Sun, 21 September 2014
show notes
News
BeLinked. The new dating app that allows its users to find suitable dates via LinkedIn profiles. This makes perfect sense for BeLinked but is this a good idea for LinkedIn?
LinkedIn Partners With Kaplan On 'Career Journey' Programme
Irish judge allows papers to be served via LinkedIn account.
Tips
Status updates gets 3x more views and comments when you post a picture as opposed to allowing a picture to show from a weblink. (see below)
The top update with an attached picture was posted at 8.45am on a Tuesday morning. The 2nd one with a link (containing the same picture) was posted at 8.45am the day before.
The top update with an attached picture was posted at 8.45am on a Tuesday morning. The 2nd one with a link (containing the same picture) was posted at 8.45am the day before.
Here are the view numbers for the Monday update (the one with a link, the bottom of the above two);
And here are the stat's for the one posted on the Tuesday with a picture attached;
As you can see there is a significant difference when an update has a picture attached, this must be down to the increased size and therefore it is more likely to get peoples attention.
You can now change a group name by as much as 20 times. You just need to ask LinkedIn customer services.
SWAM or MAG (Moderation across all groups) is currently running at 7 days so if you find yourself moderated you won't have to wait long for it to be lifted.
Questions
I have a quiz for you this week. How many different ways can you find advertised jobs on LinkedIn? Write to me at mark@linkedinformed.com or leave a voicemail with your answer
Listener question. Why won't LinkedIn allow me to invite my (3rd tier) ex colleagues to connect? Answer = If you search for them by name you will be able to connect. LinkedIn is trying to prevent you from connecting with people you don't know and have found by keyword or company employee searching.
Thank you so much for listening, I really value your support and interest.
As always I would welcome your feedback and questions. If you want to be on the show you can leave a comment by voicemail (right hand side of this page) or email me at mark@linkedinformed.com.
Help me to promote the podcast
It can be difficult to get noticed in iTunes and one thing that can really make a difference is reviews. If you enjoy the show please take a minute to write an honest review in iTunes, it would be most appreciated.
Until next time.....
Direct download: LinkedInformed_033.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 8:34am UTC
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Sat, 13 September 2014
News
- DIALaBRAIN find an innovative way to use the media section of a profile (see below)
- LinkedIn Mobile (iOS & Android) apps now allow you to customize your invitation message. Its not very intuitive but at least it can be done! Here is how you do it (iOS)
1, Do not click on the link in the shortlist
2, Ignore 'connect' and click on the share link in the top right corner
Credit to Viveka Von Rosen for spotting this. Unfortunately this technique is not possible on the iPad app
Advertising Update
- Following my request last week I have found two examples of successful advertising campaigns. One was a small scale 'sponsored updates' campaign that cost £200 and achieved 25 downloads of a pdf report (I'm not sure I would be happy with that myself). The other involved a considerably greater spend of $25,000 but achieved a massive 1,761% ROI. This was a new membership campaign by the International Coach Federation in the US. The full report can be seen here
The State of LinkedIn.
Do LinkedIn have their monetization strategy right?
In this section I talk about one article which puts a case for why LinkedIn are an attractive investment versus another piece that claims quite the opposite!
The second article can be found here but I must warn you that to read the full piece you will be asked to sign up to a variety of things you probably don't want so here is the most interesting bit;
Fundamental weaknesses
Before I get to LinkedIn's strategic failures, let me first point out its operating woes:
LinkedIn squeezed out only 1.6% in operating profits during its last twelve months vs. 5.2% during the twelve months ended at the end of 2Q 2013. To contrast its continued decline in operating margins, Facebook has achieved operating profits of 43% during its last twelve months.
LinkedIn's Premium Subscriptions conversion rate is consistently under .4%. That means that of the 305 million users (average during the 2Q 2014), less than half of a percent convert into purchasing LinkedIn's premium products. Premium subscriptions start out at $23.99 and approach rates of as high as $99.99. Assuming that the average premium subscriber pays $40/month, the conversion rate is an abysmal .29%. If the average user pays $35, the conversion rate would be closer to .33%.
In any case, the conversion rate declines if your assumption uses a higher dollar-per-month figure, which means that ~99.7% of LinkedIn's users see no value in Premium Subscriptions (not to be confused with Job Seeker subscriptions, which fall under Talent Solutions).
LinkedIn continues to spend heavily on sales & marketing to promote its products. In addition to salaries, benefits, travel, and employee incentives, sales & marketing expenses also include the expensive "customer acquisition marketing" spend. Sales & marketing expenses are expected to decline as a percentage of revenues at a company succeeding to sell its concept. Not so at LinkedIn. It spent 34% of revenues on sales & marketing in 1H 2012, 34% in 1H 2013, and 35% in 1H 2014.
........
.....User engagement is critical for LinkedIn at this point and will translate into a significant increase in share value. Without it, LinkedIn's operating woes will continue to exacerbate. Attracting users to a website where the only realistic option is to log in, update a profile, and check out a wall of static activities is a strategic mistake. Incentivize users to participate on LinkedIn and create an innovative environment for them to target corporations!
As is, the downside risk from slowing expansion through the sales and marketing strategy is significant and could continue to affect LinkedIn's bottom line. The firm's share price at $231 is not well supported as LinkedIn's strategic weakness in engaging users will eventually translate into heavier losses.
I think this is a fascinating argument and whilst I don't think LinkedIn should incentivise connecting, I do believe that a 100% free model where engagement is incentivised and highly read articles attract payments are excellent ideas that could solve the issue of poor advertising sales.
What do you think?
Thanks for listening. As always you can get in touch by emailing me at mark@linkedinformed or even better you can leave a voicemail that can be played on the next show. Just click on the link on the right of this page.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_032.m4a
Category:
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Sat, 6 September 2014
Unable to locate audio file.
show notes
News
- The way we receive invitation notifications has changed (see video below) I also mentioned 2 pieces of software to help with speedy messaging which were TextExpander for Mac or Phrase Express for PC.
- Feature retirement - InMaps is the latest to be culled. Unfortunately it is now too late to get your map as the site officially closed on 1st September. Here is a Techcrunch article with more detail.
- LinkedIn's new mobile app - Sales Navigator
- New feature - You can now export all of your historical LinkedIn data. Get your step by step guide on how its done by completing the form below;
- LinkedIn are considering easing their censorship policy for China. Article here
- 57% of LinkedIn users are 'engaged' Read more here
- 2 LinkedIn shareholders cash in by selling shares. Could this be a coincidence?
Tip
Jo Saunders has provided this weeks tip. How to withdraw a LinkedIn invitation.
Does LinkedIn advertising work? I would really love to hear from any listeners about their experience of advertising on LinkedIn. Please leave me a voicemail (right edge of this page) or email me at mark@linkedinformed.com.
Do 'Specialties' in a profile have any significant keyword weighting in a LinkedIn search? Answer = No! I'm not sure they ever did but now they are not even a field of their own so do not count more than any other word.
That' it for this week, thanks for listening.
Please get in touch with any comments, suggestions or questions by leaving a voicemail or emailing mark@linkedinformed.com.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_031.m4a
Category:
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Sat, 30 August 2014
Show Notes
Topics and links (in blue) for this week;
News
LinkedIn Settles Password Hacking Class Action Lawsuit for $1.25M The settlement terms provide that LinkedIn's paid users can submit a claim, but only if they declare that they read the privacy policy and were influenced by the company's statements about security. Between 2007 and 2012, LinkedIn garnered around 800,000 premium subscribers, who paid at least $19.95 a month for membership, according to court papers. But lawyers estimate that only 20,000 to 50,000 subscribers will be able to qualify for payments from the settlement fund. The US District court will hold a hearing in January to decide whether to grant the settlement preliminary approval.
Who's viewed your profile ranking adds a new 'professionals like you' section but the algorithm is far from accurate (see below)
- Public profiles get an update
- If you want to keep up to date with LinkedIn's constant changes, sign up here to receive an email notifying you of every relevant update.
- LinkedIn get us excited by releasing a new mobile app with the following in the update notes;
I mentioned several other podcasts during the show, here are the links to those shows;
Please review the show on iTunes
iTunes haven't made this as easy as it should be so I made these 2 short videos to show how it is done on the iTunes site and via their mobile app;
You can buy LinkedIn connections, shocking but true! here is the article I was referring to. What do you think?
Did you know that you can contact pretty much anyone on LinkedIn for FREE without having to upgrade your account? Click here to download a FREE cheatsheet with step by step instructions.
As always, thank you so much for listening and please get in touch with any questions or comments by leaving a voicemail (see the mic symbol on the right edge of this page) or drop me an email at mark@linkedinformed.com
Direct download: LinkedInformed_30.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:11am UTC
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Fri, 22 August 2014
Show Notes
- The UKPod14 conference was a great success and the keynote speaker was Jason Van Orden from Internet Business Mastery.
- This podcast is unlikely to be found on iTunes until we receive more 5 star reviews. If you enjoy the show please help out by submitting a review. This video explains how it is done.
- You can now subscribe to this show on TuneIn. Click here
- News
- Deep Nishar resigns, read his announcement here
- Published posts get a makeover, see this example
- New free LinkedIn feature alerts service launched. Register
- What are you doing when you listen to the show? Darrel Griffin is doing his ironing!
- Tune in next week to hear the full story of the LinkedIn sex pest!
- Question: Why do people view profiles anonymously?
Direct download: LinkedInformed_029.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 9:23pm UTC
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Fri, 15 August 2014
News
Could this the beginning of the end of personalised invitations? Watch the video below to see what happened when inviting from a newly created profile
Introductions. It is long longer possible to send introductions to 3rd tier connections. This was spotted by Andy Lopata and covered in this post
LinkedIn acquire Bizo - See official announcement here
This article takes a look at what the Bizo acquisition might mean to us.
Here is the Business Insider article showing the (alleged) leaked memo from Linkedin
Groups
Groups all too often come in for a bad press. In reality there are plenty of fantastic groups that offer an amazing opportunity to engage with and gain invaluable information from your prospects.
Here is a link to Carl Whalley's Google Android Group
Have your say. I would really value your contribution to the podcast. Please click on the voicemail link on the right edge of this page to leave your questions or comments or ping me an email at mark@linkedinformed.com
Thanks for listening
Mark
PS An iTunes review wouldn't go a miss! ;-)
Direct download: LinkedInformed_028.m4a
Category: general
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Fri, 8 August 2014
News
Not much happened this week other than LinkedIn getting stung for $6m for a labour violation regarding unpaid wages. The BBC article is here
Pay it Forward
Wikipedia definition
Question
How can I save Pulse articles to read later?
My solution is to use Evernote and their amazing web clipper but you can also use Pocket
Other links
New course for job seekers coming out soon on Udemy
If you have any suggestions for people I could interview or topics you want me to cover then please feel free to leave a voicemail at the link on the right or drop me an email to mark@linkedinformed.com
Thanks for listening.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_027.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 6:36pm UTC
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Sat, 2 August 2014
Show Notes
- LinkedIn delivers encouraging Q2 financial results
- 313 million members
- 84m unique visitors
- 25bn page views (down 1bn from 1st qtr)
- $534m revenue - 47% year on year increase
- Talent Solutions makes up $322m of this - 49% increase
- Marketing $106m - 44% increase
- Premium Accounts - $105m - 44% increase
- See full report here
- LinkedIn acquires Newsle
- The new look LinkedIn mobile app
- Updates of previous news items
- Zapier has delivered some useful results but is a little complicated to set up
- New Galene search seems to have settled down and is now delivering very similar results to before
- Tip of the week. Be aware of 3rd party apps that undertake actions on your account that are outside of the LinkedIn User Agreement. Take responsibility for your own actions on LinkedIn, it's you that will get suspended!
- Question. What do I have to do to get my profile from 'expert' strength to 'All Star'. Answer = Get more connections. You need a minimum of 50 (aim for min 100) and have had at least 2 previous positions in your employment section. The bigger question is: Does it matter? Answer = Not really! The difference between 'Expert' and 'All Star' in search results appears to be minimal.
- LinkedIn Contacts Now Integrate With Your Inbox. Read my post here
Direct download: LinkedInformed_026.m4a
Category: general
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Sat, 19 July 2014
Show Notes
News - Custom profile backgrounds are now being rolled out to non premium users
Andy's LinkedIn profile
Andy on Twitter
Andy's Google Plus profile
If you have any comments or questions please write to me directly at mark@linkedinformed.com or leave a voicemail at the link at the right hand edge of this page.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_025.m4a
Category: general
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Fri, 11 July 2014
LinkedIn update their Contacts app and rename it Connected, the blog announcing this can be read here (screenshots at LinkedInformed.com)
Why not give one of these a try and let me know how you get on by leaving a message on the voicemail (see the black mic on the right edge of this page). You can also ask me a question by voicemail or by email to mark@linkedinformed.com.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_024.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:38am UTC
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Fri, 4 July 2014
- You can now unsubscribe from published post notifications (see below)
Click below to watch Jeff Weiner's excellent interview at a recent conference.
This is the best (funniest anyway) profile I have ever seen! Click on the image to view the full profile on LinkedIn.
Direct download: Linkedinformed_023.m4a
Category: general
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Sat, 28 June 2014
show notes
(links are in black)
Direct download: LinkedInformed_022.m4a
Category: general
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Sat, 21 June 2014
There are more than 1500 of them!
I solve this >>>>>> but can you solve the mystery of where and when you appeared on CBS, Fox NBC and abc?!
If you are struggling to get going with LinkedIn you might want to consider the 3 Day Start tutorial. 14 videos and 3 hrs of informative and engaging content. Use the discount code LinkedInformed to receive a 25% discount.
If a more tailored approach is your thing then I can offer you a one to one coaching/consulting service. Click here for more information.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_021.m4a
Category: general
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Sat, 14 June 2014
- LinkedIn publisher posts and the potential for Google SEO issues?
- Activity history lets you see their number of followers (close to connections number)
What will LinkedIn's new app be? Send your guesses by voicemail (see link on right of this page) or email me.
The Great LinkedIn SEO SCAM blog
Question. Should updates ever be of a personal nature?
Send your questions via voicemail using the link on the right.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_020.m4a
Category: general
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Sat, 7 June 2014
My profile showing the new background plus the incentive to upgrade (even though this will be available to all eventually).
This also shows how you can view someone's recent activity.
Click on the image for more information
- Viewing previous activity returns...yayy! (see above)
- New custom profile backgrounds (see above) click here for early access as a free user
- LinkedIn close down their own group managers group
- New Spotlight premium plan soon to arrive (see below)
- New suggested keywords feature for premium users
- We Can Do Better Than LinkedIn. Jon Nathanson's (below) article
What do you think?
Please drop me a line at mark@linkedinformed.com
Want to have your say on the show?
Click on the black 'send voicemail' link on the right side of this page. This allows you to record a short message or question which I can play on the show!
If you like the podcast please spread the word. Here is how you can;
- Post a link to this page as a status update on LinkedIn
- Post a link to this page on Twitter with #linkedin and @mr_linkedin
- Review the show on iTunes or Stitcher (this massively helps and would be most appreciated)
Direct download: LinkedInformed_019.m4a
Category: general
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Fri, 30 May 2014
News
Magnus the puppy just gets more and more popular! 72,000 views as you can see below;
Click on the picture above to view the update
Direct download: LinkedInformed_018.m4a
Category: general
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Sun, 25 May 2014
- LinkedIn improve the 'Who's viewed your profile' feature. Here is a link to article I published on this.
- Here is a link to the 'Don't invite from a mobile app' status update I posted with the subsequent comments/discussion.
- Max's cute doggy post (see below)
Click on the picture to view the comments
I hope you enjoyed this episode. It would really help to spread the word if you could just take a minute and give us a ranking on iTunes....many thanks
Want to kickstart your LinkedIn account? Click below for more information;
Direct download: LinkedInformed_017.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:29am UTC
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Fri, 16 May 2014
- Recruitment Juice - Fast & effective online learning for recruiters.
- The below picture was produced (in seconds) using the Word Swag app
This is a screenshot of the post's data in 'Who's viewed your updates'
Please get in touch if you have any questions or comments. You can email me directly at mark@linkedinformed.com or you can leave a voice message by clicking on link you will see on the right hand edge of this page.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_016.m4a
Category: general
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Sat, 10 May 2014
LinkedIn Stock price takes a tumble after they announce Q1 results
show notes
(Links in black)
The 3 Day Start Programme - 30% discount for LinkedInformed listeners, just enter the code 'linkedinformed' at checkout.
My blog article about the Cardmunch invitation workflow (which now doesn't work!)
LinkedIn announcement about Evernote & Cardmunch
LinkedIn's Q1 results
Direct download: LinkedInformed_015.m4a
Category: general
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Sun, 4 May 2014
A break from the normal format this week as the whole episode is dedicated to chatting with Jo Saunders about LinkedIn groups.
As always, if its in black - its a link!
Direct download: LinkedInformed_014.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:29am UTC
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Mon, 28 April 2014
News
- CRM providers experience a 'freeze out' from the LinkedIn API - read more here
- Advertising partners and content partners get preferred API access - article
- Photosharing now available on iPhone app - article
Optimisation
Does it really matter? Its almost impossible to keep on top of profile optimisation but everyone should ensure that important keywords are found in the following sections;
- Headline
- Job title
- Company name (edit display name)
- Skills
Most importantly you should build a strong network so that most people that might search for you are at least a 2nd tier connection.
Tip
Find old school or college mates by searching the Alumni section
Question
What is a 'view' of an update on LinkedIn
Direct download: LinkedInformed_013.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 5:54am UTC
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Sat, 19 April 2014
In this weeks episode I cover the following;
(links are in black)
News
LinkedIn Reaches 300 million members, you can view the infographic here
Endorsements can now be switched off - hooray!
RIP LinkedIn polls - announcement here
My newly released 3 Day Start video tutorial, click on the picture below for more information.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_012.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 6:23pm UTC
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Sat, 12 April 2014
News
LinkedIn's feline April fools joke. Read the article here
LinkedIn’s Moderation Process for Groups - Overview
New layout for Groups - read article here
Heartbleed Bug - informative article on the subject here and this cartoon explains it in a less 'techie' way.
I use 1Password to avoid issues with passwords. Due to the Heartbleed problem they are offering their product at a 50% discount! Clickhere for more information
The video below was made using Videoscribe. Highly recommended
You can register your interest in the 3 Day Start programme here
Feature
The LinkedIn publishing platform. Apply for early access here
Questions
- How I view my previous updates?
- What is the WeChat link?
Direct download: LinkedInformed_011.m4a
Category: general
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Fri, 4 April 2014
The main topic in this weeks show is premium accounts. Should you pay to use LinkedIn or can you get by as a free user?
I discuss many of the pro's and cons and would welcome any feedback or comments you have on this subject. Email me directly at mark@linkedinformed.com
Here are the notes and links (in black)
News
- Who's viewed your updates - summary (All) view
Click on the < highlighted above to see this view from your home page
- On, Off, or Around the Clock: When LinkedIn Members Read Professionally-Relevant Content on the Web. Read the article here
- Please stop those annoying puzzles! below is the picture that accompanied my update
- Link to article about 'Sell Hack' LInkedIn email plugin
- You can register your interest in my new LinkedIn 3 Day Start Programme here
Direct download: LinkedInformed_010.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 11:01pm UTC
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Sat, 29 March 2014
News
- False alarm over a change to LinkedIn Contacts - phew!
- 'In The News' feature. Inspired by this article
My Week
This was a very busy week involving running webinars and workshops together with being asked to speak at a networking event attended mainly by small business owners.
The 3 Day Start programme at 3daystart.in - register your interest prior to launch
Questions
- How do I advertise a job opening without a paid account?
- How do I reflect a promotion in my profile, even though the tasks are primarily the same?
Direct download: 009_.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 2:39pm UTC
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Sat, 22 March 2014
Direct download: LinkedInformed_008.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 2:08pm UTC
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Sat, 15 March 2014
According to the worlds leading expert on podcasting, 90% of podcasts don't make it past 7 episodes.....so I'm treading very carefully between now and the next episode!
Covered this week (links in black);
News
Main Topic
Status updating can be effective.
Links;
Questions
Direct download: LinkedInformed_7.m4a
Category: general
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Fri, 7 March 2014
As from this episode the show will now be broadcast weekly.
Topics covered and relevant links as follows;
News
3rd tier connections can no longer be saved to LinkedIn contacts.
The Blazek Scandal. Link to the CNN article as well as an article I wrote for The Drum.com about this story.
Feature
Status Updating Effectively. Links to Feedly, Pulse and Buffer
Questions
How do I connect with someone I don't know?
How do you connect with a 3rd tier connection?
LinkedInformed e-book (free download)
Please send me your comments and questions to mark@linkedinformed.com
Direct download: Episode_006_The_Blazek_Scandal.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 6:38pm UTC
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Sun, 2 March 2014
This week I chatted with Sam about network building strategies
News
- Member Blocking - Help center link
- The new 'Who's viewed your profile' - watch my short video here
- LinkedInformed book - Download for FREE here
Network Building
Links:
As always I would really appreciate your feedback and questions, just drop me an email to mark@linkedinformed.com
Direct download: Linkedinformed_005_Network_Building.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:19pm UTC
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Sat, 1 February 2014
Direct download: Linkedinformed_004A.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 4:44pm UTC
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Tue, 21 January 2014
I'm really excited about 2014 and look forward to producing many more episodes, in this first one of the new year I cover the following topics (black font indicates a link) ;
- LinkedIn sues spammers
- Activity feed is disabled (LinkedIn's official announcement)
- Could group messaging be the next to go?
- LinkedIn Tip - How to prevent your competitors from appearing on your profile
- Clearing your browsers cache & cookies. Instructions on all the 4 main browsers for windows and Mac can be found here.
- Preview of next episode. What is your connection strategy? Let us know your thoughts and experiences before the next episode when this subject will be discussed in depth.
Direct download: LinkedInformed_003.m4a
Category: general
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Tue, 10 December 2013
In this episode we cover the following;
- Review of feedback from the first episode
- Questions
- Should I announce that I am looking for a job in my profile?
- Should I reveal who I am connected to? Tutorial
- Interview with Robin Hills
- News
Direct download: LinkedInformed_002.m4a
Category: general
-- posted at: 9:10am UTC
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