The Best Thing I Ever Did For My Career

As a member of LinkedIn, there are a few groups to which I belong. Sometimes I'm fortunate enough to stumble across a great discussion regarding business or in particular, the field of broadcast production and multimedia. The following discussion, in which professionals share their own personal stories of how they found the road to success, I felt was worth sharing with you..... Interspersed are some production stills we have shot over our years of producing and shooting video here in San Diego. - Patty Mooney

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I'm curious, if anyone is so inclined to share what the best thing they ever did for their career was? - Sally Blake, Voice On Fire


I spent three years of my life working on an incredibly rewarding project called EAST 182nd STREET. It was a dramatic television series which was completely created by Bronx teens and pre-teens. It featured a cast of 45 non-professional teens and pre-teens and was by far the most challenging and rewarding program I've ever done. It was life seen through the eyes of a teenager and was completely unpredictable. It has been a lot of fun for viewers who have seen it in a variety of venues. We couldn't sell it to American television, so we were only able to complete four episodes, but it was a crazy, wild, creative ride and that is the best thing I've ever done. And of course there was a whole personal mentoring side to the project which was incredibly valuable and rewarding for all of us. Thanks for asking.
Mark Gasper
Independent Motion Pictures and Film Professional & Business Television & Multi-Media Creator


Did you know that statistics show that we have more than one career in a lifetime? Years ago when I was trying to become a full time firefighter is was and still is VERY competitive. (Especially for a woman) I would say to NEVER give up. If you believe in yourself you can accomplish your goals. If you have a selfless
mentor it helps. I am now trying to incorporate what I learned in the fire department into my voice over career. Warmest Regards,
Sally Blake, Voice On Fire

I got laid off from a good, steady job and went freelance. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I'm working right now with my 2-year-old son on my lap and it's hard to beat that. (Don't worry, I'll get more work done soon when his mommy takes over.)
Tor Kingdon
Co-owner / Sound Guy, Hear Kitty Studios


Great question! Not sure how to answer it, though. The best thing I suppose was being dogged in my pursuit of work when I lived in Colorado which landed me at High Noon Entertainment which is one of most prolific production companies for non fiction TV. I guess the worst thing was walking away from that after I felt I was burned out. But... it led me back home to Maryland where I have found the love of my life so... hard to say. :-)
Gay Pinder
Production/Communications Specialist


Two things -
1. left my "safe" staff job and went freelance
2. Stopped letting other people define who I was and what I did and went after
projects that added different skills to my resume
Mike Stivala
Show Runner at MY Tupelo Entertainment


I moved across country - I left my steady job as a the BIG fish in a small pond to join a BIG pond where I was a smaller fish. I increased my knowledge and my job skills to a level I would never have reached if I didn't make such a big move. In terms of being out of work - try doing freelance- if you write - write for a local blog or newspaper - if photography is your thing .. shoot and showcase your stuff to local outlets. Always remember - there are always NEW things to learn and you should always choose the harder path.... it's the one that's more rewarding in the end.
Danya Levine
Supervising Producer at CNN


Interesting question. I can't NOT do what I do so I've pursued every opportunity to do it with great enthusiasm and, as a writer, written and written and written. I've been writing since I was 5. When I'm producing, I make sure that I'm the best at whatever I do. I produce from the front and find that being willing to run out to McDonalds for 150 cheeseburgers at 4 in the morning gets far better work from my cast and crew than driving up in a limo on the day we get steak.
Deborah Osment
Filmmaker

The best thing I ever did for my career was starting my own Production Company after being laid off from my software development job. I was so miserable there and I had been wanting to move into filmmaking and video production for a LONG time but was a little worried about the money situation. I got laid off and used the unemployment money to support myself while I was building my business. Best thing that's probably happened to me on the job front. Now I've had the chance to work on so many interesting projects as well as direct my own movies and commercials, which has been amazing. =)
Paul Del Vecchio Film & Commercial Director
Triple E Productions


