The best way to use social media for professional networking is to use it effectively in your day-to-day life. Learn how to: create a professional digital profile; find your voice and create fresh social media content; use LinkedIn and Twitter effectively for networking; create meaningful connections; and build lasting professional relationships. This presentation was developed for the American Public Health Association (APHA) as part of their resources for early career professionals. It was originally delivered in January, 2015 and was updated in May, 2016. For more from Digital Edge Communications, visit our website: www.digitaledgecommunications.us

1. Get Linked In &
Linked Up:
Using Social Media
for Professional
Networking
Erin Edgerton Norvell
Founder & Principal Strategist
Digital Edge Communications
Executive Director
Society for Health Communications
May, 2016

2. Today’s Discussion
 What to do vs. what not to do
 Establishing a professional digital profile
 Creating and disseminating interesting content
 Using LinkedIn & Twitter effectively
 Creating meaningful connections
 Making the “ask” when networking for job opportunities
 Building lasting professional relationships
Digital Edge Communications

3. Do this…. But NOT this
 Use social media regularly in
your “professional life”
 Show your personality,
unique voice, and interests
 Build content around a
particular set of interests,
topics, or skillsets
 Use automation tools to
streamline and maximize
your engagement
 Listen, respond, and
participate
 Initiate conversations and
connections
 Mix your “personal life” and
“professional life” on social
media
 Create content that lacks a
consistent voice or vision
 Use your channels in a self-
serving way (push-only, lots
of “asks”)
 Use your personal channels
for organizational sales or
PR
 Underestimate your ability to
participate in a meaningful
way
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4. The best way to use social media for networking is to use
social media effectively in your day-to-day
professional life.
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5. Separating Your Social Media
Profiles and Personas
 Create a separation between your personal and professional profiles
– start new profiles if necessary
 Be clear about defining who you are and what content you will share
– people should know what they’re signing up to “follow”
 Create a manageable portfolio of profiles – a few channels used
often is better than many channels used sparingly; select channels
where frequent content create and participation is easy.
 Don’t “set it and forget it” – create goals and review at regular
intervals (e.g. followers, connections, recommendations, and
interactions)
 Review your security settings on each profile every six months
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6. Finding Your Voice,
Creating Fresh Content
 Talk about things you care
about; share your passion
and personality
 Provide something of value
to your audience:
 Upcoming events
 Related news stories
 Related blog posts
 Tailor the length, tone and
format to the channel
 Add your thoughts to others
ideas and give credit where
credit is due
Hello.
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7. Getting Your Voice Heard
 Choose the channel that you enjoy
so content creation is fun and
interesting for you
 Disseminate content via LinkedIn
and Twitter with cross-links to other
profiles
 Develop an informal content
strategy; know how you’re going to
use each channel
 Select channels that allow non-
members to view the content
 Follow the best practices for each
channel
Twitter LinkedIn
Image Credit: IMNOW
Digital Edge Communications

8. Why LinkedIn?
Because it’s widely consider to be the most comprehensive resource for
professional networking.
LinkedIn says:
 One in four employees is hired via an employee referral.
 80% of companies currently use LinkedIn as a source for recruiting.
 If you are under 50 years old or earn less than $100,000, you have a 27%
chance of finding a job through your personal and professional network.
 If you are over 50 years old or earn more than $100,000, you have a 46%
chance of finding a job through your personal and professional network.
 By simply creating a LinkedIn profile, you have an 8% chance of securing
a job (4% via corporate recruiters and an additional 4% via executive
recruiters searching for prospective employees).
Source: LinkedIn Pulse
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9. Anatomy of LinkedIn Profile
Source: Bussiness2Community
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10. LinkedIn Best Practices
 Complete it – complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive job
opportunities
 Use a professional photo – it’s the first thing people see in search results and
on your profile page
 Use the background section to attach a copy of your resume for easy printing
by recruiters
 Expand on your experience – it should match your resume but can include
more details, especially key words that recruiters will search for
 Include “advice for contacting” in the additional information section. People
outside your network can’t see your contact information. This is where you can
share the best way to reach out to you directly.
 Join groups and actively participate to make connections within the site
 Solicit and provide recommendations from/to trusted colleagues
 Create a custom url that’s easy to share
 Cross-post content you’ve created
Source: University of Buffalo
Digital Edge Communications

