LinkedIn for CPAs, Level 1: Creating a Complete and Compelling LinkedIn Presence

Transcription

1 LinkedIn for CPAs, Level 1: Creating a Complete and Compelling LinkedIn Presence Phil Nugent NCG Strategic Marketing 1

2 Who am I? Phil Nugent, J.D., M.B.A. Founded NCG Strategic Marketing in 2009 At NCG, we help small accounting firms and law firms prioritize and execute their online marketing needs, including strategy, websites, blogging, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), marketing, Twitter & LinkedIn. Former Dir. of Global Marketing, Prologis (Fortune 500 commercial real estate) 1990s: Founder, co-founder & early employee of tech & marketing startups M.B.A., University of Colorado at Boulder, J.D., College of William & Mary, B.A., University of Virginia LinkedIn user since 2005; trainer and coach in using LinkedIn since

3 Teeing things up We have 90 minutes We have 97 slides Here s the plan for the next 28 days: 1. Today: This webinar. A relatively quick - but very detailed - overview of both high-level strategy and in-the-trenches tactics to put your LinkedIn foundation in place 2. This week: Your post-webinar homework. Go through the slides carefully on your own and follow the step-by-step procedures & guidelines 3. Until 5/31: A special offer for a personal LinkedIn audit, detailed edits, and two strategy sessions. Information provided at the webinar s end 4. Four weeks from today: LinkedIn for CPAs, Level 2: Leveraging LinkedIn for Better Business Development. Presented on Tuesday, June 7,

4 Agenda: Strategy and Tactics I. Is LinkedIn Worth Your Time? 1. Common myths about LinkedIn 2. LI s unlimited potential as a business development tool 3. Why CPAs should embrace LinkedIn II. Doing LinkedIn the Right Way 1. Why you need a complete & compelling profile 2. Getting your profile to 100% (and beyond!) 3. The numbers game 4. Invitations: Who to accept, who to invite & how to decide 5. Critical account & privacy settings 6. Free vs. Paid accounts 7. Using Advanced Search for business development 4

5 Polling Question #1 For how long have you had a profile on LinkedIn? 5

6 Part I: Is LinkedIn Worth Your Time? 6

7 LinkedIn is Social Media right? Why LinkedIn? Ranking of Success of Various Marketing Tactics by Professionals (400+ professionals surveyed) The Professional Services Marketing Report (Hollinden, 2014) 7

8 Or is LinkedIn Business Development? Why LinkedIn? LinkedIn Ranking of Success of Various Marketing Tactics by Professionals (400+ professionals surveyed) The Professional Services Marketing Report (Holliden, 2014) 8

9 Polling Question #2 What s your top question about or issue with LinkedIn? 9

10 Common Misconceptions About LinkedIn 10

11 What LinkedIn is not 1. It s not just an online Rolodex or digital resume Your old Rolodex was just a list of names & contact info Your resume was never a platform for you to network with others LinkedIn is a place to see & be seen (and to find & be found!) 2. It s not a typical social media platform Nobody cares what you had for breakfast 3. It s not a fad It s been around since It s not beneath your dignity as a CPA It can (and should) be used both professionally & ethically 11

12 The reality of LinkedIn 12

13 LinkedIn by the numbers 415 million: Number of LinkedIn users today Approx. 1 in 4 LinkedIn users live in U.S. 3 BILLION: LinkedIn s long-term goal for number of users worldwide 1.25 million people are joining LinkedIn every week 42% of American adults are on LinkedIn But just 30% of all social media users use LinkedIn (that s good!) 100 million members visit LI at least once a month 5.7 billion: Number of searches on LinkedIn in

14 LinkedIn is business It has proven its value for businesspeople Used by 93% of all recruiters today Forbes (July 2012): LinkedIn is, far and away, the most advantageous social networking tool available to job seekers and business professionals today. Still need proof that LI is for business? Only 8% of U.S. high school class of 2014 were on LinkedIn But 41% of U.S. millionaires use it 14

