I’ll focus a bit on Australia because I came across an article that fanfared the rapid growth in Aussies joining LinkedIn, from 1 million to 8 million business professionals in 6 years.
Wow. Something’s churning down there.
I would like to hear from you in Australia: what’s spurring this on?
I am pleased there is such a growth in enrollment, with so many Australians on LinkedIn.
Now that 8 million of you adopted LinkedIn and filled in your profile, would you like to learn to use it better?
- To learn the latest techniques to get better results when prospects are searching LinkedIn for someone like you?
- To find ways to tell your unique story,
- To show off 1 or more businesses,
- Or perhaps you have changed careers, restarted a career after a hiatus, or just want to know what best goes in each section?
I am developing a LinkedIn speaking tour Down Under in October/November and have been seeking business contacts there for a few weeks. So far, from the people I have been referred to in Australia, I have found somewhat tepid enthusiasm for using LinkedIn better. In other words, the article may say more are signing up, but the level of use and the expectations for success reported back to me are low.
If you read my LinkedIn profile, my excitement to teach my “special sauce” for success in generating contacts and revenues from LinkedIn may be hard to envision. I am speaking to you from so far away on my profile, in my natural voice.
And for the remaining LinkedIn nonbelievers, with the LinkedIn acquisition by Microsoft just announced, it’s now time to join the fold, and simultaneously I encourage current users to also learn my tested marketing and branding techniques.
Even today, in the USA and other countries, LinkedIn evangelists like me try to encourage the members to rise beyond a barebones profile, and want you to show you how to use it for much more than job seeking.
How do you expect to be attractive as a prospective business partner? How well are you doing with just the resume/CV rendition of historic facts of where you used to work? This is about consistently being memorable, thus generating business inquiries and keeping the funnel full.
Light use of this marketing power tool results in little incremental revenue, then the complaint “I don’t get anything from LinkedIn.” A conundrum indeed!
Perhaps the disconnect I am finding is cultural. I encourage you to embrace the exuberance this Yank brings in his “special sauce” and to review my LinkedIn profile. It’s me branding myself, and your personal style will dictate new ways of others thinking about you. only after you have expressed well why you do what you do. And you will be able to do just that, much more clearly, after one of my group training sessions. At least, that’s what my LinkedIn recommenders have said.
To be fair, a number of Australian colleagues have been exceedingly embracing and most helpful, for which I am appreciative, yet some of the others have commented back in a rather disconcerting way.
Well, LinkedIn’s your micro personal website. It’s you speaking to other biz pros in your authentic words. It’s your brand. You reap what you sow, my Australian (and all other nationality) friends. Nurture your connections, clarify your brand, as LinkedIn is blooming all over Australia. Yes, go further.
Would you like to have a conversation (Skype or other)? I’d appreciate your ideas how I can come there and shake things up a bit. This LinkedIn evangelist will raise the Australian rafters and instill the needed fervor to wake up your LinkedIn brand.
