Minnesota Social Media Careers Economic News

Check out this great article from Minnesota Economic Trends, December 2012, edition on Careers in Social Media.

Dru Frykberg, the article’s author, describes how Social Media is a quickly growing career in the State of Minnesota and nationally.

Posted by Carie Statz, DCTC Marketing and Sales Instructor

Direct Link to Article

Find Out the 8 Content Marketing Trends for B2B

By Patricia Redsicker
Published December 27, 2012

If so, look no further. See the full post for the complete story.

You’ll discover how B2B marketers were leveraging content marketing in 2012 and where their focus will be next year.

#1: Producing Enough Content Is Top Challenge

In years past, the biggest challenge for content marketers has been creating engaging content. But this trend changed in 2012 with 64% of marketers saying that producing enough content was their number-one challenge.

See the complete article.

#2: Marketers Using Average of 12 Marketing Tactics

#3: Social Media Tactics

#4: Linked-In as a Channel

#5: Brand Awareness

#6: Content Made In-House

#7: Content Marketing Budget Expand in 2013

#8: Most Effective Content

Can we fully enjoy the social networking technologies available to us without concern of how far our virtual image will leak into the real world and impact us getting (or keeping) a job? No! The web does want YOU. It wants all of us. It wants us to create and own our brand. And whether we realize it or not, we append to our brand each time we communicate online. The old adage of “who you know” is still relative to success, but it has been extended to “who you know” online.

As we have learned to enjoy social networking tools, so have employers and recruiters. From sourcing prospective employees to vetting them for the job, human resource professionals use social networking tools as a primary resource. That means accountability for all of us, especially in our social networking communications.

Recruitment: See and Be Seen

Network, network, network. That word has become the mantra for job seekers. In-person networking is, of course, here to stay. In today’s technological culture, however, virtual networking is equally powerful. Your virtual image can make or break the likelihood you will get the interview you’re hoping for or even be noticed by recruiters. Recent research indicates that it’s your interests that employers primarily data-mine in the recruitment process. In a video interview on BBC News England, (Lawrence, 2012) Lynsey Sweales, social media expert, and Tamara Lewis, recruiter for a global public relations firm, addressed how and why to see and be seen online. Sweales advised individuals to keep future employers in mind when forming a social media profile. She stated that, “It’s absolutely fine having personality.”, but also encouraged individuals to talk about the industry that interests them on social networks. Lewis explained how important an online presence has become. “I would say my first port of call to identify new talent is LinkedIn and it has changed the way I recruit,” she said.

When communicating on social network platforms, some obvious and common sense guidelines should still be adhered to. Sweales confirmed, “If you are looking for a job or using social media as a business you obviously need to think how it is going to look from an employer’s or another businesses’ point of view.” She warned, “But if you’re not prepared to say something to someone’s face, don’t say it. “

In Jobvite’s 2011 survey of human resource and recruiting professionals, (Social Recruiting Survey Results, 2011) 89% of respondents confirmed they recruited or planned to recruit using online social networks. Of the respondents, 87% stated they use LinkedIn in their recruitment efforts; Facebook ranked 2nd at 56.3% and Twitter a close 3rd at 46.6%. Jobvite, a recruiting platform for the social web, has been tracking the use of social networks in recruiting for the past four years. They report that the 2011 survey indicates employer time spent recruiting on social networks grew to 1 out of every 6 minutes from 1 out of every 12 minutes four years ago. It is therefore not surprising that survey respondents cited referrals, direct sourcing and social networks as their top external sources to find quality candidates.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) released a white paper that provides aggregate results of their 2011 employer poll. (Social Networking Websites for Identifying and Staffing Potential Job Candidates Survey Findings, 2011) SHRM’s results mimicked Jobvite’s, showing a marked increase from their 2008 poll in use of social network sites for recruiting. The majority of their respondents (56%) indicated the use of social networking sites in recruitment and within that group, 95% use LinkedIn, 58% Facebook, and 42% Twitter.

It is time for individuals who have not participated in social networking platforms to reconsider their position. Their social network presence and brand may make the difference in getting a job.

Advice from the Pros

In a Computer Weekly article (l’Anson, 2012) titled, “How to make effective use of social media in your job search”, Jeremy l’Anson, professional career coach and author of the book, You’re Hired! Total Job Search 2013, scheduled to be published in November, 2012, advises his clients to increase the likelihood they will be visible in keyword searches by creating a keyword-rich LinkedIn profile. As an example, he provides: “Richard Jones, middleware specialist” and also suggests that they join industry-related LinkedIn groups, as well as connect with individuals in their area of expertise. l’Anson recommends that a Twitter bio should also be keyword-rich and instructs his clients to tweet about their area of expertise. l’Anson proposes that clients tie their Twitter and LinkedIn efforts together by incorporating a tiny URL that connects each tweet back to LinkedIn. He instructs about the use of hashtags (#) to connect with recruiters. Simple hashtags such as “#Minneapolisjobs” and “#marketing” (if marketing is your profession) can make the connection with the right recruiter at the opportune time. Twitter’s search engine works in reverse, so an individual looking for a job can make great use of Twitters advanced search tools. Finally, l’Anson confirms that recruiters want to view only positive and professional information online about their hires, and that Facebook accounts should remain private.

Rob Pickell, senior Vice President of Customer Solutions at HireRight, recently shared his views with Susan Heathfield from About.com Guide. (Heathfield, 2012) He likened LinkedIn as the web version of professional networking and brought to light that LinkedIn “. . . can help employers leverage their own networks (and those of their employees) to find potential candidates. . . “He also endorsed Facebook and Twitter as valid recruiting platforms.

Jon Gelberg, Chief Content Officer of Blue Fountain Media recently shared his tips in an interview with Alison Doyle from About.com Guide. (Doyle, 2012) In the interview, Gelberg gives job seekers the following points.

• Post relevant content – your intelligence, passion, creativity, talents
• Content presentation – check grammar, spelling, etc.
• Consistency – make sure that the information on your social media sites is consistent
• Photos – check to be certain that embarrassing and unprofessional photos are not present
• Your opinions – be sure that any opinions you express online are professional and conservative
• Regarding the use of Linked In, Gelberg suggests the following pointers.
• Check to see if your resume matches up with your profile
• Strengths, interests and experiences should be visible
• Ask for recommendations
• Use keywords you believe future employers will be searching on

LinkHumans, a London social recruiting consultancy released an e-book for job seekers this year. (Sundberg J. , How to Recruit on LinkedIn: 15 Tips for Your Profile, Networking and Branding, 2012) The book, written by Jorden Sundberg sophisticates online social networking for job seekers in ways most individuals have not considered. Sundberg advises how to increase your own search rankings using SEO (search engine optimization) techniques. He discusses the ability to upload PowerPoint presentations and video presentations into a LinkedIn profile by using the online tool, Slide Share. Sundberg explores the benefits of creating an Amazon reading list and warns his readers to be sure they have read the books on their list since prospective employers are apt to review the list. Traveling job seekers will want to know more about TripIt, a tool that keeps track of where you are traveling and when. The information can be integrated into your LinkedIn account. Adding a blog link to LinkedIn opens many new ideas for enhanced visibility. Twitter can now be integrated into a LinkedIn profile. These tips are just the beginning of a 16-page ebook that is well worth the read.

Building Your Personal Brand Online

Comprehensive information about SEO for LinkedIn profiles is further provided in Sundberg’s blog article, “How to Make Google Love Your LinkedIn Profile” (Sundberg J. , Jorgen Sundberg Blog, 2012) In this article, Sundberg adds new tips, including one that is a great first step to building your personal brand. That is, to use the LinkedIn option and set a vanity URL for your LinkedIn page.