15 LI: The low-hanging fruit of social media 1. It s easy to get LinkedIn s fundamentals 2. For CPAs, LinkedIn typically offers much greater ROI than Facebook or any other social media 3. LI demands the least amount of time from you to be actively engaged on an ongoing basis But, it must be used in the right way and as it continues to add more functionality (and get more complex), the right way to use LinkedIn is not always intuitive 15

16 The two main purposes of LinkedIn 1. It s where others can find you 2. It s where you can find others (and find out about others): a. Who s the right person to talk to in an organization? b. What can I find out about this person? c. Who else is on their team? Do I know any of them? d. Who might be able to make an introduction for me? e. What should I know about them before our first meeting? 16

17 Why CPAs Should Embrace LinkedIn 17

18 Top 5: Why CPAs should embrace LinkedIn 5. LinkedIn has the right demographics for CPAs 79% of LinkedIn users are 35 or older - Average LinkedIn user is 44 years old LinkedIn users are twice as likely to be college grads than are users of Facebook and Twitter - 80% of users drive business decisions These are your referral sources, clients & prospective clients 18

19 Top 5: Why CPAs should embrace LinkedIn 4. 78% of LI users prefer to have separate social media networks for their business & personal lives For example, Facebook for family and friends, and LinkedIn for business This is a separation that most professionals are comfortable with (even as the line between business and personal continues to blur) 19

20 Top 5: Why CPAs should embrace LinkedIn 3. Great tool for Competitive Intelligence What are your competitors doing? Who has your competition hired? Who recently left a competitor firm and where have they gone? What topics are other CPAs writing about? How are they using LinkedIn? What other marketing strategies & tactics are they using? 20

21 Top 5: Why CPAs should embrace LinkedIn 2. LI is smart business development and not just for the individual, but for the entire firm A rising LinkedIn profile raises all boats Every accountant and staff member should be an online ambassador for the firm (and should be connected!) Every employee is a potential source of the firm s next client LinkedIn happens to be a great recruiting tool, as well 21

22 Top 5: Why CPAs should embrace LinkedIn 1. Over the last 20 years, how we find out about a business or businessperson has continued to change: 1996: Ask business associates, check Yellow Pages 2006: Ask business associates, Google, website 2016: Ask business associates, Google, website & LinkedIn! 22

23 The disclaimer/reality check Is LinkedIn a silver bullet that will solve all your marketing and business development challenges? No But it should be an essential part of your ongoing biz dev activities 23

24 LI: Five common excuses 1. I don t know how to use LinkedIn. You ll have a solid foundation by the end of this webinar 2. I don t have the time to use LinkedIn. It will take less time to be active than you re thinking 3. I don t have any desire to use LinkedIn. How important is successful business development to you? 24

25 LI: Five common excuses 4. I don t get my clients through marketing. They all come through referrals. Of course, you can t always rely upon your best referral sources - They can trade you in for a new favorite CPA - They can change careers, move, or retire Do referrals always call you without doing any research or might they check out your website and/or your LinkedIn profile first? - What do you do when someone refers you to someone else? - Will prospective clients be impressed when they see your LI profile? 25

26 LI: Five common excuses 5. I m already on LinkedIn, and it hasn t done me any good. Simply signing up is not enough - Just having an uninspiring profile on LinkedIn is about as useful as being a member of a gym that you never visit First, you have to set up a profile that s both complete and compelling Then, you have to follow that up by doing the right things on a consistent basis 26

27 Part II: Doing LinkedIn the Right Way 27

28 First things first: Get signed up! 28

29 How LinkedIn works: Multiple degrees of separation Your LI network = Multiple concentric circles around you 1 st degree connections = Direct connections 2 nd degree connections = Connections of your connections 3 rd degree connections = Connections of your 2 nd degrees Group connections = Members of the Groups you belong to Outside Your Network = Everyone else on LinkedIn 29

