Page 203 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

LinkedIn Pulse is a news feed gathered by LinkedIn that can be accessed by
going to Interests ➪ Pulse in the main menu of your profile. Here you will find
news based on your interests as determined by your LinkedIn preferences. In
addition, you will see a link to Top Posts on the service and a Discover link that
displays suggested people you may want to follow.
» Any webpage to your LinkedIn account
» Someone else’s update on LinkedIn by liking, commenting, or sharing

Answering questions also has additional value to a social media marketer. For
example, you can get the following benefits:

» Discovering content for blog posts, e-books, and slideshows: The best way
to create content is to answer questions. Not only will you develop material
that people are interested in, but you can also see how helpful your answers
really are. If they are not understood or require more information, that’s great
feedback for you. Then you can turn them into posts or other media with the
knowledge that they have value.
» Uncovering trends by mining the questions people are asking: If you start
to notice a new concept cropping up, you may have uncovered a new trend.
Keep your eyes open and read widely in your area of interest.
» Locating potential joint venture partners: If you are looking for an expert
in a particular area, you can ask questions to find other thought leaders who
may want to partner with you (or invest).
» Finding a technical expert: Locating a technical expert whom you under-
stand and trust can be a risky business online. If you find someone who
answers your technical questions and can act as a freelancer or consultant,
you have saved yourself a lot of time and money.
» Letting new clients find you: A great by-product of showing off your skills
is that someone with a budget to buy your products or hire you could be
listening. Be generous with your expertise and let people get to know you.
They’ll be more likely to consider working with you.

Finding a Job

For job seekers, checking out LinkedIn is must. The basics are free, and employers
are actively looking. If you have diligently read and acted on the preceding
sections, you should be ready to hit the ground running for your job search. You
have a great profile, lots of important contacts, and an understanding of the

CHAPTER 11 Considering LinkedIn 187