Undercoverrecruiter.com offers great tips to build your personal brand in a series of articles. While most of the tips in their “How to Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn (21 Useful Tips)” (Sundberg J. , The Undercover Recruiter, 2012) have been previously discussed herein, a few new tips deserve mention. Combining in-person and virtual networking is at the core of the suggestion to use the Events section of LinkedIn by searching on events that are in your industry to see who is attending. Similarly, when you list an event, your entire network gets notified. And, when someone clicks “attending” or “interested”, their networks get notified as well. Implementing this advice makes it possible to attend events that your prospective employer is at and to spread the word about an event you will be attending; all great ways to distribute your brand and network both virtually and in person at the same time. In the same article, undercoverrecruiter.com also advises that more LinkedIn recommendations is not more . . . it’s actually less. Instead, focus on getting 5 – 10 quality recommendations in total (double if you are in the U.S.).

At the heart of all personal brands, of course, is a personal brand statement and undercoverrecruiter.com provides excellent information in their articles, “How to Craft Your Personal Brand Statement” (Sundberg J. , 2012) and “The 7 Rules of Effective Personal Brand Statements” (Sundberg J. , The 7 Rules of Effective Personal Brand Statements, 2012). Highlights of the advice are included here.

• The length of your personal brand statement should be the length of one out-breath (after taking a deep breath).
• Make your statement unique; be sure it includes what you are best at, who you serve and how you do it uniquely. You may also consider this your slogan or tag-line.
• Simplify – write it so an 8-year-old understands it.
• Make it catchy, memorable and repeatable.
• Finally, always deliver it with confidence.

Can your social network information harm employment possibilities?

The short answer to this question is, “yes”. As the competition for jobs increases, it’s obvious that anything other than positive and professional information will do (see Sweales and l’Anson comments above). But just how invasive are employers getting in the use of social networks to screen and perform background checks? In his interview with About.com Guide, referenced above, Pickell addressed the risks that employers open themselves to when they switch from recruiting via social network sites to using them for background checks. He cited that when information gleaned from social media sites is used to vet prospective employees, employers risk liability for discrimination and regulation non-compliance. For example, information contrary to non-discriminatory practices such as marital status, religion, etc. are typically available on social network sites. And, having viewed that information, a discrimination claim is quite possible. In addition, he suggests that employers consider the risk of a negligent hiring or negligent retention lawsuit through the use of social network information. He goes on to state that it’s possible a workplace violence incident might take place with an employee and if the propensity for this behavior had been on the employees social media site, then viewing that information would heighten the employer’s responsibility for the violence.

There are, of course, methods to mitigate these potential risks and pending legislation, employers are applying creativity whenever possible. In their online article, (Basing Hiring Decisions on Information Obtained from Social Media) Winmark Business Solutions shared key information from ADP’s webinar report, “Rising Above the Risks of Social Media”. The report suggested that “someone who is not a decision maker at the company conduct the search in order to filter out protected information. This person can then provide the ‘scrubbed’ information in document form to a decision maker for review.”

And then there is always the possibility that although your Facebook account is secured, you forget that you “friended” your boss. Maybe he/she wasn’t your boss when you “friended” them, but the results would be the same if you spoke ill of him/her or the firm on Facebook. (Pascusso, 2012) Visit the posts, “Attention Seeking Facebook Status- Can they harm your career?” for a great example of why what you “say” online shouldn’t be said if you wouldn’t say it to the person’s face. There’s that advice from Lynsey Sweales (above) again.

Conclusion

Social network platforms give each of us an opportunity to reach beyond ourselves, our geography and our culture. We live a global community that is entirely networked. Individuals who have not yet embraced social networking may soon find themselves at a distinct disadvantage.

Rosealee M Lee may be reached at rosealee.lee@dctc.edu

Works Cited

• Basing Hiring Decisions on Information Obtained from Social Media. (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2012, from Winmark Business Solutions: http://www.adp.com/totalsource/webinar-social-media-risks.aspx
• Doyle, A. (2012). Social Networking Tips for Grads: How to Use Social Media to Boost Your Job Hunt. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from About.com Guide: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/socialnetworkingtips/a/social-networking-tips.htm
• Heathfield, S. M. (2012). Use Social Media for Recruiting, Screening, and Background Checks? How to Consider and Make Use of Infomratoin Available on Social Network Sites. Retrieved September 28, 2012, from About.com Guide: http://humanresources.about.com/od/selectemployees/qt/why-use-social-media-for-recruiting-and-screening.htm 9/28/12
  l’Anson, J. (2012). How to make effective use of social media in your job search. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from Computer Weekly: http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/How-to-make-effective-use-of-social-media-in-your-job-search
• Lawrence, N. (2012). Social media profiles can affect job prospects. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from BBC News England: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16910754
  Pascusso, J. (2012). Retrieved October 1, 2012, from Think Big Online: http://www.thinkbigonline.com.au/attention-seeking-facebook-status-can-they-harm-your-career/
• Social Networking Websites for Identifying and Staffing Potential Job Candidates Survey Findings. (2011). Retrieved September 18, 2012, from http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Pages/ SocialNetworkingWebsitesforIdentifyingandStaffingPotentialJobCandidates.aspx
• Social Recruiting Survey Results. (2011). Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/Jobvite-SRP-2011.pdf
• Sundberg, J. (2012). Retrieved September 29, 2012, from The Undercover Recruiter: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/how-build-your-personal-brand-linkedin-21-useful-tips/
• Sundberg, J. (2012). Retrieved September 30, 2012, from Jorgen Sundberg Blog: http://jorgensundberg.net/linkedin-how-make-google-love-your-profile/Sundberg, J. (2012).
• How to Craft Your Personal Brand Statement. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from The Undercover Recruiter: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/how-craft-your-personal-brand-statement/
• Sundberg, J. (2012). How to Recruit on LinkedIn: 15 Tips for Your Profile, Networking and Branding. Retrieved September 28, 2012, from http://linkhumans.com
• Sundberg, J. (2012). The 7 Rules of Effective Personal Brand Statements. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from The Undercover Recruiter: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/7-rules-effective-personal-brand-statements
• Photo courtesy of theundercoverrecruiter.com
  Retrieved http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/infographic-how-market-your-personal-brand-linkedin/ 10/6/12

This blog post is a fine read from: Social Media for the Innovative CIO – The CIO Report – WSJ

Here’s an excerpt from Michael Krigsman’s blog post:

Phase one: Find your community. Open an account, identify people with relevant interests and then take time to observe.

Do you want more email subscribers? First off, take DCTC’ new Social Media Marketing certificate or degree to learn strategies!

Also, one of the most powerful aspects of social media is just how well it integrates with building a strong email list for your business.

Of all of the various platforms, Twitter offers some of the best (and most unique) tactics to use if you’re looking to increase email sign-ups.

In this article’s exerpt will go over 3 tactics to utilize Twitter’s massive audience to grow your email list with qualified leads.

#1: Link Your Twitter Bio to an Opt-In Page

Putting your website in your Twitter bio is a no-brainer, but smart marketers know that when you link to a page with a direct call to action (a “landing page”), this is going to convert much better than your general homepage.

Amy Porterfield does this well. She links to her webinar page in her Twitter bio so followers who are interested can opt in right away.

And there’s another reason why Amy does this well. She uses a WordPress plugin called Pretty Link for her webinar link instead of a random short link. Notice how the Pretty Link uses your own domain name for the link.

#2: Use Twitter Tools to Offer a Free Bonus

You’ve likely come across tools like Pay with a Tweet or Cloud:flood before, but you’ve probably never used them like this!

If you’re unfamiliar, these tools allow you to give away something free for the “price” of a tweet. After a reader shares the link provided, they get access to the free content.

Here we see Pay with a Tweet in action, promoting a “free” ebook.

Most people do ask for these shares randomly within posts.

But there’s an even more powerful way of using these tools: ask for a tweet AFTER they’ve already opted in to your mailing list.

To do this, simply redirect new signups to a page where they can “pay with a tweet” for even more content.

Here’s what this 3-step process looks like:

1. A new subscriber will opt in to your newsletter from a newsletter signup page:

2. After they confirm their email, you would use your email marketing service (for example, AWeber or MailChimp) to redirect people to a “Pay with a Tweet” page that has additional content available for the price of a tweet.Use Pay with a Tweet or Cloud:flood to make sure that the link they tweet out sends people to your newsletter page.

3. Lastly, enjoy the benefits of giving extra value to your readers and having tons of people send out direct tweets to your newsletter page!

Nice!

All it takes is a free resource to give to readers who send out the tweet, a little effort to set this up behind the scenes and you’re set to have a newsletter page that receives a ton of shares.

#3: Use Click to Tweet to Make Your Signup Page Easy to Tweet

In addition to clever strategies to get more tweets for your blog content, take time to make your newsletter signup page worth tweeting about.

You can do this without having a freebie incentive too. When done right, this can help generate a massive amount of new email leads for you.

Here are some tips to get your newsletter signup page tweeted more:

1. Add a “sound bite” to your newsletter page. This is one of those tips that, once you see it, you’ll wish you’d have thought of it sooner. It’s dead simple to implement. On your newsletter page, add something that’s worth tweeting (a quote will often do) and allow it to be tweeted with a single click. You can use a tool like Click to Tweet to accomplish this.

Another tool you can use to achieve the same outcome is the Twitter @Anywhere Plus plugin, which allows you to create premade tweets like this:

Add one to your newsletter page, and you’re set.

Make sure the content is something that your readers would like to tweet out (this is why quotes work well); don’t make it all about you!

2. Add a “tweetable” to your welcome email. This second tip does require people to opt in, but it’s also really effective. After people sign up to your newsletter, you can assume that they are quite engaged with your content and your message. One of the best times to ask for a small favor (like a tweet) will be to send a follow-up message immediately after a reader has signed up.

Please see the attached quote from the Secretary of State of Minnesota.  If you are thinking of starting a new business, you are not alone!

Minnesota on Track for Record Number of New Businesses Filings in 2012
- Business Filings up by 15% over 2011

ST. PAUL, Minn.-October 9, 2012 – The Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State reported today that business filings for the first three quarters of 2012 were 47,069, compared to 39,977 for the same time period in 2011.

“At this pace we will set a new all-time record for new business filings in 2012, another sign of the robust recovery underway in Minnesota,” said Mark Ritchie, Minnesota Secretary of State. “Start-up businesses in Minnesota have always been strong, even during the most difficult recent economic times, reflecting the very supportive new business climate in our state. Minnesota has seen a steady increase in start-ups over the past decade and with a projected new all-time new business filing record in 2012 should this trend continue.”

If you would like to comment on this blog or ask me a question, e-mail me at bob.voss@dctc.edu

The North Central Hospitality Industry Network (NEWH) is offering $1,500 in scholarship awards to three students. Requirements are:
1. Must have completed half the requirements for degree or certification program in which you are enrolled.
2. Must demonstrate financial need
3. Must have a minimum 3.0 GPA
4. Must be pursuing a career objective in the hospitality industry
Deadline for applications is October 22, 2012. Application and supporting information is available at www.newh.org – click on Education, Scholarship Information, Chapter Scholarships or call Sheena Kieffer 651-631-6327.
(I also have application packets in my office.)

Master Coating Technologies, a leader in specialty paint manufacturing for commercial interiors, is seeking a Sales Assistant to support Master Coating Technologies Customer Service Team and Outside Sales Staff. 

Duties include processing quotes, sample requests, and follow-up on commercial projects. The goal of this position would be to establish a general knowledge of the MCT sales process and to assist distributor sales staff throughout the sales process. 

Find out more information at the DCTC Marketing and Sales Blog.

Posting by Carie Statz, DCTC Marketing and Sales Instructor