In fact, online readership of The Times had been predicted to drop by as much as 90 per cent and The Guardian is claiming that this figure is nearer the mark when the massive decline in web traffic is over the last three weeks is taken into account.  Readership is expected to fall further once the Murdoch-owned paper removes its introductory offer of £1 for a month’s access.  From August, readers will be charged £1 a day to view content or £2 per week.

It is not yet clear whether the new revenue generated will be sufficient to shore up the struggling print title – if the estimated 15,000 daily online subscribers agree to pay for the £2 a week offer, the pay wall will generate £1.4m a year.  However, it costs £100m a year to run editorial operations at The Times and Sunday Times;  News International’s accounts to June 2009 show a loss of about £240,000 a day for both titles; and last month’s ABCs show a fall in monthly circulation of 14 per cent to 503,642.  With the Guardian having just announced £26m-worth of cost-cutting to reduce the £100,000-a-day loss it was making last year, there is a big question over how long the presses can keep running.

The advent of the worldwide web has meant that we are now all used to enjoying instant FREE access to almost any information we want, not to mention music and videos.  It is difficult to see how the paid-for content model can work given this mindset and the fact that similar information is available from other websites free.  The only way subscribers will be persuaded to pay for access is if the content has more perceived value as it offers deeper analysis and commentary than is available elsewhere – both the FT and the Wall Street Journal have proved that this is a viable option.  Some titles such as The Times and Guardian are also looking at developing readers’ clubs that build on customer loyalty by giving added benefits and content in return for a fee. 

There is a place for newspapers in the digital 21^st century, but as with any business, an ability to evolve and innovate is vital.

The power of social media has made the crisis management minefield even trickier to navigate, opening businesses up to attacks where there was previously no platform. Rallying public support using a channel that has the capability to reach thousands in a very short space of time, these campaigns can have a very rapid detrimental effect on a company, no matter how solid their CSR policy.

While elaborate, visual stunts are normally the name of the game for Greenpeace, the fact that this latest attention grabber, arguably one of its most successful, built up a storm from behind a computer screen, illustrates exactly how a well-targeted social media campaign can harness the power of online gossipers and bloggers, pick on the flaws of a multi-national’s crisis management plan and muster enough momentum to leave a large corporation’s reputation in meltdown.

Greenpeace’s strategy was simple – no scaling London landmarks, no storming North Sea oil rigs, no hoisting banners on the tailfin of a BA jet at Heathrow. OK, they did dress up as orang-utans at various Nestle offices. But aside from that, its best tactic was to throw a line to the masses, posting a hard-hitting video on YouTube which replaced chocolate fingers with some of the ape variety, whilst brewing up damaging chatter on Nestle’s Facebook page.

The result? A campaign that highlighted Nestle’s inability to handle its social media channels effectively – its ham-fisted response saw representatives trying to delete wall posts from the Facebook fanpage as soon as they appeared, responding to wall posts in what was taken as an aggressive, holier-than-thou tone, whilst attempting to block YouTube views.

It wasn’t necessarily Greenpeace’s actions that caused such damage, but the way Nestle reacted to them – rather than stem the flow, they angered consumers who then fuelled the fire, and the story blew into an international news item as a result.

They finally got a grip on the situation with a calm, detailed and transparent response to the offending issues which would have gone some way to help. But it was posted on Nestle’s corporate website, not at the battlefield itself and was therefore completely missed by the Facebook feeding frenzy.

Nestle’s reputation has taken a serious battering and it will take a huge amount of time and effort to restore this. For businesses and PR agencies, it is a valuable lesson and one that highlights how important it is to advocate the development of robust crisis management strategies, with clear plans directed at social media.

The key is to engage people from the start – find a balance between openness and brand control and try to keep the platforms from which people can grumble or insult in a place that you manage and facilitate. People need to be in a place where they’re talking to you, so that you can deal with the problem, provide answers or explanations and keep them aware of what’s happening.

They also need to be talking to someone who understands the situation and is clear about the company’s brand objectives; a) so that they don’t cause further fury by responding in an inappropriate, stuffy and condescending way and b) so that they can toe the corporate line.

Like it or not, people will always discuss, debate, complain and spread their opinion of brands online. And with a plethora of new websites, forums and apps launching every week, managing online reputation is a challenging task that needs serious consideration.

Engage the public, respond to complaints, be transparent, don’t try to stifle cyber-chat and most importantly, work with your PR team to develop a comprehensive crisis plan that covers all eventualities. Leave the gaffs to Nestle.

I wish there was some decent guidance about developing ‘apps’ for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android platforms, but there seems to be a conspiracy by ‘techies’ to keep the process as mysterious as possible!

We have been working on several in the past few weeks (that aren’t launched yet, so we can’t mention them), but they are the current hot trend.  Figures from last summer reported 50,000 iPhone apps  and by November 2009 this had increased to 100,000!  As a regional PR agency, one of the most useful recent launches for us has been

TheBusinessDesk.com Appwhich arrived in the Apple store just a few weeks ago, but is already proving indispensable.

We thought it might be useful to share some of our recent learning about how to go about developing an iPhone app, and many of these tips also have value for developing BlackBerry apps too.

1. Plan well ahead – Shortlist a few specialist app developers (we have worked with several and know of a few more, if you want recommendations, drop me an email) and get prices to a tight spec, just as with a web developer.  The scope of what you need will greatly affect the price, but £2k is a decent starting point and the sky is the limit if you need all the bells and whistles!  Expect to spend two weeks planning, four weeks developing and two weeks testing, unless you can focus everyone to compress the work needed into less time.
2. Get draft designs – you must really brief the designers well, and be sure you like the draft designs before the build process begins – changing the look of an app can be costly…
3. Manage timings – developing web site and apps usually over run, as you are dealing with managing business people (whoever the client is) and techies, so there are always a few snags and delays
4. Test, test and test again – When you think you have your app designed, test it over and over before submitting it to the Apple store.  You can test apps on your own devices before you launch them with Apple, using a convoluted process of downloading zip folders and pushing files into iTunes on your own PC.  It is well worth doing as you always find more snags the more time and test users you have (10 – 20 is a good test audience) and it saves time and effort if you have all the snags ironed out before you first submit.
5. Register with Apple as an app developer  – I recommend registering as a developer ($99 cost) and setting up your own developer account.  This gives a number of benefits, the main being that your details on the iStore are flexible, and you control the access to stats etc too.  Your app developer will most likely be able to do this for you, steer clear of using their own developer account unless there is good reason.
6. Be prepared to launch PR – When you finally upload the app, there will be a delay of between 24 hours and five days before it is live on the iStore.  You have no control over this, and you must be ready to put any PR plans into action as soon as you see the app is live.  Countless online sites trawl for new apps, and you can’t control who will write about your app first.  It is amazing how many sites download and review even UK only apps, especially in the States, so make sure you make the most of the PR opportunities.
7. Utilise social media and app PR sites – there are a number of good ways to distribute media releases about the launch of apps that cost a little but deliver a lot in terms of online coverage and back links.  PR Web www.prweb.com/ (£110 upwards) is worth a look, as is the cheaper ($30 USD) Mac PR www.macpr.co.uk/

So, don’t be put off developing an app just because you haven’t done it before; you just need common sense and the support of a good designer.  Personally, I think that as long as the app has a purpose and is useful to the user (sounds obvious, but there will be people who develop pointless apps) they are a great way to get huge PR value, and they also to bring a fresh and added value aspect to your web offering. 

The massive rush towards iPhones that started last year when the Vodafone 02 and Orange networks got the handsets is compelling.  I personally think they have been a massive boon to our business at Appeal and we all love them, and I believe they will be the standard business handset in 18 months’ time.

If you think you could grow sales or offer clients an improved experience through an iPhone or BlackBerry app, go for it.  Especially if you are able to get in before the competition…

Apparently, although the number of new users is still growing with an impressive 6.2 million new accounts per month (or between two and three per second), less than a fifth of those registered are actually using the site.  It seems that only 17 per cent of those who sign up become users.  The majority of accounts remain inactive; a quarter has no followers; 80 per cent have tweeted less than ten times and 40 per cent have never tweeted at all!

In fact, the number of new accounts was 20 per cent lower than the peak of July 2009 when there were 7.8 million new users.  What’s more, the tweet rate fell to an all-time low in December with only 17 per cent of registered twitterers sending a festive chirrup.  So was last year’s Twitter craze a case of the emperor’s new clothes with people signing up just because everyone else was? 

Despite some of the negative statistics, RJ Metrics which carried out the research believes that Twitter users are becoming more engaged over time when viewed by age sample and, they say, ‘Twitter remains a powerhouse despite the high percentage of inactive users’.  This opinion is based on the fact that despite the high fall off of users with only 20 per cent of tweeters coming back to tweet in their second month, those that don’t fly the nest tweet so much that it makes up for all the people who left.  Also, it appears that users who joined in 2009 tweet more avidly in their first few months than their 2008 counterparts, indicating that active users are actually becoming more engaged over time.

So, despite Stephen Fry’s abdication as the king of Twitter (he announced last month that he was taking a tweet break to write a book to the disappointment of his million followers), it’s probably too early to dismiss this micro blogging site as a mere fad.  For me, the novelty of browsing my tweetdeck or summarising my life in 140 characters has somewhat worn off, but with 15 million highly active tweeters still hard at it, it’s a channel of communication that marketers cannot afford to ignore.

It seems that teenagers consider Twitter to be something for ‘old people’ and they think Facebook has been hi-jacked by their parents.  While MySpace, Facebook and YouTube are still popular, youngsters are turning to a new forum with more teens now playing online games than visiting social networking sites.  In fact, a staggering 97 per cent  claim to play video games of some kind whether via consoles or via the web.   What’s more, the number of teens using email has dropped significantly over the last five years.

By playing online games via their computer or Xbox, complete with headsets and in-game instant messaging, teens are able to enjoy real time communication.   It seems that ‘meet ups’ to play and game together is the latest form of social interaction with online games such as the World of Warcraft enabling friends to play together even when not in the same room, town or even, country. 

A report issued in 2009 by The Pew Internet & American Life Project revealed that 78 per cent of 12-17 year olds play web games whereas only 65 per cent use social networking sites.  In contrast, just half of 18-32 year olds play online games and 67 per cent of them are on social networking sites.

The report also gave an interesting insight into the decline of email in this age group.  While a third of teens are not social networkers, these sites, together with text and instant messaging, are taking precedence over email.  Seventy-three per cent of the 12-17 age group use email, a considerable drop from the 89 per cent figure in 2005.  It seems that this can be partly explained by the fact that the younger generation are more likely to use the internet for fun rather than for utility, seeking entertainment through online videos, games, music and virtual worlds. 

What’s more, research indicates that the huge increase in traffic to (free) online gaming sites has been fuelled by the recession – according to com.score, the rise in online gaming category coincided with the decline in the economy, ballooning by 27 per cent to 86 million unique users in December 2008 compared with the previous year.

There’s little doubt that internet developments, such as the massively multiplayer online games, are taking on an important role in society and may well determine how interpersonal communication is conducted in the future.  However, although the tools of communication are changing as rapidly as the technological innovations which power them, however Generation Y and Generation X choose to interact over the next decade, the basic human instinct to communicate remains, reassuringly, intact.

And, by the way, if you want to impress the kids with your knowledge of cool online gaming, the top sites according to Virtual Worlds News are:

1. Runescape

2. Gaia Online

3. IMVU

4. World of Warcraft

5. Club Penguin

6. MySpace

7. Meez

8. Maple Story

9. Neopets

10. The Sims

Mind you the list was compiled a few months old, so it could all have changed by now in the fast-moving world of youth…

Since its birth just three years ago, the micro blogging site has become an unavoidable feature of modern living.  From tracking celebrities to breaking news of the Mumbai terrorist attacks and playing a part in the Iranian elections as well as influencing the US presidential election, the rise and rise of Twitter has been phenomenal.

As Netimperative puts it, these top trending topics are ‘an interesting time capsule of what was happening as this decade came to a close’.

News Events

1. #iranelection
2. Swine Flu
3. Gaza
4. Iran
5. Tehran
6. #swineflu
7. AIG
8. #uksnow
9. Earth Hour
10. #inaug09

People

1. Michael Jackson
2. Susan Boyle
3. Adam Lambert
4. Kobe (Bryant)
5. Chris Brown
6. Chuck Norris
7. Joe Wilson
8. Tiger Woods
9. Christian Bale
10. A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez)

Movies

1. Harry Potter
2. New Moon
3. District 9
4. Paranormal Activity
5. Star Trek
6. True Blood
7. Transformers 2
8. Watchmen
9. Slumdog Millionaire
10. G.I. Joe

TV Shows

1. American Idol
2. Glee
3. Teen Choice Awards
4. SNL (Saturday Night Live)
5. Dollhouse
6. Grey’s Anatomy
7. VMAS (Video Music Awards)
8. #bsg (Battlestar Galatica)
9. BET Awards
10. Lost

Sports (Teams, Events, Leagues)

1. Super Bowl
2. Lakers
3. Wimbledon
4. Cavs (Cleveland Cavaliers)
5. Superbowl
6. Chelsea
7. NFL
8. UFC 100
9. Yankees
10. Liverpool

Technology

1. Google Wave
2. Snow Leopard
3. Tweetdeck
4. Windows 7
5. CES
6. Palm Pre
7. Google Latitude
8. #E3
9. #amazonfail
10. Macworld

Hash Tags

1. #musicmonday
2. #iranelection
3. #sxsw
4. #swineflu
5. #nevertrust
6. #mm
7. #rememberwhen
8. #3drunkwords
9. #unacceptable
10. #iwish

Sharing centre stage with seasoned commentator Greg Wright, deputy business editor of the Yorkshire Post, proved an interesting experience.  He was able to provide all sorts of practical advice from the usual pleas not to send long-winded, technical or irrelevant news releases, to avoiding the least convenient times to ring him (not around 11am or 3pm when the news meetings are held) and the easiest way of irritating a journalist – clogging up his inbox with oversized photos (be warned – apparently, the press, like elephants, never forget…)

My role was to give an overview of the value of PR and social media to professional services firms, and to offer some insight into the way the media is changing.  A somewhat daunting task when addressing an audience of switched on marketers.

Thinking about the key changes in the media, there are, of course, new faces and publications, but the major development has to be the meteoric rise of social media.  I have been staggered by the proliferation of social media ‘experts’ over the past few months offering their often very expensive services and ‘must-have’ seminars (take a look at a cracking skit that is a viral hit on YouTube called The Social Media Guru -  very well observed, if a little rich in its language, I am certain these self styled ‘gurus’ are breeding rapidly in the serviced offices of the UK).  I do worry that professionals are being panicked into tweeting, linking in and blogging without really thinking it through.  As with all marketing, a clear strategy must be the starting point.

Marketers are under pressure to exploit social media and there is no doubt that it has a useful part to play, particularly in monitoring brands and engaging with customers.   What’s more, some networks such as LinkedIn are extremely useful for all sorts of tasks, from finding suppliers to identifying potential job candidates.  However, it is becoming increasingly clear that whilst professional services firms need to embrace the world of social media, they must keep this tool in perspective and ensure that they use the proportionate resources to implement an SM strategy that suits their business. 

Don’t get me wrong, I am a strong exponent of social media (we recently undertook a very successful campaign to launch a new bargain fashion website TheFashionPixie.com – it was immediately picked up by Google and filled the first page of listings on the day it launched which would not have happened without SM).  However, I am trying to issue a word of caution amidst the current SM hysteria.  As the latest panacea, I fear social media could become the new wild west of marketing in much the same way as web design was ten years ago when clients could be charged five grand for a ten page brochure site designed by a 19 year old student in a weekend!  Finding the right social media partner, and avoiding the ones that cloak the common sense of social media in jargon and hype, isn’t easy, but there are some out there. 

Judging by the reception my comments received and the discussions that followed, it was a bit of an ‘emperor’s new clothes’ moment.  Everyone (particularly in marketing) feels they should be fully conversant with this growing phenomenon , and they don’t want to admit if they can’t actually identify any mind-blowing benefits it would give to their own particular business.   My advice is to look beyond the smoke and mirrors and trust your judgement!

The media circus that accompanies every election is already gathering pace with much posturing from all parties, not to mention an acceleration of ‘PR spin’ – a much used and misused phrase which does little to reflect the real day-to-day work of the public relations industry or, indeed, to enhance its image.  But, I digress – for the first time, the election will see a new, untried communications channel enter the political arena with the plethora of social media networks spawned since the last election in 2005.

Back then, Facebook and MySpace were just for techies and geeks, while Twitter and LinkedIn  hadn’t even been launched!  The digital landscape has changed beyond recognition in the last four years.  Social media networks are now mainstream communications tools and the ability to use them effectively a la Obama, could prove crucial in the UK too.  For example, the recent announcement by The Sun that it would be supporting the Conservative Party was greeted with generalindifference – the national press simply do not wield the power they once did.

There is no doubt that the battle to dominate the blogosphere has already begun, however, the British political parties have a long way to go to approach anything-like the sophistication of the Presidential social media machine.   At the recent CIPR Northern Conference , keynote speaker and blogger Alistair Campbell said that he had emailed Peter Mandelson during the recent party conference to tell him that he was ‘trending on Twitter’ – Mandelson’s response was a large question mark! 

The power of the Twitter phenomenon can be tracked as it evolved from a channel which reported the news in the style of traditional media, into a medium which was breaking world news stories in real time – its role in the Mumbai siege of 2008 marked a turning point in its role and influence.  Since then, its popularity has burgeoned  as it has played host to the world’s largest ‘popularity contest’ with various celebrities vying with the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres and Britney Spears for the No1 spot.

While all of the parties are paying lip service to embracing social media, are any of them actually harnessing its powers?  A quick visit to Twitterholic showed the following interesting stats in our political leaders’ beauty parade:

Gordon Brown ranked 83,381th with 608 followers (March 2009); David Cameron ranked 39,527th with 1,277 followers (Feb 2009); and Nick Clegg ranked 886,320tghwith 24 followers (April 2009)

To put this into context, Barrack Obama is currently running a few places ahead of Oprah Winfrey at No. 6 with 2,612,615 followers!

There is no doubt that the power of social media is moving up the political agenda – who would have believed back in 2005 that the prime minister would use YouTube to address the nation?  Although whether or not this was a wise choice is debatable.

Personally, I feel that the growth of social media is a positive move for the humble voter.  Not only do immediate news channels like Twitter increase transparency, they also give individuals greater influence.  Apparently, PR agency Fishburn Hedges worked with Channel 4 News to use Twitter to extend public participation during the recent round of party conferences.  Their ‘twitter fringe’ or ‘Twinge’ initiative aimed to change the traditional fringe meeting by using the network to encourage wider audience discussion from people outside the meeting.  In this way, social networks are able to act as a conduit for public opinion and discussion which can only be a positive development for the democratic process.

Top 10 Political Blogs

As well as the main parties’ blogs (Labour List, ConservativeHome and LibDem Voice), the following are some of the most useful for would-be pundits:

Iain Dale

Political Betting

Guido Fawkes

London Reconnections

UK Polling Report

John Prescott

Matthew Taylor

Alastair Campbell

Nick Robinson

Paul Waugh

Still, it was an impressive and fundamental breakthrough which paved the way for our now passionate love affair with the internet. A small click for some very clever scientists, a giant plug-in for mankind.

In a relatively short space of time, this beloved piece of technology has wildly altered the way in which we live our lives. Could anyone now cope without it? Go back to relying entirely on posted correspondence, doing research in libraries, ditching our ipods for Discmans and buying our CDs from the spotty teenager at Our Price record store? How did we communicate, nurture friendships, sell, buy, do business? Can anyone actually remember?

I recently found myself living without internet access for a few weeks and had to navigate through what can only be described as a grieving process. Like a break-up. It surprised me just how often I would sit up to go and switch on my computer, hoping to find the answer to a question I’d dreamt up, plan trips I needed to make or search for those shoes I couldn’t find on the high street, before realising that that resource was not available to me.

I felt anxious that I couldn’t get to the hallowed shores of Facebook or the comfort of Hotmail, and frustrated when I needed a phone number right that minute for that restaurant I couldn’t remember the name of. It was like leaving the house without my wallet or mobile phone.

Had I really become so pathetically dependent on it? Or did I just have to accept that I, along with our society, am now simply unable to function as efficiently without it?

I’m glad to report that we’re now back together and very happy we are too. Once again I really do have the world at my fingertips and I can’t imagine it any other way. My social life is enhanced by it. My work depends on it. I can research everything I need to know (almost!) in a few hours, catch up with business news and journalists in an instant and promote my clients to audiences it may otherwise miss.

Indeed, social media mechanisms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have evolved beyond the realm of personal networking to become a fundamental part of our PR campaigns. Communicating through these channels allows businesses to reach out to previously untapped audiences, building profiles and sharing information, whilst keeping track of what others are doing and what tricks they’re missing.

The momentum they have gained is incredible and they are now justifiably seen as key business tools – social media really is the future and has a legitimate place in all communications campaigns in one way or another. It seems like everyone is exploiting it and it’s therefore important for businesses to recognise the opportunities it brings and incorporate social media into marketing strategy.

PR results can be hugely enhanced through digital media, allowing for effective corporate positioning, endorsement and news profiling, reinforcing a brand and building a personality behind it. It’s something that Appeal is taking seriously and we’re committed to meeting this revolution head-on to offer best value for clients. Embrace it and reap the benefits. We can help show you how.

So, the last 40 years has seen the internet evolve into a vast universe of knowledge and opportunity. It has changed the way we work forever, bringing us closer to our customers, helping us to operate and sell harder, faster, better. And this is only the beginning. If life begins at 40 then I, for one, am looking forward to what lies ahead.

Interested? Here are a few Appeal hints, tips and opinions to help you get into the swing of social marketing.

The benefits of Twitter

Making the most of LinkedIn

Facebook – Employers’ friend or foe?

So what is LinkedIn all about and what can it do for you?  The best description I’ve come across is that it’s a social networking site for grownups.  Unlike MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, it has been specifically developed for business people; its user profile is professionals aged between 25 and 65.  The premiss of the site is that there is no stronger recommendation than word of mouth (if you think about it, this is also the basis of PR – people put their trust in companies they hear others talk about, whether in person or in the media). 

Everyone inadvertently creates a network of contacts through their work and personal lives, but more importantly, these contacts have their own bank of contacts, whom you might not otherwise be able to access.  The idea is that everyone can benefit from the power of personal recommendations.  The ‘connectivity’ that is generated by being part of a group, even through remote connections, is a great way to open doors.

Perhaps because of the more mature age profile of users, LinkedIn has taken a little longer to really catch on – we 40 somethings are not natural early adopters of technology!  However, the argument is that once hooked, this market is likely to remain more loyal than the fickle younger audience.  Some business people (particularly recruiters) are using LinkedIn as their main marketing tool; and there is no doubt that it can deliver significant benefits, especially for those in the B2B sector.  It can be used to find new customers, jobs, suppliers or employees; as well as building brand and reputation, picking up trends in the market place and sharing industry information. 

But how can you optimise LinkedIn for your particular business and personal goals?  Here are a few useful tips to get you started, many of which I picked up at an excellent seminar I recently attended about LinkedIn.

1.  As with traditional networking, the usual principles apply – openness, transparency and honesty are essential.  Users should remember ‘the golden triangle’ of giving, asking and thanking

2.  Like any marketing activity, the starting point is to develop a clear strategy:

• Why are you joining LinkedIn? (long term goal)
• What specifically do you want to gain? (medium term)
• Who can help you – what types of organisations/positions do you need to target; and how are you going to go about it? (short term)

3.  Once you have answered these questions, you need to devote some time to creating the best possible LinkedIn profile – it should reflect your ‘personal brand’; think about the image you will convey from the information you provide and the way it is presented

Creating a profile

• Be creative, passionate, humorous, explain what you can deliver
• Have a professional headline
• It’s important to include a business-like photo
• Give as much information as possible in your profile to increase your profile rating (aim for 100%); LinkedIn can really increase your Google rating
• If you see ‘LION’ after a name, it stands for Linked In Open Networker  ie someone who is open to anyone joining their network; opinion is mixed about whether or not this is a good thing, but it does make it easier to build a substantial network quickly
• The summary should explain what you can deliver eg enhanced media profile to increase sales
• Make copy concise; break up with bullet points; write in the first person (needs to feel personal)
• Specialities: think about what terms people may be searching for and include a number of titles eg PR consultant; PR professional; public relations consultant; media relations specialist etc
• It’s important to include interests to make the profile more personal, but make sure they do not conflict with the personal brand you are trying to convey
• Recommendations are very important – aim to receive up to 20 and make sure you also give some!

Once you’ve done all that (and it really isn’t as onerous as it sounds), go through your address book and link up with as many contacts as possible.  It’s worth investing some time if you really want to maximise the opportunities offered by LinkedIn – a well-presented, informative profile and a strong network of first connections is a good start.

Other tips

• Include links to your website and blog (put URL, including http://, on all your message replies to make it easy for people to link through; again it will really help your company’s Google ratings)
• Ask and answer questions; start discussions
• Don’t use the status bar very often (no more than once a week) and only when you have something important to say eg new event.   Do not use for trivia as you would Twitter as your LinkedIn messages will be sent to all of your network and too many can be irritating
• Join relevant groups eg old school/university.  This connectivity increases the likelihood of someone choosing to do business with you
• Look for groups that will link you with your target audience eg businesses in a particular region or sector

LinkedIn is only the first step to establishing a relationship; the idea isn’t to do a hard sell, but rather to share contacts and information for mutual benefit.  It has huge potential for any organisation – a head hunter I know has built up more than 2,500 first connections, giving her a third level network of over five million people!  Now that’s an audience that most businesses could benefit from in one way or another…

LinkedIn