FINALLY!! it's a wrap 👉 Today marks 365 days of posting. Here's what I learned...


9 months of posting daily on LinkedIn taught me this...


Crazy, it was 251 days ago I took the plunge.

Here's what I have learned so far...
 
🔥 1) Don't overthink, don't second guess

It's scary to step out, I know. Warm up the "room" by liking, following, and commenting before you start posting. This builds a network to support you.
 
🔥 2) It gets easier each day (not a cliche, it's really true.)

Now, 9 months in, if a post doesn't hit, I don't take it personally. It can be the algorithm, timing, relevance. I keep learning from each post and it gets easier to write and find ideas as well.
 
🔥 3) People first. Posts second

The Law of Reciprocity applies here. Focus on building up people. They will pay you back with support, kindness, and often referrals and opportunities. 
 
🔥 4) Comments are currency

Comment thoughtfully on every. single. post. Even when it takes longer. This is how we build trust, show our personality and increase engagement.
 
🔥 5) Somebody's always watching you...

Most of my leads and clients come from those who read but don't engage. Don't be harsh on lurkers. It's hard to step out online.
 
🔥 6) Fresh content daily

People get bored easily. Focus on a compelling headline/opening sentence. Rotate post formats and your pillar topics but stay in one lane. Sprinkle in some short-form content for those who scan more than they read.
 
🔥 7) Friends are found here

I can't wait to open up my LinkedIn app each morning. This community is supportive, smart, and kind and will prop you up the days you want to quit.
 
🔥 8) Metrics don't always matter

In the last few weeks, we all have taken a hit. Those that stay in it, win it. Aim for leads vs likes.
 
🔥 9) Be relatable and approachable

Show your personal side and watch your engagement grow. You can share your personality and be personable without being too personal.
 
IT'S TRUE...
 
When you put yourself out there, the opportunities are out there. 

REMEMBER...

You don't need permission or perfection.
It's never too late.

 ➡️ What lessons have you learned on LinkedIn this year?


#personalbranding #linkedin #socialmedia #PutYourselfOutThere

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To all those in the #365challenge, WE DID IT!! It wasn't easy, but it was.so.worth.it!

Here are 12 lessons learned this year.
(I probably can write 50, but keeping it brief for NYE)

1. Do it scared!
✅ Ignore the inner voice. We're never meant to stay long in our comfort zones.

2. Build a community before you create.
✅ Even before you start posting, get active commenting, reading, engaging with others.

3. Put in the reps. Find your flow.
✅ The more I posted, the more I learned, wrote better, and found clarity and confidence.

4. LinkedIn is NOT a social media platform.
✅ Nope, I realized fast (and wish I knew earlier) It's your community and your university.

5. Give, give, give, and then give more.
✅ You have to give 10x more than you get here, and it pays off.

6. What do I post about??
✅ It's magic: when you get out there consistently the ideas flow. It's nuts, but true!

7. If a post flops, I know these 2 truths.
✅ I don't take it personally and I know more people see it, even if they don't engage with it.

8. It's a long game, not a one-and-done.
✅ First, it takes time to build. And then you have to be doing #2 and #5 and results will follow.

9. Fortune DOES favor creators.
✅ Out of sight, out of mind rings true here. Inbound leads, dream clients, and opportunities are the payoffs.

10. Visibility is NOT vanity. It opens doors & unlocks opportunities.
✅ Get out there as people need to know you so you can help them.

11. People are the REASON.
✅ The community, connections, and friends I've made here are my biggest success story. I can't stress this enough.

12. We all have something to say and share.
✅ Write your original insights, stories and build in public as they say. You'll find your people and payoffs by being you.

And for now, that's a wrap. 🎉
I'll move now to 3-5 days and take my weekends off.
___

👉 To the #365crew, let's hear from you below. We did it!
👉 Are you planning to post regularly in 2022?

5 Ways LinkedIn is THE Place to Showcase Your Personal Brand

For many years I thought LinkedIn was just the place to post your resume or look for a new and improved job.

Aside from promoting work‌ ‌events,‌ I rarely logged on and hardly posted. I didn’t think LinkedIn could help my already-established career.

Fast forward to early 2020. I had recently left my long-time executive role in marketing and events to pursue my consulting full-time and was looking for a way to connect with fellow marketers and potential clients.

I read countless articles on the power of networking on LinkedIn and decided to give it a second look.

What I found surprised me; this wasn’t the LinkedIn I used to know!

How had I missed out on this new and improved professional community?

I soon started sending out connections and commenting on posts of interesting people whom I wanted to meet and learn from.

And it wasn’t too long before things started happening.

In just a few months, by interacting, engaging, and offering insight, I met new colleagues, landed clients, and was invited to speak on a podcast.

All by showing up daily on LinkedIn.

And the good news is you can do the same. Even‌ ‌if‌ ‌you’re‌ ‌new‌ ‌to‌ ‌LinkedIn ‌or‌ ‌have‌ ‌500+‌ ‌connections,‌ it can be a big boost to your career and client connections.

Here’s how:

Get found online, faster

If a recruiter or future client looks you up online what do they find? With a LinkedIn profile, they’ll find you faster and in the top rankings of search pages. Try it for yourself: Google your name and see it appear in the top three search results.

If you have a blog, Google also gives authority to LinkedIn’s long-form articles. That means you can update your existing blog or content, add it to LinkedIn’s articles section, and have a better chance of it being found.

It’s your digital reputation, not your digital resume

‌When Microsoft acquired LinkedIn in 2016 for $27 billion, it became more of a professional social networking site rather than a resume and recruiter site. Each month new tools and features are rolled out often to showcase your skills and feature your best work to potential clients.

Think of your LinkedIn profile as the digital story of your career. It’s your online reputation and proof of your personal and professional achievements. That’s why many people forgo business cards and use their profiles to highlight their blogs, published articles, videos, photos, and best podcast episodes. 

Online networking is the new normal

2020 showed us a digital presence is practically the ONLY way to meet and build relationships.

Gone were in-person weekly or monthly networking events, industry conferences, and annual summits to connect with people who can move your career forward. 

When‌ ‌we‌ ‌can’t‌ ‌meet‌ ‌face‌ ‌to‌ ‌face,‌ ‌how‌ ‌are‌ ‌you‌ ‌going‌ ‌to‌ ‌network‌ ‌and‌ ‌market?‌ 

LinkedIn is this place. Currently, there are 900 ‌million‌+ professionals worldwide and thousands of new members are added weekly.

Check out these impressive stats and see how fast LinkedIn is growing top-tier professionals.

It’s a friendlier and more inclusive social site

It’s the business world so LinkedIn members are on their best behavior. Trolling, inappropriate messages and abusive behavior are not common. 

As one connection told me, “People on LinkedIn post and comment about stimulating things that I find interesting and help me improve personally and professionally.”

He’s right. 

I’ve met some of the friendliest, smartest and most encouraging connections on LinkedIn. And it’s not just people in my industry or country. From Australia, the UK and Canada, I’ve zoomed offline with professionals I would’ve never had the opportunity to meet in real life.

No matter your age, experience, country or industry, everyone can contribute and is warmly welcomed in the LinkedIn community.

Your Ticket to More Opportunities

You don’t have to have thousands of connections and followers to start seeing and making a difference. Even‌ ‌if‌ ‌you’re‌ ‌new‌ ‌to‌ ‌LinkedIn or if you haven’t logged on in years, just showing up and participating daily can make a noticeable difference to your personal brand.

LinkedIn can help you find:

A‌ ‌job‌ ‌you‌ ‌love

Perfect-fit clients

Awareness of your brand or business

Speaking‌ ‌Opportunities

Investors‌ ‌to‌ ‌fund‌ ‌your‌ ‌next‌ ‌venture ‌

Influential‌ ‌people‌ ‌ready‌ ‌to‌ ‌collaborate‌ ‌with‌ ‌you‌

Let’s start connecting

I learned the hard way, wasted precious time, and don’t want you to make the mistake I did. Start today so you can make your mark on the professional world.

Follow me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebgriffin for personal branding, content marketing, and thought leadership content.

Note: This article first appeared on SheOwnsIt.com in December 2020.


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