growing your network on LinkedIn

Posted by luke on Sep 30, 2009 in blog | 0 comments

If you’ve been to one of the talks or training sessions I’ve run on LinkedIn you’ll know I rec. getting to at least 100 connections before you’ll see much return from LinkedIn.

I’ve had 2 emails this week, asking for reminders or more ideas on growing your network. So… I present a few ideas for growing your network:

1) Import an address book, all email packages can export their address book in some format – CSV has been most reliable to me so far. See also – LinkedIn help.

2) Look at the people you may know window in the top left of the home screen, click more to see a list of 10 – press F5 to refresh and it will make more suggestions.

3) Set a custom URL for your profile (like Luke Williams) and include it in your email footer and on your website/blog.

4) When you add someone on LinkedIn, have a look at their connections for people you may know as well.

5) (to steal from Rich) “Cross Pollinate” Twitter/update facebook… sky-write a message “I’m growing my network on linkedin, if I don’t have you already please add me LINK”.

6) See that pile of business cards there near your monitor (in your drawer / in a cupboard…)? You only need name and email to add people on LinkedIn – great excuse to say “Hi, how are you? I’m growing my network on LinkedIn and I’d like to invite you to connect with me.”

7) Go to the contacts section on LinkedIn it’ll show people who’ve recently added new connections with an eerie orange grow – go have a look, it might be someone you know too.

If there are any you’d like to add, please do so below in comments

a new home

Posted by luke on Sep 21, 2009 in blog | 0 comments

We’ve moved!

Social Tech Solutions can now be found at:

Office 2, First Floor, 162 Charminster Road, BH8 8UX – Google maps

We loved being at Alex’s Good Food Cafe (and very much intend to return their for cheesecake meetings on a regular basis.) in the shared Creative Space, but it was time to move into our own office.

The new office, includes plenty of room to train on site plus all the mod-cons… like a window and a doorbell. (ooooh)

We’re also now a couple of doors down from the best sushi bar in Bournemouth, the Nippon Inn – yum.

Lunch n Learn on 23rd

Posted by luke on Sep 9, 2009 in blog | 0 comments

I’m really looking forward to presenting at the Lunch n Learn at the new Bournemouth university “Executive Centre” (is it even open yet?) on the 23rd – 2 great speakers, plus myself!

Steve Harrington is a sales strategy guru – every time I meet Steve I learn something new, he’ll be talking about where and why social fits into your sales process.

Tom Hill is a communications master – he’ll show you what you need to do about corporate communication.

Then there’s some bloke called Luke – he’ll talk about something internet-ish.

please dont spam

Posted by luke on Sep 6, 2009 in blog | 0 comments

Its something I always cover in training and in talks, but I still see it, again and again and again.

At the talk I gave in Hampshire, one of the attendees asked at what point messages became spam – a great question.

I’m reminded of the quote from Justice Potter Stewart in the US when defining obscene pornography, and I think it’s very true of spam, “I know it, when i see it”.

But how do I explain that to others?

If you are sending a high volume of messages to a large number of un-interested people…

If you’re interrupting and not adding anything to the conversation…

If you’re buying followers/fans/friends, just to have larger numbers…

If you’re commenting under a pseudonym…

If you’re asking a question and answering it at the same time…

If you’re talking and not listening…

Its probably spam.

Your thoughts, as always, welcome.