jeudi 22 mai 2014

TwitterToolsReviews

TwitterToolsReviews


How to Unfollow on Social Media

Posted: 21 May 2014 06:27 PM PDT

Fernando Cuscuela

How to Unfollow on Social Media image how to unfollow post

Utilizing social media to the full extent means following the right people.  We spend our time searching for the best influencers who share important and relevant news so that we can keep up-to-date on information in our industry.  But then, there comes a time when we need to unfollow.  I'd say this happens at least on an annual basis for both business and personal social media accounts.

For personal it's when you find yourself looking at a friend's cousin's ex's baby pictures, and business it's when you find your feed full of spam.  But unfollowing manually can be an exhausting process, especially because most likely at this point, you have really well-built out social networks.  So, if you're ready to unfollow, here are some great tools we recommend.

Cleaning up Twitter

Tweepi: Tweepi allows you to manage your Twitter users by viewing who is reciprocating your following, who isn't, when users last tweeted and other statistics such as how active users are with their tweets, retweets, likes and even Klout scores.   You can then unfollow users in one quick swoop – cutting down the unfollow process time.

Refollow: This app allows you to unfollow users that don't meet certain criteria (don't have a profile picture, don't follow you, etc).  You can also use this app to follow certain people, so it has double functionality.

Cleaning up Facebook

ManageYourLikes: This free services helps you unfollow pages (because how many times have we clicked Like when we really don't mean it).  This is a particularly useful tool when you want to unlike inactive pages.

Facebook Friend Organizer: This is a tool on Facebook itself that shows you friends who you haven't interacted with lately.  You can then add them to an 'Acquaintances' list and they show up less in your newsfeed.

Cleaning up Instagram

InstaFeedCleaner: InstaFeedCleaner gives you an instant overview of the InstaGram users you follow, so you can easily see who “Likes” or comments on your photos, just check the app to easily decide who to unfollow.

Cleaning up Pinterest

Pin4Ever: This tool let's you backup your pins – which is particularly helpful for some.  It also let's you quickly follow back and/or unfollow Pinterest pinners.  You can follow or unfollow your followers, follow all of someone else's followers, or unfollow pinners that don't follow you.

All In One

Sometimes it's best to clean all of your networks at once.  For that we recommend:

SimpleWash: For Facebook and Twitter, this tool lets you have a present "undesirable content" list that will compile a list of users that include offensive language.  You can also create your own "undesirable content" list by putting in words that you want to search for and unfollow.

ArgyleSocial: For Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn, this tool helps manage all relationships. This is usually for bigger organizations as it has a high monthly cost.

There are many other tools out there (and some launching now), which do you prefer to use?

The post How to Unfollow on Social Media appeared first on Twitter Tools Reviews.

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The 5 Cs Of Social Media

Posted: 21 May 2014 06:16 PM PDT

Brooke Ballard

If you were to ask five different people what the fundamentals of social media were, you'd probably get five different answers. In fact, I asked an entire group of SteamFeed authors and got 9 different answers!

The 5 Cs Of Social Media image fundamentals of social media

Most of those answers fit into one of the five categories we're going to go over in this post: Content, Community, Conversation, Collaboration, and Conversion.

Using the 5 Cs together will ensure you're building the foundation to a solid social strategy.

Content

To me, content is the cornerstone of social media. You simply cannot waltz onto a social network and be successful without amazing content and some sort of content marketing strategy.

Good content is:

  • Valuable
  • Engaging
  • Searchable (SEO, anyone?)
  • Easy to read
  • Actionable (which leads to the 5th C: Conversion)

Actionable can mean several things:

  • Likes, Plus 1s, comments, shares
  • It creates a snackable bite that someone else wants to use in their writing, podcast, study, blog post, etc.
  • Conversion: A sign up, a subscriber, a download, a prospect or a lead

As Keri from Idea Media Girl put it, content is less about you and more about what your would-be consumers are looking for.

