Welcome to Part 2 of our 5-Part series on how to improve your job search from home, in your sweats, without killing your kids or spouse. In Part 1 we discussed linking in with as many relevant people as possible to get 1st and 2nd connections. Now we discuss distributing content to your 500 new best friends.
Part 2: Increasing Your Social Media Presence
Thought leaders get hired. Thought leaders blog. Starting a weekly blog and distributing it to relevant people is a great way to stay “top of mind” with your network. Networking gets you jobs. Applying online simply does not work unless you are 22 years old. Networking=staying top of mind=frequent blogging. Or maybe you don’t want a new job? Do you even know if you will keep your job?
I can hear the usual excuses:
- I’ve never blogged before
- I don’t have any topics to write about
- I don’t know how often I should blog
- I can’t figure out which platforms to use
Blogging is not that hard
LinkedIn makes blogging very easy. Simply click your Home button on the top of your screen and find “Start a post”. If your business contacts are on other professional platforms, then post there. I would not post on Facebook since it’s really not a professional site. Who wants to see your thoughts on the stock market or cyber-security when they are looking at friend’s funny cat photos or videos?
Blogs can be 250-1,000 words or even longer. Start by re-posting. Find a post on LinkedIn, make an introductory comment, then forward the post. This activity shows you are distributing 3rd party content to educate your network. Don’t re-post too often, since real thought leaders create their own content. Search for blogs on topics that are pertinent to your professional field. Read a bunch of third party blogs, then provide your thoughts on the original blogs. One step closer to original content!
Create original content
It’s not that hard. Think about key trends in your industry that your network might care about. Think about what you have a personal interest in. Don’t try to attract everyone; pick a topic that some might care about. Download pictures from Pexels, Google Images or other free websites to snaz things up.
Think of your own experiences with software, products you buy, companies that you admire. Say anything smart as long as it’s positive. Never get negative or controversial. Think of the last book you read, movie you saw or company you just purchased something from. Apply what you learned to your blogs.
For example: How has the use of Zoom affected your job, your industry? How will it affect them in the future? Do you like video, or do you prefer face to face meetings? Write a blog on the positive and negative aspects of digital communication.
Blog frequently
Blog at least 2x per month, if not every week. However, don’t blog for the sake of blogging. Frequent relevant content will get you noticed. Please don’t assume if you blog, all of your 1st connections will see your blog in their news feed. LinkedIn controls your blog distribution with a secret sauce algorithm. When I blog about 10-20% of my network has access.
Also, start with blogging your opinion on a topic; however, people tire of those quickly. Blogging and referencing underlying topics have more credibility. Check out “10 Tips for Writing LinkedIn Blog Posts That Expand Your Influence” at https://www.inc.com/glenn-leibowitz/10-tips-for-writing-linkedin-blog-posts-that-expand-your-influence.html
Blogging best practices:
- Write one version of your blog with a picture and one without since LinkedIn favors pure text blogs
- Increase your distribution by forwarding your blog to up to 50 people at a time with a LinkedIn group message
- Bring in third-party sources to minimize opinion blogs
- Send your blog to recruiters, people with whom you have interviewed, anyone that can help you get a job
Blogging can be fun. Even if it’s not, remember: Networking = staying top of mind = frequent blogging.
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