Fitting social media into your day doesn't have to be a daunting task.
Since part of my job involves working with attorneys to help them create a strong online presence, I thought it might not be a bad idea to write a outlining a typical day on Linkedin.
Morning Coffee (10-15 minutes)
Right after I get to my desk, I open my browser and see what's new on my various social accounts. This includes reading my LinkedIn home page and scanning for new posts in my LinkedIn Groups. Sometimes I comment on a thought-provoking article or provide my opinion on a Group poll. I will send notes of congrats to those in my network who have changed jobs / been promoted.Afternoon Break (5-10 minutes)
Many of us get hit with a bout of food coma at around 3pm. I don't smoke, so a smoke break is out. I do my best to avoid the afternoon Starbucks run (I admit, not always successfully - I'm not made of stone, people). Instead, I check back into Twitter to see what has been going on. I start with the list of my attorneys' accounts, because I like sharing the Twitter love and retweeting a colleague's tweet. Then I read tweets from legal marketing thought leaders and publications I follow. If I find something of interest, I will share their tweet on my LinkedIn account (in the "Share Updates" field on the home page). Note: always include the relevant account handles to indicate where this information was found.Evening Commute (10-20 minutes)
I take metro home from my DC office, so I have all kinds of free time to revisit my LinkedIn home page and see what my network is talking about. I rarely post anything in the evenings - this is all about reading and catching up on the day's happenings. Honestly, I spend most of my commute time on Twitter, and will "Favorite" a tweet if I think it is something my LinkedIn network will find interesting. The next morning, I review these flagged tweets and post links to the information on my LinkedIn profile.Rules of Maintenance
- Connect the dots: make it easy for people to find you on the social web by including your Twitter, blog, (and, if you're a lawyer, your attorney bio) links on your LinkedIn profile. I also have a url to my LinkedIn profile on my Twitter page.
- Strut your stuff: whenever I speak at an industry event or publish an article (not that often, maybe twice a year) I add these to my Publications section. Presentation materials and how-to docs are always appreciated by your peers. Additionally, this content tells conference organizers that you know you your business, and it may lead to additional speaking opportunities.
- Play well with others: I know, we are talking about your profile, so shouldn't it be all about you? Well, yes and no. You don't want to come off a gasbag, and besides there is plenty of smart information out there aside from yours. Share the content you find valuable/interesting. This is not only the right thing to do, but it shows that you have a wide net and are open about reading what's out there. It also puts you on the radar of the person who wrote the content (not a bad thing, as they may return the favor some day).
So there you have it. No magic. No time suck. No gaming the system by trying to get 5000+ connections. And no massive content creation effort. Just daily attention to my network. Which, when you think about it, is something we should all be doing anyway.
I'm sure there are other ways people have been successful on LinkedIn, and would love it if you shared your suggestions in the comments section.