The 5 Cs Of Social Media image content

Your content is the hook that will draw in the community. Without it, your community will likely be nonexistent, small, or uninterested in what you're saying on your social media sites.

Community

Once you have great content to lure interested parties to your social pages, you begin building a community.

This is the hard part for a lot of peeps because they focus on the medium (social media) and not the meaning (relationship building).

Carrie with BTC REvolutions hit the nail on the head:

"Be the biggest fan of your fans."

The 5 Cs Of Social Media image community

If you focus on putting people first, it will lead you to do things like:

  • Picking the platform where your target audience is, rather than picking the place you think will work
  • Creating a strategy for disseminating content
  • Testing guidelines that are firm, but fair, to run the community
  • Allowing — and ENCOURAGING — conversation and discussion
  • Celebrating your community members

A good community will help you shape and mould your brand. A good community will spark ideas for new content, and maybe even new products & services.

You'll know you have a good community when the conversation flows easily (with or without you).

Conversation

With our tag line being,

"Think Conversation, Not Campaign"

this is probably my favorite C. Conversation drives everything on social media.

If you're putting your people first — while still trying to get to the 5th C, Conversion — then you should be trying to understand your community. You need to know what drives them, what makes them buy.

This doesn't happen by sharing kitten memes or quotes from Zig Ziglar. That's one-way conversation. And while it may be entertaining, it doesn't move the process along.

As Darin from ZipMinis points out,

"… what we have to say as bloggers is powerful too. You must be in harmony with the audience while highlight your voice and ideas."

The 5 Cs Of Social Media image conversation 600x186

And Kim from Kimberly Yuhl Media Works shows the other side of that, which is also important:

"Stop using [social media] purely as a distribution channel and just talk to people."

So how you you play both sides? How do you make it about them but make sure you're getting what you need too?

Think of it like dating. You're going to have to "woo" your community with great content and even better conversations. You've got to prove you're trustworthy, and more valuable than the next guy or girl.

You've also got to prove you're:

  • Truthful and transparent
  • Caring
  • Helpful
  • Accepting

Emotional marketing comes into play here.

You should be using psychographics — beliefs, feelings, opinions, attitudes, values — in conversation to extract the psychographics of your audience.

The power of taking your would-be consumer's feelings and putting them to work for your brand can help you make direct correlations to their buying patterns.

Psychographics answer the question every marketer is trying to answer: What do my buyers want?

Once you're past the dating phase and having regular conversations with your community, you'll get to the 4th C: Collaboration.

Collaboration

Collaboration is where savvy brands are sitting right now.

Look at brands like Target and Urban Outfitters. They are taking user-generated content (UGC) and changing the way their stores are laid out, using customer photos on Instagram, and even changing the way their website looks and feels.

That's collaboration at its finest.

You have to realize that these brands worked very hard to get there. They started with content, built a loyal community, and started having lots of in-depth conversations.

And it was through those conversations that they were able to start the next level of social media marketing … collaboration.

Dorien from More In Media highlights this when she comments,

" … Great Team … Solid Strategic Plan … Oh, an an understanding of basic human sociology."

The 5 Cs Of Social Media image collaboration 600x71

Collaboration can happen on the backend, the frontend, and definitely through social media channels.

It's taking those psychographics and doing something useful with them. It's listening. It's having more conversations than you're having now. It's showing that you listened, that you care, and that you DID SOMETHING about the feelings, opinions and beliefs of your community.

One of your goals and KPIs (key performance indicators) should be to garner collaboration from your customers and community. By meeting this goal, you'll help make more conversions (our final C).

Conversion

Finally. We've made it to the part that most companies start with. What's my ROI (return on investment) for using social media?

Conversions take a lot of work.

As Daniel, Growth Manager of Social Media for /newsrooms said:

"Start with a top level strategy … what KPIs are important to you …"

The 5 Cs Of Social Media image conversion 600x181

If you can't see your ROI in the other 4 Cs, maybe social media isn't the place for you.