30 How LinkedIn works: The numbers add up What are your numbers? Click here (leaving the search box empty) And then look here (in the left margin) 30

31 Why you need a complete & compelling profile 1. Because you want to get found by those who don t know your name LI search is similar to Google search: A LinkedIn profile s relevance to the search terms is critical for ranking high in the search results And the right keywords are essential to demonstrating relevance Keywords = the words or phrases that people use to search for someone like you or a firm like yours in their city Denver accountant tax resolution affordable CPA firm San Diego Boston small business accountant 31

32 Why you need a complete & compelling profile 2. You want Potential Clients (PCs) to know, trust & like you Know: You want your PCs to be able to find you on LinkedIn. - A complete profile will help you get found Trust: You want your PCs to be sufficiently impressed by your experience to be intrigued. Does your story match what they re looking for? - A complete & compelling profile will tell your story well Like: You re not a commodity, so don t act like one! You want your PCs to see you as a good fit for their needs. You want them to contact you. - What s truly compelling? When they know that you get them 32

33 Why you need a complete & compelling profile 3. Because although LinkedIn All-Star status may sound silly, it s actually very significant to whether you get found LinkedIn quantifies your level of profile completeness Profile Strength plays an important role in how high you rank in the search results 33

34 Get your profile to 100% (7 elements, per LI) 1. Your Industry and Location Straightforward and difficult to get wrong Just don t pick a location that s too local (if you serve a greater metro area, choose that over a small town) 34

35 Get your profile to 100% (pg. 2) 2. Your Profile Photo Essential! Your LinkedIn profile is 11x more likely to be viewed if you have a photo (per LinkedIn) Make sure your photo is all of the following: - Headshot - Professional - In focus - Relatively recent - Welcoming (smile!) - Visible to everyone (more on that in the section on privacy) 35

36 Get your profile to 100% (pg. 3) 3. An up-to-date Current Position What do you do, and who do you do it for? Don t be shy, you have 2,000 characters (~ 350 words) Tips: Use lettercount.com to check length Draft in Word; copy and paste after spell-checking First-person perspective is best 36

37 Get your profile to 100% (pg. 4) 4. Two past positions Tip: Add descriptions! Adds depth, interest & personality to your profile You don t need to restrict these to your positions as an accountant 5. Education Add high school if it s local, otherwise important to you, and/or recognizable 6. Three skills Tip: Select at least 12 These cover not just broad areas you specialize in, but a wide range of skills for which your clients may want to endorse you 37

38 Get your profile to 100% (pg. 5) 7. At least 50 connections Tip: Don t stop there! If you re on this webinar, you should have hundreds of connections: High school, college & grad school classmates Past co-workers Current colleagues Referral partners and other professionals Clients(?) Numbers aren t everything on LI, but they re very important Much more on this topic later 38

39 Polling Question #3 Why is it important to be sure that your profile level of completeness on LinkedIn is All-Star? 39

40 Now, really complete your profile (8 steps) 1. Name and Professional Headline Name: Make it match your business card, how you introduce yourself, etc. Professional Headline: Not self-explanatory (it s not your job title) - Very important in LI s search algorithm - You have 120 characters: Be as descriptive as you can - Use keywords that your PCs would use to describe what you do - How many PCs would search on Partner or Owner? 40

41 Now, really complete your profile 2. Summary Optional per LinkedIn, but critical for you! What s your story? Don t just use your bio from your firm s website What can you tell your PCs that will make them want to contact you? Tell a 30,000-foot, high-level story of who you are, what you do, whom you do it for, and even why (if you can) Tips (again): 2,000 characters (~ 350 words): Use lettercount.com to check length Draft in Word; copy and paste after spell-checking First-person perspective is best 41

