The article in the link below is particularly useful if you want to proactively, strategically and deliberately promote your Executive Brand via LinkedIn. And the Gold Standard of Executive Branded is definitely deliberate, proactive and strategic – along with being future focused. More on that below.

Is bigger better?  

The average CEO has 930 connections on LinkedIn. A well connected, future focused, socially apt C-suite executive has many more. And given that social persuasion, social influencing and personal brand are now defined as new areas of leadership expertise, being perceived as well connected will imply some level of competency.

However, bigger is not always useful if your engagement level is low (i.e. no-one engages with what you share). But at a cursory glance, it’s one of those ‘social proof’ metrics – ‘You have lots of connections ergo you must know what you are talking about’. And you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

THE FUTURE OF WORK

According to Stephane Kasriel, CEO, Upwork, and co-chair of the World Economic Forum, Council on the Future of Work, Gender and Education, the majority of work in the future will be freelance. Portfolio type careers will be the norm. Almost 50% of millennials are now freelancing anyway and some of the biggest companies are seeing this as a great opportunity to attract talent.

So what does this mean? If you have consultancy, freelance or leadership aspirations then mastery of Social Persuasion tactics and personal branding will be the differentiator that sets you apart, and having a larger audience to engage with will definitely help as you

• back yourself, sell yourself and articulate your expertise in language that employers/hirers value and understand.

• learn to stand out in a competitive marketplace, for all the right reasons.

• let go of hiding your light under a bushel and expecting others to tap you on the shoulder.

• self promote in a way that beats the bias

And executive branding and LinkedIn can help you do just that.

CHANGES ARE INEVITABLE

LinkedIn is going hammer and tongs with updates at the moment. The forums are awash with algorithm changes, technical glitches and more.  This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time. Change is inevitable and the pace is likely to become even more rapid.

At time of writing there are issues with invitations, changes to the way posts are assessed and buggy issues with messaging.

Where this is likely to impact you is in creating engagement with your shares.  So if engagement rates do drop don’t give up.

Keep investigating, tweaking and adjusting to work out a repeatable plan that helps you position yourself, engage with others, showcase your thought leadership so you stand out from the crowd more easily.

Here is a link to my latest advice for clients on LinkedIn. The insights came from a small group who attended my January 2018 LinkedIn Mastery Workshop.

– Seven New Insights for those Building their Brand on LinkedIn

CURIOUS ABOUT FUTURE LINKEDIN MASTERY WORKSHOPS?

I ran a LinkedIn Mastery workshop in January 2018 in Melbourne for a group of consultants to help them get more bang for their buck when self promoting and marketing on LinkedIn.  I now have a waiting list for others interested in attending a workshop in each of Sydney and Brisbane. Another workshop in Melbourne is also in the pipeline.

Ideal for those who –

• have leadership aspirations and want to master the art of social engagement before it gets too late

• are consultants or freelancers who need to create a pull strategy to draw in potential B2B clients

• feel like they are hitting their head against a brick wall, because “nothing works anymore!”

• are curious about the latest tactics and impact of algorithm changes in 2017

If you would like to be added to the list, drop me an email with your contact details and location.

Let’s create a movement, not a ripple!

Have a fabulous February.

Vive la révolution!

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