It's this simple: With social media, I don't think you can have a ROI without a ROC (return on conversation).

You also won't see a continuous ROI with:

  • Lack of strategy
  • Sucky content
  • No sense of community
  • No efforts for collaboration

Maybe it should be: You can't have a ROI without a ROCs! Cs = Content, Community, Conversation and Collaboration.

You're going to have to leave your comfort zone.

You're going to have to think differently.

You're going to have to think more deeply about the conversations you're having online.

The bottom line is that you can't afford to see consumers as dollar signs. You can't even "see" them as the avatars that pop up on your social media sites. User1234 isn't buying your fluff.

If you want to get to conversion, then you're going to have to work through ALL 5 Cs of social media.

The 5 Cs Of Social Media image 5 Cs of social media

What Cs do you need help with? Am I missing any points, or Cs? Please let me know in the comments section below!

See you in the social sphere!

The post The 5 Cs Of Social Media appeared first on Twitter Tools Reviews.

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This iPhone Ringtone Remix Will Be Your Next Download (Video)

Posted: 21 May 2014 05:32 PM PDT

Amanda Peterlin

Challenge of the day: Try and find someone who has never heard the generic iPhone ringtone. Only stipulation, they must be under the age of 60 years old. It's a tone we all know so well. In the distance you hear it and for some weird reason, knowing you have a personalized ringtone, you check your phone anyway.

YouTube user MetroGnome blew the minds of iPhone enthusiasts and non-iPhone owners alike two days ago when he uploaded the most angelic and legitimate iPhone ringtone remix. This video has generated over 285,000 views and can now be found in my iTunes with its free download. Close to 5,000 thumbs up and 55 misguided individuals hit thumbs down.

How fast can this be synced to your phone? Not fast enough.

MetroGnome has many similar remix videos that highlight pop culture such as Breaking Bad, Ellie Goulding, Rihanna, David Guetta, Led Zeppelin, Florence + The Machine, and Maroon 5. To summarize his profile, the only words in his About section are "I make beats and stuff." This video will be sure to bump up his YouTube subscribers, he currently sits just under 60,000.

Thank you, MetroGnome. iPhones thank you, spoiled 13-year-old girls thank you, the 53-year-old "cool dads" thank you, and Steve Jobs may or may not thank you.

The post This iPhone Ringtone Remix Will Be Your Next Download (Video) appeared first on Twitter Tools Reviews.

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21 Things to Stop Doing on Your Blog

Posted: 21 May 2014 04:53 PM PDT

Danny Wong

21 Things to Stop Doing on Your Blog image Stop That 600x210

As a blogger, I've done (and still do) silly things and have learned hard lessons from those embarrassing experiences.

Throughout my career, I've written hundreds of posts for dozens of publications covering a variety of different verticals (fashion, home & garden, entrepreneurship, technology, marketing, careers, you name it!). Now I would like to share a few valuable tips I've learned that may help you become a better blogger.

…and while I can list a whole bunch of things TO DO, you've probably already heard most of the advice I could offer. This post aims to point out bad blogging habits you might not even be aware of.