42 Now, really complete your profile 3. Develop compelling job descriptions Are they interesting? 2,000 character maximum ( ~ 350 words; use lettercount.com) Short paragraphs preferable (typically, 2-3 sentences) 42

43 Now, really complete your profile 4. Add content that will further impress your visitors Look on the Edit Profile page for additional Content Modules to add to your profile. These include: - Organizations - Projects - Publications - Honors & Awards - Patents - Certifications - Courses - Languages - And more 43

44 Now, really complete your profile Six of the 14 content modules you can add to your profile from the Edit Profile page: 44

45 Now, really complete your profile 5. Add Contact Info so you can be contacted! Click on the grey Contact Info box located beneath the number of your connections in order to open it 45

46 Now, really complete your profile The opened Contact Info box: 46

47 Now, really complete your profile Inside the Contact Info box (cont d) Top section: Semi-public contact info ( address, phone number, street address), which is available only to your direct connections Lower section: Public contact info (websites/blogs/twitter account), which is available to everyone on LinkedIn Include as many as three (3) of your firm s websites and/or blogs - And be sure to provide the names of the websites/blogs (don t leave the links with the generic Company Website ) 47

48 Now, really complete your profile 6. Customize your LinkedIn URL Click on Contact Info, as above, to access this At the bottom of the box, substitute your name for the random code - OLD: - NEW: Idea: Put it on your business card & in your signature 48

49 Now, really complete your profile 7. The final word on keywords: Don t think like an accountant; think like your clients (and PCs) Good keywords: who you are and what you do, in plain English - Useful keywords: small business accountant, tax accountant, CPA, Certified Public Accountant, tax resolution - Less useful: being silent about what you do or not being specific about what you do ( accountant, partner ) - Don t be: the accountant whose profile does not include the word accountant - Also don t be: the CPA whose profile does not include the terms accountant and CPA and Certified Public Accountant 49

50 Now, really complete your profile 8. Carefully review your profile on a regular basis (e.g., quarterly) so it doesn t get out-of-date What s changed? What updates can you add? What can you do to improve it? How can you expand upon what you have? Can you talk about a recent project (even in general terms) Can you add compelling, keyword-rich descriptions for your previous jobs? 50

51 Best Practices: Completing your profile (ex. 1) 51

52 Completing your profile (ex. 2) 52

53 Completing your profile (ex. 3) 53

54 Completing your profile (ex. 4) 54

55 The #1 Most Frequently Asked L.I. Question: Whose invitations should I accept? 55

56 which leads to the #1 Debate: Quality vs. Quantity In the one corner, QUALITY: Those who believe the right way to use LinkedIn is to keep everyone out And in the other corner, QUANTITY: All that matters is how many connections you have 56

57 Connections: quality vs. quantity QUALITY: Only accept invitations from those you know well, really like, and trust with your life - Pro: You ll know, like and trust each one of your very few connections - Con: You won t be able to use the LinkedIn database as it was designed: for business development, client & competitor research The Analogy: It s like having a brand new BMW that you drive only around the cul-de-sac. (Why bother?) 57

58 Connections: quality vs. quantity (pt 2) QUANTITY: Accept ALL invitations that come your way and invite everyone indiscriminately - Pro: You ll be connected to all sorts of people all over the world in all sorts of industries and careers - Con: Your network may end up filled with people who are neither potential clients nor likely referral partners (in addition to a good number of spammers and fraudulent accounts) The Analogy: What would happen if you invited the whole world to a party at your house? 58

59 So, what s the right answer, quality or quantity? Ultimately, it s a balance It s not just a numbers game but numbers do matter What s a good number? Shoot for at least in Phase 1 Ultimately, go for 500+ (as LinkedIn describes it) and keep going However: Don t feel bad about not letting everyone into your house The benefits of a larger network: 1. Your searches for others will be more successful 2. More LinkedIn users will find you in their searches 59