Best thing I did: marry my "bride" of 16 years this coming April. I was drifting at the end of a long radio career and just getting into voice-overs; she encouraged me and (emotionally) supported me as I moved from Connecticut to the New York metro - I thought I'd grow old with a loyal audience in Hartford/New Haven and retire from there. But life is what happens when you're making other plans (John Lennon said that), and life has been good so far. I've been freelancing at voice-over without a fallback for 20 years this month (plus a couple of years part-time previously). Adding a dimension: the strangest thing in my career is about to happen. I was in a college band that decided to go pro and make it as serious progressive rock artists; needless to say, you never heard of us (unless you lived in Providence RI and knew a band called Benefit Street). We broke up, I returned to radio and then voice-overs. Last April, someone wanted to digitize our demos and would-be masters for a project on RI music of that era, which occasioned the band reuniting by e-mail and recording one more song (adding parts live or virtually) for our album, which I expect to release on my label, Presence, in the next few months. The strange and wonderful part: the writer/lead singer, Rob Carlson, who has been professionally active musically throughout, is releasing a new album himself - "Pieces of Paradise" - and has asked me to join his band and tour with him again after 39 years! The release party/concert is set for Saturday, March 20th at Stage One in Fairfield, CT. Sorry for going on so long. Thanks for letting me "be amazed in public" about this. I'm still doing voice-overs - and having fun - but the reality of this additional new adventure is beginning to sink in, and I'm still getting used to how amazing it is!
Paul Payton
Voice talent at Paul Payton Voice-Overs & Narration


The best thing I ever did for my career was to take a break (while I still really enjoyed it) to raise a family. When I climbed back in, I had grown in ways I never could have foreseen. My passion for my work and my skills were only heightened by the time spent fully engaged elsewhere. I'm privileged to be have a career that I thoroughly enjoy and in retrospect, leaving it made the return even sweeter. I am a full believer in the notion that you can have it all but not all at once.
Kelley Rugg
Principal, Producer/Writer Rowboat Productions, LLC


Being at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival (where I am now) as a composer to represent and support the film CLIMATE REFUGEES. Just got an offer to do another film and enjoying the festival tremendously. This was a great decision!!! I love the screenings and the panels and talking "film and music" which is part of my soul.
Michael Mollura
Composer/Writer


I believe the best career change that I made over 4 years ago was when I relocated to Spain. I have always remained in production, 16 years or so now, but working in a completely different environment and in a different culture enabled me to have a broader sense of production in the global sense. Many doors have opened throughout the world and continue to do so.
Andrew T. Keech
Executive Producer / Partner at Team Works Production, Only Nine To Five



What a great thread!
I think my best move was quitting my well-paying job when they wanted to move me to another state and take my studio away. I started my own shop in 2005 and never looked back. It's afforded me numerous growth opportunities that never would have happened otherwise. Growth can be scary and uncomfortable, but when you look back you realize how much you've changed and your smile is a little brighter. Now I'm making commercials, documentaries and creative video projects for businesses large and small. Next up will be a short film just for the love of it.
Steven Washer
Principal, TotalView Media

How Do You Define Success? - by Iyabo Asani

Do you know that the more successful you feel now, the more success you will experience later?

What is something you always wanted to do but never took the time to do? For example, surfing, attending cooking classes, taking a photography class. Think of something fun and childlike and not something work related.



I suspect that you have spent many years pursuing knowledge and education while focusing on your career. There are parts of yourself that you have neglected and are now crying out for attention. That is why I ask you what is something you always wanted to do but never did. Those parts of you are crying out to be heard.

You have such a depth of wealth, inside wealth, that you can tap into and create a wonderful life from. That wealth is part of the fullness of who you are. Living from the fullness of who you are is critical to your success. Success is not a partial or compartmental phenomenon but we all treat it like that.

Everyone wants to be successful. Success is encoded in our DNA. One of the critical human needs, is the need for significance in our uniqueness and individuality. This need for significance drives us to pursue success. However, something gets mistranslated in this pursuit of success. The point is that success is already ours. It is not something elusive that we want to chase after. Instead, it is something that is already ours as it is encoded in each of the cells in our body.

Therefore, our objective is to practice success, not pursue it.

Let us redefine success. If you look up “success” in the dictionary, you will find a definition that says: the attainment of wealth, position, honors or the like. What is missing in this definition?

“Happiness!”

Ingrained in our psyche is a definition of success that includes wealth and honors but not “happiness.” Maybe this is why you have felt unfulfilled in your “successful” job. Our entire educational system and socialization is about achieving success and wealth and position and honors. Now, your happiness is asking for some space in your life.