Blogger Do Not's

  1. Aggressive sales promotion. Your content should be about your reader, not your brand.
  2. Anonymous authors. Readers want to know who you are, so publish under your byline and add a headshot while you're at it.
  3. Consistently short posts. Need I say more?
  4. Creating content you hate. Write about things you (and your readers) care about. They'll appreciate your authenticity and passion.
  5. Editing permalinks. You lose link juice on 301 redirects (if you remember to do them).
  6. Featuring shady advertisers. Though adult sites may offer you a royal sum, your blog's reputation is worth far more.
  7. Going text only. Images make a real difference.
  8. Ignoring comments. Don't be that guy (or gal) who initiates, then abandons the conversation.
  9. Ignoring your readers' needs. Produce content your readers ask for and they will love you for it.
  10. Keyword stuffing. Trust me, Google is smarter than you.
  11. No tagging. When visitors search your blog, they should discover at least a handful of posts that are well worth reading about the topic they are researching.
  12. Obnoxiously long articles. Readers hate when you pad a post with fluff. Ain't nobody got time for that.
  13. Press release after press release. Give your readers a bit more substance.
  14. Post 'uncategorized'. Label your content with a category (or two) that helps visitors better understand what it is they are reading.
  15. Poor recommendations. Whenever appropriate, link to other things on your site your readers actually care about (and then watch your engagement numbers grow).
  16. Publishing shoddy guest posts. Be selective about the authors you work with.
  17. Stealing content (without proper attribution). No one likes a thief.
  18. The frankenpost. It's easy to copy and paste parts of other posts to create a full article, but that's a lazy tactic that gets you nowhere. Craft original stories, always.
  19. The monologue. Speak to your readers, not yourself.
  20. Unnecessary outrage. A public rant does not serve anyone well.
  21. Writing off-topic. Don't betray your readers who have high expectations.

What are some things you wished bloggers simply stopped doing?

Image source: 1

The post 21 Things to Stop Doing on Your Blog appeared first on Twitter Tools Reviews.

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A Quick Starter Guide to Buffer

Posted: 21 May 2014 03:00 PM PDT

Jonathan Payne

A Quick Starter Guide to Buffer image A Quick Starter Guide to Buffer 600x120

For not being officially affiliated with Buffer (hey, I'm open to changing that *glances over at Joel and Leo*), you probably think I talk a little too much about them.

However, I think organizations with amazing products and unique business philosophies that challenge the status quo deserve all the attention in the world.

With that said, this post is a Buffer starter guide that focuses on the following topics:

  • A broad overview of what Buffer is and how it stacks up to the competition.
  • Why I think it's one of the more helpful social media tools available.
  • How to connect your social media accounts.
  • How to set up your first Buffer schedule.

You'll be well on your way to easier, more effective social media marketing with Buffer, so let's dive in!

 

What is Buffer?

Put simply, Buffer is a social media application that allows you to easily schedule updates across multiple social networks.

You're probably thinking, "So what? There are lots of tools to help with that."

I can't disagree. Between HootSuite, Sprout Social, SocialOomph, and many others, there's definitely no shortage of social media management platforms out there.

All of these tools have their pros and cons — whether it relates to user interface, features or lack thereof, flexibility, mobile compatibility, etc. — and none of them are perfect.

Personally, I'm fond of Buffer for a few major reasons…

  • Firstly, the user interface is clean and runs smoothly. That alone puts it a notch far above most of the competition.
  • Secondly, the ability to easily set up predetermined schedules saves tons of time when scheduling social media updates (we'll get into more detail with this shortly).
  • And lastly, their customer service kicks ass! I don't have any data to back this up, but my gut feeling is Buffer's customer support team is among the best of any company in any industry.

This post is meant to be a "take action" post, so I don't want to get too caught up here in the details of what makes Buffer unique.

If you want to learn more about what Buffer brings to the table, their culture, their team, and so on, I highly suggest you check out the Open Buffer blog where they go behind the scenes and give "business transparency" a new meaning!

With all that said, let's get on with the show so you can start using Buffer to immediately improve your social media presence!

Adding Social Networks

If you haven't signed up for Buffer yet, you can grab a free account here. This free plan allows you to connect one of each social network — Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn — and allows you to "buffer" (schedule) up to ten updates per account.

After you've signed in, adding your social media accounts is a piece of cake. In the left navigation pane, you'll see a button to connect your profiles.

A Quick Starter Guide to Buffer image Adding Accounts to Buffer

You'll then be taken to a page that allows you to select which profiles you want to connect. Choose the network and grant Buffer access to your profile!

A Quick Starter Guide to Buffer image Adding Social Network to Buffer 600x421

That's it! Now you're ready to start scheduling updates!