60 Accepting Invitations 1. Who are these people sending me invitations? 2. Should I accept their invitations? I suggest: Yes, if you get at least 4 of the following: Are they a real person? (Hints: How complete is their profile? Do they have endorsements & recommendations?) Are they in your geographic market? Are they a potential client or referral source? Might they have useful contacts? Do they have many contacts? (i.e., 500+) Are they connected to someone you know? Did they write a personal note or do you know them? 60

61 Accepting Invitations (pg. 2) 3. What are my options upon receiving an invite? Accept Ignore (nothing will happen) Block or report (the nuclear option, if they re stalking you) - Click on arrow to right of Accept Invitation button 61

62 Accepting Invitations (pg. 3) Best Practice: When you accept an invitation, send a short LinkedIn note thanking them for the invite What can you say to connect with the person? (Did you go to the same college? Do you serve the same target market, but with different services?) Ask a question to encourage a dialogue Think about suggesting a call or meeting, if appropriate Remember: The point is business development 62

63 Sending Invitations 1. Start with those you know well Your firm s partners and associates. (Don t forget the firm s staff: admins, etc.) Peers (e.g., college classmates) Referral partners, clients, friends Competitors? 2. Going forward, reach out to those you ve just met Think of sending a LI invitation instead of an - It s a twofer: a thank-you note AND a LinkedIn invite 63

64 Sending Invitations (pg. 2) 3. When you come back from an event with a bunch of business cards, what do you typically do with them? Best Practice: Send out LI invites in the next hours 64

65 Sending Invitations (pg. 3) 4. Don t do this: Importing bulk contacts Hover over the Connections link at top of page and click on Add Connections to get to bulk tool And then, just walk away! 65

66 Sending Invitations (pg. 4) Why shouldn t you import bulk contacts? Two reasons: 1. You have only 5,000 lifetime invitations on LinkedIn - In other words, 10/week (500/year) x 10 years - Depending on the size of your contact list, you could go through much of the 5,000 with a bulk import - You can request more, but it s up to LinkedIn 2. Most importantly, you can t personalize invitations - Bulk s acceptance rate is significantly lower - Let s not forget: This is business development 66

67 Polling Question #4 Why should you NOT send bulk invitations? 67

68 Final thoughts on Invitations 1. The boilerplate invitation says, I d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. Not a great idea. Better idea: a short, personal note - In 300 characters, introduce yourself (if necessary) and where you met them, or the context for the connection 68

69 Final thoughts on Invitations (pg. 2) 2. Don t rely on the kindness of strangers or acquaintances to send you invites that is not a good biz dev strategy - You need to be proactive: Send invitations to those you want to be connected to 3. Some of your invitations will be ignored, some will be forgotten, and some will be simply missed by the invitee. - That s OK. Don t take it personally. Keep pushing forward. 69

70 Account & Privacy Settings 70

71 Account & Settings pop-up window 1. Go to the top right of your profile page > Hover over the small thumbnail photo of you 2. Click on Privacy & Settings in the drop-down list 71

72 Privacy & Settings (old design, being phased out) 72

73 Privacy & Settings: Account (top of page) 73

74 Privacy & Settings: Account (middle of page) 74

75 Privacy & Settings: Account (bottom of page) 75

76 Privacy & Settings: Privacy (top of page) 76

77 Privacy Profile Privacy Profile viewing options 77

78 Privacy & Settings: Privacy (bottom of page) 78

79 Privacy & Settings: Communications 79

80 The #2 Most Frequently Asked L.I. Question: Should I go with the free or the paid option? Free Plan works for most, but Paid provides: 1. Ability to view all visitors to your profile over last 90 days (not just last 5 visitors) 2. Ability to view all visitors to your profile even if you ve selected anonymous browsing (private mode) 3. Improved visibility into your 3 rd degree & group connections 4. Unlimited search results (no more daily limits) 5. Up to 7 additional filters to use in even more advanced searches 6. Increasing numbers (3, 15, 30 ) of LinkedIn InMails to send to anyone on LinkedIn (even those outside your network) Plan names, details and prices are always changing: Go to Account or Upgrade for latest info 80

81 The #2 Most Frequently Asked L.I. Question: Should I go with the free or the paid option? One other interesting benefit of the paid plans: Your Premium Profile will be twice the size of others in the search results 81

82 Free v. paid options On the free plan? These are the most common paid plans currently offered: Job Seeker ($30/mo), Business Plus ($60/mo), Sales Navigator Pro ($80/mo) & Recruiter Lite ($120/mo) 82

83 Free v. paid options Business Plus: The best paid option for most biz-dev-minded CPAs 83

84 Free v. paid options My recommendations: Start out with the free plan and see how often you run into limitations concerning: - Limited search results (only 100) - Inability to directly contact 3 rd level connections - Lack of visibility into 3 rd level connections - Lack of visibility into those who ve viewed your profile If you feel the need, try a lower-cost paid plan on month-to-month basis Free v. Paid: 81% use free (and decreasing) LinkedIn wants to transition more users to the paid plan, so watch for continued, incremental lessening of functionality in free plan 84

85 Advanced Search: LinkedIn s Secret Sauce 85

86 Advanced Search: Your key to access the network Your access to the LinkedIn network is via Advanced Search LI is not just your first-level connections, but their first-level connections (and in some cases, their first-level connections) Reminder: Everyone s network is not the same Your search results will improve as you have a larger network That s your incentive to keep adding relevant connections Let s look at how to use Advanced Search 86

87 Using Basic ( Non-advanced ) Search 87

88 Using Advanced Search 88

89 Results Using Advanced Search 89

90 Advanced Search: Drilling Down 90

91 Adv. Search = Strategic Business Development 91

92 What s Next: LinkedIn, Level 2 92

93 LinkedIn, Level 2 webinar on Tuesday, June 7th 1. Leveraging the foundation you ve built on LinkedIn 2. Managing your connections 3. Skills, endorsements & recommendations 4. Getting social and LinkedIn updates 5. Content marketing 6. Thought leadership through published posts 7. Groups 8. Company pages 9. Defining being active on LinkedIn 10. Plan for going forward 93

94 LinkedIn for CPAs, Level 1: Phases 1, 2 and 3 Phase 1: This webinar (just wrapping up) Was it helpful? me and let me know what was the most useful lesson, tip, etc. (Also, let me know what was the least useful information.) Phase 2: You (downloading and reviewing the slides and using them to do the following): Optimize your account and privacy settings Develop a complete and compelling profile Strategically grow your network Phase 3: You & Me (The 120 for 120 Offer) Could you benefit from 120 minutes of personalized LinkedIn help? 94

95 LinkedIn for CPAs: The 120 for 120 Offer Could you benefit from a personal LinkedIn audit and two strategy sessions at an unbeatable price? Here s the typical format (it s up to you & your preferences): 1.30-minute Audit: I carefully review your LinkedIn profile & website, and identify ways to improve your profile and use of LinkedIn minute Strategy Session: Phone call #1: We discuss your business, target market, LinkedIn profile, and any questions you have. I provide LinkedIn profile audit, suggested edits, and overall recommendations minute Follow-Up: Phone call #2: I review your changes, provide additional recommendations, answer questions, and offer personalized strategies and next steps. 95

96 LinkedIn for CPAs: The 120 for 120 Offer 120 minutes of personalized help for $120 How to sign up: 1. me at with 120 for 120 in the subject line 2. I ll send you a link for payment and connect you with my online scheduler 3. We can get started right away 4. You ll be in great shape for the LinkedIn Level 2 webinar on Tues, June 7th Signup for the 120 for 120 Offer ends on Tuesday, 5/31/

97 Thank you. Any questions? Feel free to or call me. Connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter. Phil Nugent LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/philnugent Phone: