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Social Media for Brokers: LinkedIn June 26, 2012
Social Media for Brokers:
June 26, 2012
Today’s Presenters
Barbi Reuter,
RPA Principal
Cushman & Wakefield
| PICOR Commercial
Real Estate
Angela Brown External
Communications
Manager
CoStar Group
Today’s Presenters
Barbi Reuter, RPA Principal
Cushman & Wakefield |
PICOR Commercial Real Estate
picor.com
facebook.com/PICORcres
@PICORcres @BarbiReuter
linkedin.com/in/barbireuter
gplus.to/barbireuter
blog.picor.com/
Today’s Presenters
Angela Brown External Communications Manager
CoStar Group, Inc.
costar.com
facebook.com/CoStarGroup
@TheCoStarGroup @angelambrown
linkedin.com/in/angelambrown
Youtube.com/costargroup
gplus.to/CoStarGroup
Housekeeping
Recording and slides
The recording will be available tomorrow morning and the slides
are available right now. (Links are case sensitive)
Recording – http://bit.ly/MQroZ0
Slides - http://bit.ly/M18bYh
Questions
Questions will be addressed at the end, but you may submit them
at any time both through GoToMeeting and Twitter
Please use the hash tag #CoStarSocial when live-tweeting during
this program or submitting questions via Twitter. Send questions to
@TheCoStarGroup.
What We’ll Cover
LinkedIn…
What you can do with
Which account type is
right for you?
Is your profile up to par?
Third-party apps
Navigating groups
Building your network
…for brokers
Testimonial: Is it worth your
time?
Nailing your strategy
Do’s and don’ts
Getting engaged
Next-level networking:
Recommendations
Testimonial: Group
participation
LinkedIn…
Quick Facts About LinkedIn
161+ million users in over 200 countries and territories
87 million monthly visitors
61% of companies have acquired a customer through
LinkedIn, more than any other social media site, is
driving customers for B2B organizations
80% of LinkedIn members influence business decisions
What Can You do with LinkedIn?
Build your personal brand
Promote your company
Expand your network
Become a thought leader
Generate and nurture leads
Which Account Type is Right
for You?
Which Account Type is Right for You?
LinkedIn currently offers four premium
account types for:
– Business Users
– Recruiters
– Job Seekers
– Sales Pros
Which Account Type is Right for You?
Basic
Free
Ideal for lightweight LinkedIn use
Simpler, more limited search capabilities
Business
$24.95 - $99.95/mo
More powerful search with higher results and
premium filters
Ideal for open, aggressive networking and research
See full list of who’s viewed your profile
Which Account Type is Right for You?
Sales
$19.95 - $99.95/mo
Similar to Business, but entry level option
does not offer InMail
Offers “Lead Builder,” which allows you to
create and save lists of prospects
Which Account Type is Right for You?
Think about…
Your individual and business needs – what is
your role within the company?
How open do you want your network to be?
How often do you need to connect with
people outside your network?
What are you trying to achieve? Who do you
want to connect with?
How might your needs change in the future?
Is Your Profile Up to Par?
Is Your Profile up to Par?
Did you spend
enough time setting
up your profile?
A good rule of thumb is
to spend at least two
hours on initial set up.
Is Your Profile up to Par?
Have an informative
headline (be specific)
Take advantage of
opportunities to highlight
other sites
Make sure education and
work info are complete and
current
Use an appropriate photo
Use a custom URL
Keep your status up to date
Is Your Profile up to Par?
The summary statement, specialties and skills & expertise fields
give more context to who you are – what is your skill set? What
territories do you cover?
Fill the “Specialties” and “Skills & Expertise” sections with
keywords and phrases that you want associated with you and your
areas of expertise
Third-party Applications
Third-party Applications
LinkedIn has partnered with companies such as
WordPress, TripIt and Microsoft to develop free
applications to help users enhance their profiles
A new way to define and showcase what you and your
business have to offer
Best for business: WordPress, SlideShare, BlogLink
and Box.net
Third-party Applications
Bonus: LinkedIn Productivity Tools
Outlook Connector
Build your network from frequent contacts
Manage your LinkedIn contacts in Outlook
Lotus Notes Widget
Get your email and LinkedIn updates all in one place
Quickly learn more about people who send you email
Search for people you want to contact and work with
Share your status, see what your connections are
working on
Sharing Bookmarklet
Share webpages to LinkedIn from your browser
Navigating Groups
Navigating Groups
Groups are a great way to build visibility and
make new connections, but…
The simple act of joining a group won’t get you
very far
You can join up to 50, but only join as many as
you can actively participate in
One or two are better than ten
The CoStar CRE Forum is a great place to
start!