Did you know that happy people make about a million dollars more in their lifetime than unhappy people? Marci Schimoff in her book, “Happy for No Reason” teaches us that happiness is a habit that is worthwhile creating. Some people are naturally happy and some are not. You can cultivate habits that will help you create more happiness in your life. As you focus on creating more happiness in your life you will find that you are also making more money.

Think of it this way, unconsciously have been waiting for your knight in shining armor to ride in on a white horse and “he” never came. You thought your job, your partner, your car, your accomplishments were your “knight.”

Well, I have breaking news for you. “He” is not coming but you do still get the white horse! Except, you are riding into your life on your white horse and you have been riding it for a long time unaware. You are your own heroine!

For men, you thought you would experience grand satisfaction when you were able to provide for your family. And you did. But that feeling of satisfaction fizzed out and remains elusive. Now what? Your manhood is not tied into how much money you make. I promise you. This is a myth that men share. You are far more precious to your family and kids than how much money you make. You are far more precious to yourself than how much money you make.

So take the time to redefine success for yourself. Include in your definition of success play and laughter. Include happiness in it. Include feeling content and satisfied now in it. This is how you attract and create abundance. And finally, enjoy success now! Not later.

Iyabo Asani is a Business Mentor and Money Coach at Inner Genius Coaching

Marketing Lessons Learned in Line at Your Local Grocery store - by Penny C. Sansevieri

When was the last time you looked at the magazines in your grocery line? I mean really looked at them, not just scanned them for Brangelina references? Magazines are a great marketing tool and a great way to get some ideas for your own campaign. So how would you use this information? Well, you can use it in web copy, book cover copy, and any marketing materials. Think about all the places you use words to draw the reader in, that's what you should be focusing on. The next time you're in line at your grocery store, take a close look at magazines, you'll find pieces of the following list in just about all of them:

Solve a problem: this is a big one and the #1 attractor to any magazine out there. Magazines know that if they're not solving a problem for you, you're not likely to buy them. A recent issue of Ladies Home Journal for example talked about how to use social networking to keep friendships strong. Why is this huge? Because social media is a buzz word now and staying connected to people is the primary source and use for social networking. You'll also see a lot of money-related topics (living well on less, etc). Solve a problem, preferably a current one.

Tell stories: people love stories and remember more about what you're selling when there's a story attached to it. So weave your advice into a story or anecdotal piece. Magazines always use stories and do so very well.

Speak directly to the reader: if you look at women's magazines (in particular) you'll find lots of words like: you, our, I and we. This is done intentionally and helps personalize the experience and draw the reader in. Also, you'll notice that magazines never use complicated words that aren't "layperson language;" this again is intentional, don't talk over your reader.

There are many more things that magazines focus on, but these are the major areas and should get you a good head start on any copy you're writing for your campaign. Remember, it's all about your reader and not about you. Get your reader engaged in your message and you're more likely to make a sale.


Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques.

How To Blog With Passion and Purpose - by Jeff Bullas

This blogging business, what is it all about? We have even invented “Micro Blogging” ..the 140 character fast food version of blogging (also known as Twitter)..which also beggars the question what is Macro Blogging? .. Now there is a business opportunity for a high tech startup!

I have even heard the phrase “I am ..therefore I Blog ” hence “Blogging is a novel form of being“, it becomes part of who we are. I do remember when my finger hovered over the publish button for my first blog post, it was quite a daunting experience because I realized that soon the 1.5 Billion users who have internet access around the world would be able to see my blog.. not that anyone noticed at the time. So I can identify with this comment by Bryan Appleyard in the London Times who says.

“The blogscape is not for the faint-hearted. Start blogging and you will initially be lulled into a false sense of security by the ease with which you just knock out a few paragraphs and click Publish Post. At once, there it is, out there for all to see. Remember, I do mean “all”. There’s a shocking disconnect between one fact — you sitting at your computer — and the next — what you just wrote being instantly visible to the entire world. Try to think of it as like stepping out of the toilet to find yourself standing on the centre spot at Wembley on cup-final day”.

It is thought that we are approaching 2oo Million blogs worldwide and the following facts and figures on blogging reveal some numbers, that are frankly almost numbing.

•Over 12 million American adults currently maintain a blog.
•More than 147 million Americans use the Internet.
•Over 57 million Americans read blogs.
•1.7 million American adults list making money as one of the reasons they blog.
•89% of companies surveyed say they think blogs will be more important in the next five years.
•9% of internet users say they have created blogs .
•6% of the entire US adult population has created a blog .
•Technorati is currently tracking over 70 million blogs .
•over 120 thousand blogs are created every day .
•There are over 1.4 million new blog posts every day .
•22 of the 100 most popular websites in the world are blogs .
•37% of blog readers began reading blogs in 2005 or 2006 .
•51% of blog readers shop online .
•Blog readers average 23 hours online each week .
Note: These facts and figures are sourced courtesy of the Blog World Expo blog site (how strange), October 2009

So why do we blog? Chris Brogan one of the top bloggers in the world wrote a blog post titled “Discipline and the Bloggers Opportunity” that mentions some of his motivations and the reasons why he blogs. He says “Every time you post, you build an opportunity. It might be for

Making business
Sharing thought leadership
The chance to build some new relationships
An attempt to gain better organic ranking from Google
He goes on to say “To obtain any kind of value in these opportunities requires discipline”

So you need discipline, but discipline without passion and purpose is empty and meaningless.. If you have the passion and purpose the discipline emerges almost without effort. You can move into flow.

So how do you find your passion and purpose?

A recent post by Leo Babuta on his Top 100 Blog Zen Habits hints at some of the steps you can take to discover the passion and purpose that will help keep you committed and disciplined, that you can apply to your blogging.

Step 1. What are you good at? Unless you’re just starting out in life, you have some skills or talent, shown some kind of aptitude. Even if you are just starting out, you might have shown some talent when you were young, even as young as elementary school. Have you always been a good writer, speaker, drawer, organizer, builder, teacher, friend? Have you been good at ideas, connecting people, gardening, selling? Give this some thought. Take at least 30 minutes, going over this question — often we forget about things we’ve done well. Think back, as far as you can, to jobs, projects, hobbies. This could be your passion. Or you may have several things. Start a list of potential candidates.

2. What excites you? It may be something at work — a little part of your job that gets you excited. It could be something you do outside of work — a hobby, a side job, something you do as a volunteer or a parent or a spouse or a friend. It could be something you haven’t done in awhile. Again, think about this for 30 minutes, or 15 at the least. If you don’t, you’re probably shortchanging yourself. Add any answers to your list.

3. What do you read about? What have you spent hours reading about online? What magazines do you look forward to reading? What blogs do you follow? What section of the bookstore do you usually peruse? There may be many topics here — add them to the list.

4. What have you secretly dreamed of? You might have some ridiculous dream job you’ve always wanted to do — to be a novelist, an artist, a designer, an architect, a doctor, an entrepreneur, a programmer. But some fear, some self-doubt, has held you back, has led you to dismiss this idea. Maybe there are several. Add them to the list — no matter how unrealistic.

5. Learn, ask, take notes. OK, you have a list. Pick one thing from the list that excites you most. This is your first candidate. Now read up on it, talk to people who’ve been successful in the field (through their blogs, if they have them, or email). Make a list of notes of things you need to learn, need to improve on, skills you want to master, people to talk to. Study up on it, but don’t make yourself wait too long before diving into the next step.

6. Experiment, try. Here’s where the learning really takes place. If you haven’t been already, start to do the thing you’ve chosen. Maybe you already are, in which case you might be able to skip to the next step or choose a second candidate to try out. But if you haven’t been, start now — just do it. It can be in the privacy of your own home, but as quickly as possible, make it public however you can. This motivates you to improve, it gets you feedback, and your reputation will improve as you do. Pay attention to how you feel doing it — is it something you look forward to, that gets you excited, that you love to share?

7. Narrow things down. I recommend that you pick 3-5 things from your list, if it’s longer than that, and do steps 5 & 6 with them. This could take month, or perhaps you’ve already learned about and tried them all out. So now here’s what you need to ask yourself: which gets you the most excited? Which of these can produce something that people will pay for or get excited about? Which can you see yourself doing for years (even if it’s not a traditional career path)? Pick one, or two at the most, and focus on that. You’re going to do the next three steps with it: banish your fears, find the time, and make it into a career if possible. If it doesn’t work out, you can try the next thing on your list — there’s no shame in giving something a shot and failing, because it’ll teach you valuable lessons that will help you to be successful in the next attempt.

8. Banish your fears. This is the biggest obstacle for most people – self-doubt and fear of failure. You’re going to face it and banish it. First, acknowledge it rather than ignoring or denying it. Second, write it down, to externalize it. Third, feel it, and be OK with having it. Fourth, ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Usually it’s not catastrophic. Fifth, prepare yourself for doing it anyway, and then do it. Take small steps, as tiny as possible, and forget about what might happen — focus on what actually is happening, right now. And then celebrate your success, no matter how small.

9. Find the time. Don’t have the time to pursue this passion? Make the time, dammit! If this is a priority, you’ll make the time — rearrange your life until you have the time. This might mean waking earlier, or doing it after work or during lunch, or on weekends. It will probably mean canceling some commitments, simplifying your work routing or doing a lot of work in advance (like you’re going on a vacation). Do what it takes.

10. How to make a living doing it. This doesn’t happen overnight. You need to do something, get good at it, be passionate about it. This could take months or years, but if you’re having fun, that’s what’s most important. When you get to the point where someone would pay you for it, then you’re golden — there are many ways to make a living at that point, including doing freelance or consulting work, making information products such as ebooks, writing a blog and selling advertising. In fact, I recommend you do a blog if you’re not already — it’ll help solidify your thinking, build a reputation, find people who are interested in what you do, demonstrate your knowledge and passion.

Finding your passion and purpose requires a lot of reflection and soul-searching, at first, then a lot of courage and learning and experimentation, and finally a lot of commitment.

But it’s all worth it — every second, every ounce of courage and effort. Because in the end, you’ll have something that will transform your life in so many ways, will give you that reason to jump out of bed, will make you happy no matter how much you make.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” - Confucius and “The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” - Arnold Toynbee

So how do you find the motivation to blog?

Jeff Bullas is the author of a blog to help business with web marketing utilising internet mediums in social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin as well as Search Engine Optimisation, Lead Generation and Blogs

Three Best Ways to Use Social Media - by Willa Plank

How else can we say it: Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as tools to promote your services and products online. According to a recent survey of 148 private companies by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research, 43% say social media is "very important" to their business and marketing strategy, 52% are tweeting and 45% are blogging.

But don't feel pressured to jump in quickly and create a profile on every site. First, decide if it's right for your company. "Are you a social organization?" says Simon Salt, CEO of integrated marketing communications agency IncSlingers. "Everyone seems to know to have a Facebook page or a Twitter [account]. Is that what your business is about?"

For instance, a Facebook fan page probably doesn't make sense for a business-to-business outfit, says Neal Schaffer, author of "Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn." And companies that target older or retired customers might benefit more from direct-mail campaigns, or even knocks on doors. "Don't believe the hype," Schaffer says. "Understand what fits your business."

If you've decided to incorporate social media, remember that YouTube videos, blog posts and status updates are just a part of your entire marketing arsenal. Here are three best ways to use social media.

1. Stand out by trying less-crowded or up-and-coming social-media sites. Everyone knows about Facebook fan pages. But if you're a neighborhood business that relies on local clientele, you might want to consider Foursquare or Gowalla, which combine elements of other social-networking sites (Twitter, Facebook or Yelp) to help spread word of establishments and provide rewards to encourage customer loyalty. John Jantsch, author of "Duct Tape Marketing," suggests trying underutilized networks that cater to business owners, such as Biznik and BizSugar. If you're strapped for time, at least maintain a blog that provides good content and answers consumer questions, he says. Or create quick, educational YouTube videos that – along with a blog – are more likely to come up higher in keyword searches. Samir Balwani, contributor to social-media news blog Mashable, suggests creating your own social network at Elgg.org.

2. Don't expect instant sales, but make sure to get actual results. Social media is more about brand outreach. Make sure you have a reasonable goal and a well-thought out strategy to achieve that end. First, listen to what is being said about your business and competitors on Google alerts, RSS queries, Twitter, Yelp and BackType. Make sure you have your profile account names on all print communications you distribute, such as flyers and menus. Identify your biggest fans, and figure out how to organize them or point them out in some way. For example: On Twitter, if you know a person is a loyal customer, mention them in a post or announce a free service or product they've won for loyalty. Or reach out to other bloggers in your industry. Sarah Endline, founder of dark chocolate treat maker Sweetriot in New York, said she connected with blog site Hungry Girl and that lead to getting her company's name out and sales.

3. Don't forget social media is a tool to strengthen offline relationships. Many small businesses already have personal ties to customers in their communities, and these tools are designed to enhance those relationships, not replace them. For instance, you can use social-media tools such as YouTube to give customers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of your company, or display more of your personality than you can through an ad. "It also allows you to show your culture," Endline says. "They're not just there to [see] a static promotion from you. They want value." And remember, a social network is "really a big room of people," author Schaffer says. Use it to "meet" potential clients or business partners, but make sure you follow up with an in-person meeting or phone conversation.

Write to Willa Plank at willa.plank@dowjones.com

The 7 Worst LinkedIn Mistakes and Their Fixes - by Sean Nelson

Over the last two years I’ve written often about the tips and strategies to more effectively utilize LinkedIn. It’s just as important to consider the mistakes that people make on LinkedIn that will affect their success. Many of these mistakes are often errors of omission. Today I’m going to discuss seven mistakes and then I’m going to show you how you can correct them.

Let's get started.


1. Bad Photo Choice

One of the first things most people do when they visit a profile is look at the photo. Its natural to want to see the person behind the profile. People connect to people and a photo helps improve your visitors perception.

One of the worst mistakes is to not include a photo. What does it say about you as a business professional if you don’t understand the importance of the profile photo?

Another mistake I see is that someone decides to include the family in their photo. That’s fine on Facebook but on a professionally based network it misses the point. Add to this photos with effects or simply unclear. If someone can’t see your face or recognize you there is a problem.

Finally avoid including a logo or product shot. The same advice goes for cartoon photos. Its a professional site. You’re a professional. Your photo should support your brand.


The Fix

Spend $25 $75 to $200 with a local photographer and get a professional quality headshot. If you choose to take your own photo make sure you have proper lighting. (note: Teryl Jackson a friend, connection and photographer in Atlanta would like to clarify that a good headshot will run from $75 to $200 and is well worth it.)


2. Lack of Detailing Your Profile

Your profile isn’t meant to replace your resume but it should tell your visitors who you are. There are some key areas that not only allow you to tell your story but provide an opportunity to add keywords naturally into your profile.

The first opportunity is your summary. I like to start my profile off with my elevator speech. This short sentence has been refined to capture attention when presented in face to face networking. There’s no reason it shouldn’t work the same on your profile. The rest of your summary should answer the questions of “Who you are”, “How you help people”, and “How they can help you”.

One area of missed opportunity is failing to add in your previous employment. First people want to know the path you travelled from college to your current position. Not including this introduces questions into your profile visitors perception. There’s also the lost opportunity to include keywords into your job descriptions.

There are also some other areas to add information to such as specialties (great place for keywords), Interests, Awards, and don’t forget to include your phone number and your personal contact information (phone number and address if relevant).

You never know how someone will find you


The Fix

Include as many previous employers that are relevant to your development as a business professional. It’s OK to skip that college job delivering Pizzas. Also be sure that when you write the job descriptions to write them from the perspective of how that job contributed to making you better at what you do today.


3. Ignoring Applications

When you look at the number of applications on Facebook (1,000’s) verses the number on LinkedIn (13) you might think that applications just aren’t that important. That would be a bad analysis. While few in number, the applications available are a key to sharing what it is that you do with your fellow LinkedIn members. They provide the opportunity to take your profile from two dimensional to three dimensional.

The basic LinkedIn profile is simply a lot of text. Sure you can tell people all of the relevant information about yourself, but I always recall my freshman English teacher imploring me to “Show, don’t tell”. Applications give you the opportunity to show what it is that you do.

Applications give you the ability to post a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation (Slideshare or Google Presentations), add a video (Slideshare or Google Presentations), feed in your blog (WordPress and BlogLink), add PDF files or Word documents (Boxnet), announce and RSVP Events, conduct Polls, share the books you’re reading (Amazon), and the just released Twitter application.

Just about any way you want to communicate a message or information on LinkedIn is available. Your profile visitors can engage with your profile in print, video, even audio (add your podcast to a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation.


The FIx

Start going through your resources to see what information will help you show others what it is that you do and how you can help them. If you don’t have a blog WordPress makes it simple to create one. It’s simple to create a presentation to share, just be sure to make it interesting by including more than just bullet points. Load up those brochures, white papers, and one-pagers.

Finally, add a video to your profile. If you don’t have the tools to record yourself in a professional manner (think lighting and sound), go to http://www.jingproject.com and download this free software. It will allow you to record a 5 minute screen capture as a video. The hardest part is figuring out what to record.


4. Not Securing Recommendations

When I visit at a profile one of the first things I look for is recommendations. There’s no reason why anyone shouldn’t be able to build up to 10 recommendations if they’re good at what they do.

The reason most people fail to get any recommendations is that they sit back and wait for someone to take the initiative. You have to remember that only 24% of the people on LinkedIn are regular users (spend at least 5 hours a week interacting), so the majority of your connections are still trying to figure it out.

These irregular users probably haven’t thought about recommending someone else because they’re still trying to understand LinkedIn.


The Fix

Get proactive about generating recommendations. Whenever I start working with a new prospect one of the first things that I do is connect to them. Then once I’ve finished serving them, or moved to a point where I’m delivering results, I send them a recommendation request.

I keep the request simple and reference the work I did for them and then state “I’m using LinkedIn to build my online brand. If you feel the work that I did on your behalf exceeded your expectations I would appreciate your taking a moment to write a brief recommendation”.

There are some people that feel that you should not do this, but based on the response, and the recommendations, I’ve received from clients I don’t see a downside to sending the request.

I prefer client recommendations but if your position doesn’t involve clients then you’ll have to impress your fellow coworkers and business colleagues.


5. Fail to Join Enough Relevant Groups

There was a time on LinkedIn when you could belong to as many groups as you would like. These days there is a imposed limit of 50 groups, yet many people have not yet joined any groups. Failing to do so severely limits your LinkedIn reach.

Currently I have 4,500 direct connections on LinkedIn so at any moment I could reach 4,500 people. In the 50 groups that I belong to there are over 1.3 million people. These are people that I can communicate directly to or through using discussion posts and news articles.

Groups are also a great place to engage in conversations and cultivate new relationships. The key is to find as many groups as possible that are relevant to your business.


The FIx

Go to the groups directory and search for relevant groups. These might be groups that are alumni, industry, location, networking, topical, etc. Be sure to think about the groups your prospects would belong to and join these. Then you simply need to start engaging fellow group members through discussions and news articles.


6. Overlooking Answers

One of the keys in social media/networking is to seek out opportunities to share or provide value to others. LinkedIn Answers is the perfect vehicle to do so. Each day thousands of new questions are asked by fellow members looking for help. You simply need to find the questions that surround your industry or specialty and share your knowledge.

There are several benefits to answering questions. First you’re building good will with the person who asked the question and potentially everyone else that reads your answer. Second you have the opportunity to demonstrate your expertise.

Your answers are also Linked to your profile which is then viewable by profile visitors. Let’s say you’re a health insurance broker that only sells in Georgia but you answer a question from someone in Louisiana. The person that asked the question will never be your client but at least you were able to help someone (Good Karma). But since your answer is Linked to your profile, anyone in your local area can see your answer and it can impact their perception of you.


The Fix

Go to LinkedIn Answers and search for questions related to what you do for a living. Then start answering questions. Be sure to include a link back to your site or blog in your answer. I find that when I answer a question traffic to my blog increases.

Most categories also have a RSS feed. You can set up a RSS reader that will display the latest questions asked in the category. Using the Google RSS reader I simply check for new questions every morning and answer away.

Just be sure to provide quality answers. Everything you do or say on LinkedIn either adds to or subtracts from your brand.


7. Selling Directly

I’m sure that on LinkedIn someone is having success posting direct sales messages or sending messages to their connections. That being said you are more likely to do harm to your brand over time. People are not looking to be sold to directly on LinkedIn.

That doesn’t mean that there are no opportunities to sell using LinkedIn, its just that you’ll find more success communicating your messages indirectly. The one exception is with the status. It will be interesting to see if this changes with the new Twitter integration.


The Fix

Take advantage of the opportunities to communicate your message indirectly. One simple way to do this is to change your title to a tagline. My title might be “Blogger” but “Helping folks use LinkedIn more effectively with tips and strategies at the Social Media Sonar blog”. The title tells people what I am, the tag line tells them how I can help them. Plus that tag line is visible in a mini profile when I answer questions, post discussions, or add news articles.

Starting conversation using the discussion boards is a great way to interact with fellow group members. Adding news articles allows you to share value through the content. Over time people will get to know you. If they like your content they’ll begin to like you...and check out your profile. Share value consistently over time and people will begin to develop trust.

We discussed Answers above and its another communication opportunity. These are only some of the options available to communicate indirectly. you can also use your applications including polls and events.


Wrap Up

Many of the mistakes I’ve detailed are simply errors of omission. They can be corrected by simply taking some extra time to build your content. Your first goal on LinkedIn is to get people to visit your profile. Then once they’re at your profile page you want to ensure that they understand what it is that you do and how you can help them.

The worst thing that can happen is that they leave your profile with questions and move on to the next profile.

What are some mistakes I missed?


Sean Nelson is the author of the Social Media Sonar blog and has written three LinkedIn eBooks including one of the first books detailing how to strategically use LinkedIn to grow your business. "LinkedIn MArketing Secret Formula". He is a Partner in SONARconnects.

Tales of the Gatekeeper - by Patty Mooney

In the beginning of my business life, I worked as an office manager for several years at various companies. After paying my dues as an employee answering to a series of bosses for almost 20 years, I joined my husband as a partner in his video production company, Crystal Pyramid Productions, where I have managed the helm of our "star ship" for the last three decades (at first part-time, and then full-time), cruising through meteor showers, wormholes and an Aurora Borealis or two. Because of my charm and fabulous voice, I have also been the one answering the phone - the "Gatekeeper."

Through my years of running offices, many scammers and con artists have attempted to breach the walls during my watch, and I figured that I'd share some of these stories with you in the hope that perhaps you would be able to avoid any unpleasant encounters with these minions of the Dark.

While working as the Office Coordinator of a union local back in the 1980's, I used to get calls about twice or three times a month from someone identifying themself as "Your copy service company. Where you purchase your toner." Oh really? And what is this regarding? "We're just checking on your toner supplies. We just need to know the serial number of your copy machine." Right. And how about my driver's license number and social security number, too, while we're at it?

I was starting to get so fed up with the number of calls that came in for this particular scam, I started to mess with the callers. "Can I take your name and number and have my boss call you back?" Click. Or, "Can you hold on for a moment?" Then I'd leave them on hold for half an hour. If they were still there when I picked the phone up, then I'd say, "Can I take your name and number and have my boss call you back?" Click.

Then one day I decided to pretend to go along with the scam. I gave the caller a fake serial number and our address and told them to mail me some toner for our copier, COD. When the package arrived, I telephoned the local Fraud Unit. They sent someone to pick up the package and I did not receive any more of these copy scam calls for at least a couple of years. When the calls resumed, I went back to my trick of putting the caller on infinity hold, or just immediately hanging up, depending on my mood. I never did hear back from the Fraud Unit. I'm sure they were snowed under by these scammers who seem to be operating their little scenarios under every other rock.

It's a fine balance to be professional when you answer the phone. You have to be courteous yet firm. Over the last few years we have had hundreds of calls from people who want to: manage our money, lease us video equipment, purchase our old video equipment, provide janitorial services, you name it. Some of these callers have been quite clever in trying to circumvent The Gatekeeper. "Can I speak with Mr. S_____?" And whom can I say is calling, I ask. "Let him know it's his friend, Darryl." Of course I know all of Mark's friends and my nose crinkles from the scent of sulfur rising through the phone lines. Darryl who? Click.

As time marches on, scams, frauds, cons and sales goons become ever more sophisticated in their methods of getting through to the person who resides at the top of the Company's Food Chain. There are even dozens of stories on the Internet that illustrate ways of sneaking past the Gatekeeper. But if you, as the Gatekeeper, ever get caught with your drawbridge down, so speak, the repercussions can leave scars, and the next person who tries that same trick is going to get squished as soon as that drawbridge gets dropped right on their head.

As I mentioned, though, there's a fine balance required in order to field the calls coming in to the office. I once had a call from a man who said he was with a nationally known money-management firm. I was thinking of ways I could diplomatically end the call, the sooner the better, until he mentioned that he was checking on how much it would cost to produce a video about his services. I was happy I had not jumped to any immediate conclusions and hung up on the poor guy!

So beware, you neophyte Gatekeepers. You do important work. You're the one who approves of who can come in and who must stay away. You wield great power. Do it with a smile.