11. Why Twitter?
 Because public health professionals and organizations are
already there (for now…)
 Since tweets are short, content creation is easier than long-form
content (e.g. blogs)
 Built-in features make networking easy:
 Join twitter chats to find professionals with similar interests
 Search by hashtag to find conversations to join and people to
follow
 Establish lists around topics that interest you
Digital Edge Communications

12. Anatomy of a Twitter Profile
 Memorable (and logical) handle
 Professional profile picture
 Optimized header image
 Coordinated background image
 Custom text and link color
 Human and SEO-friendly bio
 Location
 Mixture of tweet formats
 Follower to following ratio
Source: Hubspot Image Credit: Party Aficionado
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13. Twitter Best Practices
Source: Passion Digital
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14. Automation Tools
 Set aside dedicated time for content creation
 Disseminate based on engagement data and update
posting schedule over time
 Use data and analyses to refine content creation and tailor
content for your followers
 Site and browser integration simplifies content creation
easy
 Tools to try:
 Buffer – scheduling and analytics tool
 Follwerwonk – analytics tool
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15. Buffer
Followerwonk
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16. Identifying &
Connecting with
Thought Leaders
 Join groups and virtual events – participate often
 Connect with conference speakers; check schedules of
upcoming conferences even if you can’t attend
 Mention or say thank you to bloggers and content creators
when they post something you find valuable
 Review your connections’ connections
 Once you’re connected: say hello, ask questions, respond to
his/her content, engage as peers
Digital Edge Communications

17. Making the Most of Live Events
 Live tweeting conferences is a great way to get new followers.
Some tips:
 Focus on writing new tweets rather than simply retweeting
 Make sure each tweet can stand on its own
 Wait for the substance of the discussion – being complete is better
than being first
 Find relevant links or twitter handles to include before you tweet
 Use LinkedIn to network in advance – ask your contacts if they’re
attending and schedule times to meet
 Post recaps of your favorite presentations and mention the
presenters
 Send a virtual “thank you” directly to presenters or the conference
organizer
Digital Edge Communications

18. Making the “Ask”
 Don’t:
 Ask for a job
 Ask him/her to buy something (don’t mix your personal
resources with your current company’s sales strategy)
 Do:
 Ask to be connected with an HR representative
 Ask for his/her personal advice about succeeding in the field
 Ask for an informational interview about his/her organization or
sector
 Ask which events, conferences, trainings you should attend
Digital Edge Communications

19. When Social Media Isn’t Enough
 Post-interview thank you notes
 Networking at conferences
and in-person events
 Professional development
 Building a relationship with a
mentor
COFFE
E
Break
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20. Building Lasting Relationships
Become a Friendlier
Person
Win People to Your Way of
Thinking
Be a Leader
Source: Dale Carnegie
• Don’t criticize, condemn,
or complain
• Give honest, sincere
appreciation
• Become genuinely
interested in other people
• Be a good listener.
Encourage others to talk
about themselves
• Make the other person feel
important – and do it
sincerely
• Talk about your own
mistakes before
criticizing the other
person
• Ask questions instead
of giving direct orders
• Praise the slightest
improvement and
praise every
improvement
• Give the other person a
good reputation to live
up to
• The only way to get the
best of an argument is to
avoid it
• Show respect for the other
person’s opinion
• If you are wrong, admit it
quickly and emphatically
• Try honestly to see things
from the other person’s
point of view
• Appeal to the nobler
motives
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21. Thank you!
Erin Edgerton Norvell
@eedgerton
LinkedIn.com/in/eedgerton
ENorvell@digitaledgecommunications.us
Slides available: slideshare.net/enorvell