Navigating Groups
Feeling things out
Understand that it’s a process – joining a group won’t
result in closing a deal right away
Read the group rules in the top right corner – is
promotional activity allowed?
Navigating Groups
Feeling things out
Take a look at the group stats (right side) – is
the group active? Who are its members?
Observe first – participate where appropriate
and take time to build trust with other
members
Navigating Groups
Becoming an active participant
Target the most active discussions in the group for
the most visibility
Wait until you’ve spent some time participating in top
discussions before starting your own
Study the most popular posts – what do people
respond to?
Add value – respond to existing
comments, provide an insight or
opinion or ask a thought-provoking
question
Building Your Network
Building Your Network
Start with professional contacts you know and
trust
Building Your Network
Make the effort – include a personal note
when you send invitations to connect
Follow up with new connections - send a
personal note back when you accept an
invitation
Have a goal in mind – what types of
professionals do you want to connect with?
Why?
Did you just return from an event? Take action
with those business cards (and be timely)
Building Your Network
Are you asking for an
introduction or connecting
with someone you don’t
know personally? Explain the
mutual benefit.
Take advantage of
introductions but tread lightly
- the most effective intro
tactic is to pick up the phone
Connect with purpose –
focus on quality, not quantity
Building Your Network
Remember the social media golden rule:
Take online relationships offline for maximum
benefit.
Summary
Summary
Make sure your profile is complete and
professional
Keep your profile and your updates current
Get involved in groups but don’t go crazy
Make note of group rules and stats before you join
Listen first before engaging in groups
Actively pursue new connections but make it
personal and avoid spam
Take online relationships offline for maximum
benefit
…for brokers
A Word About “Experts”
Value Proposition
Is this worth my time?
Industrial user requirement – found via Search
State Commerce Authority – connection resulted
in event attendance/key listing tours
Presentation opportunity – lunch/learn on CRE
10,000 sf law firm – tenant rep via Groups
Know Your Strategy
What do I want to accomplish?
Visibility and credibility
Lead generation
Thought leadership
Branding
Network growth
Research
Track competition
The Do’s
Engage3
Be consistent & authentic
Follow traditional rules of
– Networking
– Communication
– Business etiquette
Give credit to sources
The Don’ts
Post listings
Be a taker – give back
Spam (groups, individuals)
Over automate
Engage!
Consistency over frequency
Status updates – personal, company, groups
Comment and like – keep discussions active
LinkedIn Answers
LinkedIn Polls
Springboard to personal contact
Connections
“People You May Know”
– Always personalize ask
Second degree connections
Accepting invitations – which?
Connecting with competitors – should I?
When do I disconnect?
Connections
Contacts > Add connections > People You May Know
Recommendations
Quality over quantity
Strike while the iron is hot
Client testimonials over co-workers
Personalize requests
Make it easy
Reciprocate
Handling requests
Search and Research
277% more effective for lead gen than Facebook
& Twitter for B2B
Powerful search tool
– Prospecting
– Basic vs Premium accounts
Company research
Who can introduce you?
Search and Research
Get Your Group On
Top source of referrals to PICOR Connect
Get Your Group On
Types of groups to target
Location centric
Prospect’s business
Associations/networks
Companies
Get Your Group On
How to interact
Two way
Discussions & polls
Be relevant and user-focused
Respect group rules
Control digest frequency
Get Your Group On
Summary
Recap
Focus and target – Will this activity drive business?
– Will it expand my network?
– Can we help each other?
He that gives…
Resources – HubSpot – How To Guides
– WindMill Networking – LinkedIn Category
– Social Media Examiner – LinkedIn tag
– YouTube – “InTips” playlist on LinkedIn Channel
Questions?
