as the opposite may cause you trouble in the long run. Use this time to think about the organizational chart as well.

And once your business has started, it is wise to refer to the original plan once in a while to assure you are on the right track. And should you need to revise some items due to different market conditions and other factors.

Select a Good Company Name

At this modern times, not only should you make your business name unique and catchy. You also need to consider a matching domain name and whether it is still available.

Likewise, the email addresses to use which normally bears the business name too. All these online labeling should not be too long or complicated.

And since most businesses nowadays need an online presence in order to thrive, you need to submit your name to Google to index your website. Then there are business cards, brochures and invoices which may require a logo.

That is why the right company name must me chosen as a lot relies on it. You can refer to your business plan for inspiration.

Register Your Business

To formally mark the first step of probably the most important project in your life, register your business at to the proper government department.

Gather all the requirements to guarantee that your work is legit and is open for business. Once registered, you are able to casually market your business to friends and family.

And hopefully they will spread the word that will reach potential customers who may just give you a call soon and just in time when you are all settled down and ready.

If you are into local business, make sure to verify your business with Google Local, Bing Local as well as most important local directories like Yelp and DirJournal. This will ensure your business will be visible to your customers on maps as well as drive traffic to your site.

You don’t have to go local, of course. Thanks to the Internet and Cloud PBX, any business can go global.

Determine the Type of Business

With a business plan at hand, you can determine what type of business will work best. You can opt for a sole trading or a partnership depending on the situation you are in. Picking the right structure will impact the way you do business.

So read up on the difference, advantages and disadvantages of each. Know what are the legal repercussions and what extra work or insurance you may need to take as a result of your choice.

When in doubt, consult a business adviser or ask a local government department for further information. You cannot afford to miss out any important details.

Set up the Foundation

What’s your initial investment is going to be?

Common startup costs include:

• Incorporation fees: Under $300
• Marketing: 0% to 10% of total budget
• Website: About $40 per month
• Insurance: An average of $1,200 per year
• Taxes: Variable, but 21% corporate tax rate

You may be able to save here and there. For example, you can save money by hiring a digital marketing company that’s located outside of the United States.

Keep the Faith

Have faith in the process and do not give up should you encounter any pitfalls. Learn from your mistakes and do it all over again.

Customers will not be lining up right away unless you are giving out scrumptious hotcakes. It will take time and a lot of effort on your part to finally make your mark on your niche and for people to take notice of you.

Keep a positive outlook and always observe quality of your service to keep the customers satisfied and coming back for more.

So you are planning to start your own business or go solo? I have to warn you, it’s not for everyone, but most people who get a taste of it, love it and never go back to working 9-5.

And, with more and more people opting to freelance and companies becoming more open to the idea of working with freelancers, we are seeing a shift in how work gets done.

Whether you are just getting your feet wet out of curiosity or are trying to make some extra cash or because you are in between jobs, here are three tips about the reality new business owners can expect:

Start Part Time

Owning a business can be scary. There is no guarantee, and you get out of it what you are willing to put in. While it’s tempting to jump in head first, a better approach is to start freelancing part time on the side while keeping your current job.

Therefore, you will have safety net just in case things don’t work out. You’ll also still have a regular income while you are figuring out freelancing and trying to etch out your niche.

The good news is, now is the best time to get the ball rolling! As it happens, Covid and its lock-downs have done one good thing: It has caused the demand for digital businesses to skyrocket:

The whopping 50% increase in internet use in some areas of the world is so significant that many have speculated about the possibility of the increased demand, breaking the internet (don’t worry, experts are saying that we are fine – for now).

The forced self-isolation to prevent the spread of coronavirus has provoked rapid changes in consumer behaviours. The most obvious result of this is the increase in online content and consumption.

Source: Megaphone Marketing

Treat Freelancing Like a Business (Because It Is)

Just because you are a great graphic designer doesn’t mean you are a good business person.

Many new freelancers overlook the importance of treating freelancing like a business. Freelancing is both a skill and a business, and you need both to be successful.

Set up an invoicing routine

One of the biggest ways people not experienced in business fail is by failing to ensure payments are delivered on time. Make sure you have a mobile invoice system like Invoice2Go that allows customers to pay with both credit and debit cards.

Create a better phone system

If your business involves a lot of communication (with clients, partners, remote employees, etc.), set up a better phone system early on. It will save lots of money and help productivity. Here’s a good virtual phone system for small businesses to consider.

Keep an eye on your ROI

It may sound obvious but too many businesses don’t have a good system for tracking and analyzing ROI. For digital businesses, Finteza is a comprehensive web analytics platform that will help you analyze and predict your ROI:

It’s a Battle of Attrition

Most freelancers fail because they give up too soon. Building a strong client base and having success in your industry takes time. It takes time to build the necessary connections, develop a portfolio of work, and hone in on your area of specialization.

If you can battle through the lean times at the beginning, you’ll be able to reap the rewards once you get your footing. This is where starting part-time definitely helps!

If your business is still slow, here are a few resources to help:

• Here are a few great portfolio website builders for you to start working on branding
• Here are a few great ways to set up your home office to maximize your productivity
• Here’s an easy promo video maker for you to start generating leads through engaging ads
• Finally, here’s a great way to create content for your website the way it really impacts your bottom line.

Are you up for the challenge?

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Nowadays there’s a lot of personal information publicly available on the web. We all have an “online persona” which is directly related to the way people see and judge us as individuals.

Unfortunately managing your online reputation is everything but an easy task.

There are many social media channels where people can spread unbiased opinions about others, tag inappropriate photos, and otherwise mess with your reputation. As a blogger, your name stands for the quality and authenticity of your posts, apart from your personal and professional interest in having a “clean and positive” online reputation.

As Google says: “Your online identity is determined not only by what you post, but also by what others post about you – whether it is a mention in a blog post, a photo tag or a reply to a public status update.”

If you want to influence the way people see you online, it’s important to understand that there are two basic techniques for managing your online reputation.

• Constantly monitor what people are saying about you and respond instantly when necessary.
• Actively develop your reputation by creating “positive” content. Create a hub such as a personal landing page where people can easily find everything about you in a simple and compact format. Hiring a solid digital performance agency would be helpful here.

With those two techniques in mind, here are six simple, yet effective tools that might help you along the way to monitor what people are saying about you as well as actively develop and influence your online reputation.

1. Google Alerts

Google Alerts let you get notified whenever your name or email address gets mentioned publicly on the web. To use Me On The Web, just log into your Google dashboard and click “Set up search alerts for your data” – it’s as easy as that!

It is also a good idea to use a SERP tracker to monitor your branded search results.

2. SocialMention

As Inform Buki rightfully states, social media is the branding powerhouse, so it is only natural that you need to monitor your brand on social media.

Another brilliant tool to track your name across the web is Social Mention. It’s a social media search engine that searches blogs, comments, bookmarks, events, news, videos and micro-blogging services. You can select the sources you want to search and employ email alerts or a personalized RSS feed to stay up-to-date.

But don’t take it from me. Here’s their official description.

“SocialMention allows you to easily track and measure what people are saying about you across the web’s social media landscape in real-time. Social Mention monitors 100+ social media properties directly including: Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, YouTube, Digg, Google etc.”

3. WiseStamp

Easily create a HTML email signature and automatically add it to your outgoing email with WiseStamp. Email signatures are effective tools when it comes to building your personal brand and an ideal starting point for influencing your online reputation with anyone you contact via email.

Having a professional email signature is very important – it should at least contain your full name, basic contact info, and a link to your main website or personal landing page. To see it in action, here’s a detailed tutorial in how to add an email signature in Outlook.

4. Linktree

Take advantage of a clean and simple app for building awesome personal landing pages in minutes with Linktree.

Linktree sites are free, customizable, and help you manage your information all in one place like your bio, social networks links, your blog, and contact details. Once created, you can provide one simple link where people can find out everything about you and follow you around the web.

5. Knowem

Knowem helps you to secure your personal name or username on over 590 social media services and websites.

You’ll hardly use any of the services you sign up to via Knowem, but assuring that your name or pseudonym will not be related to any undesirable content on those websites is worth the effort.

I hope these tools will definitely help you to maintain your online reputation. But if you would like to grow your online reputation then here is a great resource with some proven social media marketing strategies that will help you to grow your online reputation.

Are there any reputation management tools I have missed? Please share!

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay