Why LinkedIn and why Jo Saunders?
With a background in marketing and communication, I love to help people connect. LinkedIn is the best connection tool in business today, enabling any individual the opportunity to create a professional presence and connect to other professionals all around the globe. Whether you are a student just starting out, or a seasoned veteran in your field, LinkedIn is a platform to bring people together.
Being the largest professional social media platform, it allows the users to increase visibility across the network and in Google search. It allows individuals to create a landing page for free, to express who they are and the value they bring. It allows individuals to connect to organisations to be seen as part of a team, and allows content to shared and distributed from the organisation through the team to the wider network.
People can not only create a profile but build a presence to establish their expertise and authority in their industry, and earn influence through their network by adding value and building relationships.
Social media was a natural extension to the communication tools I was already using. Initially I used them for fun, to stay in touch with family, friends and penfriends. In the 90s I created Correspondamania Penpal Club, which ran for 8 years. I wanted to publish my own magazine, so I created a monthly subscription-based newsletter which included penfriend listings around the world. Why did I close it down? I still had a few penfriends of my own, but the focus moved online to forums and newsgroups, which were free to use. I was already using online communities such as Geocities to communicate and found Friends Reunited to reconnect with school friends in the UK, and then joined Facebook in the mid noughties when a friend suggested it was a better tool. In 2003 I joined Plaxo, a people management tool, Facebook in 2006 and then LinkedIn in 2008.
In my career I was managing events and conferences, and designing for both print and the web. When I launched my business in 2009 to help businesses and organisation with their events and marketing, I started using Facebook to market my business in Australia. I attended every course in Perth, and consumed online learning material and started helping others understand how to use it. I started being asked to speak at events and conferences, but I declined any opportunity to speak on a stage or in a classroom about it, as speaking scared the pants off me!
I set up and managed social media profiles for clients using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I used my design background to create branded profiles, and my love of writing to create profiles and content. What I discovered was that my real passion was in training, whether working 1-1 or in small groups. I loved helping people express themselves and the value they bring using social media tools. What I would never have thought was that I would actually enjoy speaking to larger groups form the front of the room!
LinkedIn became a bigger part of my own marketing as I built a profile and started learning more and more about this perceived boring version of Facebook. I saw potential, but wasn’t sure it would be smart to niche too far, so I played safe. Only two other people in Perth were talking about LinkedIn, but they were not really specialists. I realised I had an opportunity to help people and businesses leverage this powerful tool.
I said yes to my first conference, which was for professional speakers! I had already spoken at a local professional speakers event, where I opened with “I’m not a professional speaker...” as I was so nervous that I would be judged on my speaking ability! What I took away from that event was that I speak from the heart in my own voice, and I speak with the audience, not at them.
Now I’m known for my LinkedIn expertise more than anything else. I still talk about social media and content strategy, as it is important to have all the digital assets supporting each other and working together, but LinkedIn is the platform I am known for.
I struggle with imposter syndrome, and sometimes the doubt creeps in, but I remind myself that I have worked hard, continue to be curious and have a strong network of well-respected global LinkedIn expert friends whom I collaborate and share with.
I have been named on various lists, invited to speak at many conferences including the biggest social media conference in the world, where I remain the only Australian LinkedIn expert invited to speak. And at the end of 2018, was named the #2 LinkedIn expert in Asia Pacific, followed by one of the top 50 social media influencers in early 2019.
I published a book about Social media strategy with Ailsa Page, a fellow marketing speaker and trainer from Melbourne called Get Good Or Get Off - A Guide to Getting it Right on Social Media, and the online course is also available.
Not bad for a shy awkward girl from Yorkshire. If I can you can. What would you like to be known for? How can I help you build your online brand?
Book a free 15 minute chat to see if I can help you or your organisation increase your profile, establish authority and earn influence in your sector.
#LinkedInTraining #LinkedInWorkshops #SocialMedia #GetGoodOrGetOff #ASBAS