The Perks of Buffer's Scheduling Function

With Buffer, you no longer have to select the date and time each individual update should be published. Buffer allows you to set up a predetermined posting schedule and, as you add updates to the queue, Buffer automatically drops them into the time slots you selected.

This is a huge time saver for me and I'm certain it will be for you as well.

Note: Buffer still provides an option to schedule updates at a specific time of your choosing if you prefer that method or have a time-sensitive update.

Another handy feature with Buffer is the ability to very easily alter your posting schedule based on the day of the week. For example, if you want Buffer to send out updates only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you can select those three days and the Buffer queue will automatically adjust.

You can also set up different schedules for each social network, so you're not posting the same message at the same time across every network.

This is all available on the free version!

Additionally, if you upgrade to the Buffer Awesome plan, you'll have the ability to set up different updating schedules on different days!

This feature gives you tons of flexibility and allows you to schedule updates at just the right times to maximize Facebook reach and engagement on other social networks.

For example, let's assume your Facebook fans tend to be online on Mondays between 9-10am and 2-3pm and on Tuesdays between 1-2pm and 10-11pm. You could set up a posting schedule for 9:30AM and 2:15PM on Mondays and another posting schedule for 1:20PM and 10:05PM on Tuesdays.

Your updates will be published in those time frames, giving you the best chance of reaching your fan base.

Creating a Buffer Schedule

Setting up a Buffer schedule is super easy! First, choose a social network on the left side of your dashboard, then select the Schedule tab near the top of the page.

If you're sticking with the free version for now, you'll have the option of only one schedule per network, but that's plenty for now.

Choose your time zone, choose which days of the week you want the selected social network to be updated, then select the times you want updates to be published.

A Quick Starter Guide to Buffer image Setting Up First Buffer Schedule 600x374

In this image, I've chosen to update my Facebook page every day of the week at 9:03AM and 7:04PM, because that's when most of my fans are online. Any time I add a new update to the Buffer queue, the update will automatically fall into the next open time slot.

Easy? Convenient? I think so!

Get Buffer-ing!

After following this guide and using Buffer for a few days, I think you'll quickly find yourself loving the tool! It's an outstanding, simple tool for managing a handful of personal accounts or business accounts (check out the free trial of Buffer for Business).

If you run into any trouble, I know from first-hand experience that the Buffer support team (dubbed Happiness Heroes, for good reason) will take amazing care of you! Any issues you contact them about will almost definitely be resolved in less than 24 hours.

Feel free to ask me any questions as well, like how I use Buffer and IFTTT to automate a few Twitter updates a day or how I use Buffer to better manage my social media presence. Always happy to help where I can!

Be on the lookout for more blog posts about other Buffer features that are sure to make your social media marketing efforts easier and more effective.

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Charlie Day Advises Graduates Not to Let Failure Stop You From Being Great

Posted: 21 May 2014 02:08 PM PDT

Rachel Consoli

Actor Charlie Day, best known for his work in the popular TV show "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia", but also a 1998 Merrimack College graduate, spoke at Merrimack’s commencement last Sunday. As an upcoming college senior, I've seen a lot of commencement speeches and it's usually the chance for the speaker to drone on about their accomplishments or lecture about the importance of this or that. I found this speech completely refreshing, full of humor and cute anecdotes of his life. His main points are not to be afraid of failure because it's what leads you to greatness. He's personable, funny, and is completely relatable. Day has redefined a way of giving a commencement speech by not talking down to these students who have now officially become adults, but by treating them as such. He says that he looked up speeches by other celebrities such as Steve Jobs and felt he'd never be able to compare, but realized he doesn't need to since everyone is unique and all he needs is to be himself.

It's definitely worth watching the full twenty minutes, however if you don't have the time here, in my opinion, are the best quotes and advice from his speech:

- A college degree does nothing, it collects dust. It does however mean something. It tells something to your community. It says, 'I have expanded my mind and destroyed my liver, but I didn't give up.'

- Having a plan B can muddy up your plan A. I didn't take the job. I moved to the city, I bussed tables, I lived in a basement apartment next to a garbage shoot that was filled with cockroaches, and I could not have made a better decision.

- I had a sense that maybe I could create an opportunity that was better than the ones that were being given to me. So I borrowed cameras, I had friends hold microphones, and we shot a show that we were going to call 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'.

- There's an obvious lesson here: don't wait for your break; make your break. Go make it happen for yourself.

- My lesson is this: I don't give a shit.

- You cannot let a fear of failure or a fear of comparison or a fear of judgment stop you from doing what's going to make you great. You cannot succeed without this risk of failure. You cannot have a voice without the risk of criticism. And you cannot love without the risk of lost.

- I don't think you should do just what makes you happy, do what makes you great. Not what makes you comfortable, but is scary and hard and pays off in the long run. Be willing to fail. Let yourself fail.

- You do not have to be fearless, just don't let fear stop you.

The newly honored Dr. Charlie Day has clearly proven that he knows how to engage the minds of all, and especially knows how to inspire some graduating seniors who never forget the lessons learned on this day. In my opinion, all commencement speakers should look to this, because reliability and humor is the way to get people to listen. And this way maybe students will actually hold onto this great advice forever instead of counting down the minutes until the speech finally ends.

The post Charlie Day Advises Graduates Not to Let Failure Stop You From Being Great appeared first on Twitter Tools Reviews.

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How to Use Snapchat for Business Marketing

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:40 PM PDT

Mike Gingerich

How to Use Snapchat for Business Marketing image image 1 snap chat for business

The social media marketing landscape is constantly changing, making it challenging for businesses to keep up. For savvy marketers who understand the different channels (Facebook, Twitter, etc…) and how to use them, the task is somewhat manageable, though the pace of change is always fast.

The real challenge, however, comes from identifying which emerging
new channels is worth using and the best way to use them!

One of the upstart new channels making waves is an app called Snapchat.

It's quickly captured the interest of a younger demographic (15-25+) utilizing Facebook less and turning more to instant messaging types of communication—think Twitter and Instagram—Snapchat becomes a good fit. Snapchat is primarily used on mobile devices and functions like a text message, but uses either a photo or video to deliver its message.

The twist is that once the recipient opens the message, it becomes available for a predetermined amount of time. For example, if I were to send you a video message (10 seconds is the limit), it would be available for you to view for 1 to 10 seconds (the sender determines the amount of time the message remains available) once you opened it. After that, the message is hidden from the recipient's device and later deleted from the Snapchat server.

16 Handles, a New York-based frozen yogurt chain was one of the first companies to figure out how to utilize the network. The company had its customer's send a video of themselves sampling the yogurt at one of their locations, and in return 16 Handles sent them a Snapchat message with a coupon for use during the visit.

The New Orleans Saints were the first NFL team to embrace the new medium. Each week during the 2013 season the team would send out chats with behind-the-scenes footage or photos of the uniforms they would be wearing or new merchandise in the fan store to subscribers.

McDonalds joined the list of companies experimenting with the messaging service by creating a series of video chats that announced the introduction of their new bacon clubhouse sandwich. To promote their Snapchat marketing experiment, McDonalds used Twitter to attract followers to the new account.

With smartphone use growing each day, companies that aren't utilizing mobile marketing channels are missing a golden opportunity. The prized Millennial demographic is shifting from traditional marketing methods and causing major players—like McDonalds—to find new ways to reach them. Using the above examples, here are:

5 ways companies can use Snapchat in marketing:

  1. In-store coupons
  2. New product announcements
  3. Exclusive looks behind the scenes
  4. Exclusive deals and promotions
  5. Build followers with giveaways

How to Use Snapchat for Business Marketing image snapchat mike

Is Snapchat the next big thing in social media marketing?

Only time will tell, but if major brands like McDonalds and Taco Bell are using Snapchat Marketing, it's worth a look. Reaching the younger portion of the Millennial demographic can be challenging, but Snapchat offers an inexpensive way to engage them and promote your business.

Even if your business doesn't cater to youth and young adults, keep an eye on Snapchat because it's on the move!

What are your thoughts on Snapchat for business marketing?

The post How to Use Snapchat for Business Marketing appeared first on Twitter Tools Reviews.

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How College Students Should Use LinkedIn

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:30 PM PDT

Kenna Griffin

LinkedIn is considered the social network for professionals, which means that college students, whether they are in the job market yet or not, should be using it to build their professional network.

How College Students Should Use LinkedIn image 1065245 791069351My friend, Steven Chappell, previously posted on this blog about Why You Should Use LinkedIn More Than Facebook or Twitter. But just having a LinkedIn account certainly isn't enough to make you stand out to potential employers. Here are some tips for using LinkedIn to network.

Write an appealing headline

LinkedIn automatically puts your current position as your profile headline. Most people don't realize that you can (and should) change this.

When I was researching LinkedIn, my friend Chris Westfall had the only profile I saw with an altered headline. Of course, I changed my LinkedIn profile after reading this advice.

You should change your headline to help you stand out. Use this space to identify your industry, specialty and/or the job you're interested in.

Claim your URL

LinkedIn automatically gives your profile a standard, numerical address. Customize it with your name to help you stand out in Google search results.

Display an appropriate photo

Photos of you in a club, with other people or obvious selfies do not communicate professionalism. Choose a good headshot with a neutral background. If you don't have a professional headshot, consider getting together with a friend and taking good, clear photos of each other.

Use keywords

Use keywords when describing your work. This increases the chances of your profile getting noticed by people in similar industries.

Complete the summary

Treat the summary as a short place to sell your personal brand, a bit like a super concise cover letter. Why should the person looking at your profile page look further and consider hiring you?

Highlight skills

LinkedIn has a skills section where you can highlight special skills, languages, publications, etc. Be sure to be specific about what you can do here. Be honest because you may be asked to perform these skills.

Connect

It doesn't do any good for you to have a LinkedIn account if you aren't connecting with others. However, LinkedIn is not the same as a social medium like Twitter where you connect with anyone with an interesting profile. Connect on LinkedIn only with individuals you know who you would like to serve as potential career references for you.

LinkedIn connections are like references with degrees of separation. It is likely that potential employers will contact someone you're both connected with, perhaps even doing this instead of your provided references.

Join groups

Join groups in your professional area and representing organizations you're already part of. This is a good way to network and make professional connections. A great place to start is your college's alumni group, which is full of people who have a vested interest in your success.

Include classes

If you don't have much work experience, you can include your college classes on your LinkedIn profile. This is especially helpful in fields where specific, unique skills are sought after. For example, if you're a journalist who can edit video in Final Cut Pro and code, potential employers need/want to know that.

List leadership roles

Leadership roles show how you chose to spend your time when you weren't in class. Include volunteer experiences and student leadership experiences on your profile.

Follow others

There is a difference between connecting and following. You should connect with people you know and who you wouldn't mind being contacted informally and asked about you. You can follow pages of companies, organizations and leaders in your industry. Again, this is a great way to network with others in your profession.

Request recommendations

If you did an internship and made a great impression on your employers, don't be afraid to approach them for a recommendation. Recommendations make your profile more credible. Also, don't forget about asking professors, advisers, etc. for references and connections in the beginning.

Post and engage

You can't just build your LinkedIn profile and leave it. You need to participate in the discussion.

Post professional blog posts or relevant industry news. Be sure to include a call to action or discussion question at the end of the post to try to entice others to join the conversation.

Comment on other posts from those in your network. Be sure your comments are thoughtful and professionally written.

There's no rule about how often you should do this, but I would try to stop in and post/engage with others once a day. This may seem like a lot, but it really only takes a couple of minutes to add this to your current social media mix. It's worth skipping one Snapchat photo post a day to make time to build your professional network.

Be professional

LinkedIn is not a social medium for sharing what you ate for lunch or how excited you are that your bestie is coming to town. Use full sentences, proper grammar and appropriate punctuation. Avoid slang and exclamation points.

Update occasionally

Don't forget to update your LinkedIn profile as you evolve as a professional and add experiences.

Start now

Don't wait until you're looking for a job to invest in your LinkedIn page. It's too late at that point. Consider ongoing LinkedIn updates as part of your professional development/branding.

LinkedIn is considered the social network for professionals, which means that college students should be using it, whether you're currently looking for an internship/job or not.

But "using" LinkedIn is about more than just building a profile and waiting for internship and job offers to coming pouring in.

I hope this post helped you better understand how to build your LinkedIn profile and engage on the social medium in a way that will benefit you professionally.

Let's Talk Nerdy!

I am the first to admit that my personal LinkedIn profile needs some work. Therefore, I'm sure I missed points here that would be helpful to students. What advice would you give students for building a LinkedIn profile and engaging there?

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Superman Sequel Given Official Title – “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:09 PM PDT

Rachel Consoli

Superman Sequel Given Official Title   Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice image tt13

The official logo

After almost a year of waiting, Warner Bros has officially announced the title for the sequel of Man of Steel -  "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice". The film will reprise Henry Cavill's role as Superman and will be adding on a multitude of stars to give life to these beloved comic book characters. Ben Affleck will be filling in the role of Batman, but the movie will also be premiering Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Lex Luther (Jessie Eisenberg), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). Amy Adams will also be repising her role as Lois Lane as well as Diane Lane playing Martha Kent. New famous faces also include Jeremy Irons as Alfred and Holly Hunter will be given a new role for this movie.

The plot details for this upcoming super-flick are unknown as of now, but it's set to come out in May 6, 2016. The title also hints heavily a the two superheroes not starting off as the best of buddies as well as hinting at a potential sequel the "Justice League" which the director Snyder has already committed to take charge of and expects the majority of this cast to appear in.

Fan reactions have been pretty split between raving with excitement and nail biting worry over this assorted cast and lack of further information. The tweets range from interested to down-right brutal:

However only time can tell if this sequel will live-up to their expectations, good or bad. As of now all are thrilled to finally have a title and can't wait to find out more.

Image Source: http://batmanvsupermandawnofjustice.com/

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Six Arrested In Iran For Dancing To Pharrell’s ‘Happy’ On YouTube

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:07 PM PDT

Ian DeMartino

Six Arrested In Iran For Dancing To Pharrell's 'Happy' On YouTube image Happy In Tehran

Pharrell's song "Happy" is beyond popular at the moment. The music video features both dancing celebrities and "regular" folks dancing around Los Angeles and that has inspired thousands of hours of covers, spoofs and copies to appear on YouTube. Someone even uploaded the hours and hours of unused footage from the creation of the video.

The point is, people love it, and that love has extended beyond borders and cultures, as groups of people have made their own versions of the video in their various hometowns and cities. One of the better produced and by the nature of its setting, politically minded versions of the song came from a group in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

"Happy We Are From Tehran" featured three men and three unveiled Iranian women dancing to the popular song across Tehran in a style similar to Pharrell's original. The video has been viewed over 250,000 times and liked nearly 3,000 times since its posting on Monday.

Unfortunately, someone at the Iranian culture police doesn't like the idea of unveiled women being happy in Tehran, as the Iranian authorities have announced that they have arrested the six creators of the video because the "vulgar clip" hurt "public chasity."

Since the 1979 Iranian revolution, women in Iran have been legally required to wear a Hijab, or veil, while in public. Some in the country are beginning to speak out against the law.

The police chief of Tehran stated that the "suspects" have confessed to their "crimes."

America may have had some troubling developments over the past dozen or so years, but at least we can still dance to overrated songs in public.

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