Tips from the top about #LinkedIn

Glad to see an article about LinkedIn from a C-level perspective as well as a c-level person that are willing to see the future of such a site not only for his employees but for him.
Even a c-level person can find the time in the middle of his day to set time & even devise a game plan on how they want it to work for them….. Shocking? Not at all, people need to come to grips with reality and understand that it need to be just as important as reading e-mails or returning that voice message.
Here’s your example, now can other join where he is leading the way? We will have to see.
Another Canadian example… Yup !

Amplify’d from socialmediatoday.com

The LinkedIn Diaries: Tips from the Top

The two most recent LinkedIn Diaries entries identified how executives can effectively establish a strong LinkedIn foundation: 1) setting the right goals; and 2) executing critical offline activities.

In this entry of the LinkedIn Diaries, I identify some key lessons by focusing on the LinkedIn profiles and practices of leaders from two of the financial sector’s most well-respected brands.  These leaders are ING DIRECT Canada President and CEO, Peter Aceto and Som Seif, President of Claymore Investments.

Like most busy senior executives, ING DIRECT Canada’s President and CEO, Peter Aceto and Som Seif, President of Claymore Investments use LinkedIn to achieve very specific  objectives, including : 1) to stay closely connected to members of their existing network; 2) to extend their current networks;  and 3) to promote their brand identity.  What makes their success with LinkedIn particularly exceptional is that they work in a highly-regulated and risk-averse sector — a sector that historically refrains from being on the leading edge of media because of concerns for confidentiality, privacy and security.

The ways that Aceto and Seif achieve their goals, while reinforcing the integrity of the sector, provide some important lessons for all senior executives looking to leverage the power of LinkedIn . Each lesson is built upon their three common LinkedIn goals:

1. Stay connected to members of an existing network
2. Extend current networks
3. Promote brand values
Two other important LinkedIn lessons from Aceto and Seif are:

Create relevant guidelines.  While executives may be initially reluctant to delve into LinkedIn, Aceto and Seif have truly embraced this social media tool for business. One of the reasons that they have done so with such confidence is that they know that their companies have a well-articulated code of business conduct. Every company that looks to leverage the newest media tools needs to establish practical policies that guide employees’ use of social media in ways that positively present themselves and the company brand.

Be bold, when appropriate. The competition for finding and securing talented people in the financial services sector is fierce. While using LinkedIn to cost-effectively recruit staff is certainly one of ING DIRECT’s objectives for the tool, Aceto’s use of LinkedIn boldly pushes the boundaries of most traditional recruitment practices. In fact, Aceto calls out exceptional work and people at ING DIRECT on his LinkedIn page. By doing so, he sends a very strong message to potential (and existing) employees: when you work at ING DIRECT, your efforts are recognized and appreciated at the highest levels of the company. This is a powerful message that assists in recruiting new staff and reducing employee turnover.

Read more at socialmediatoday.com
 
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/oRCex5

#CharityTuesday - 8 great examples of #nonprofit storytelling

Since I have been working with a non-profit, I have noticed more and more how they have embraced more of the digital media technology then most for profit companies. I came across this during my research on non-profits & social media.
It’s a must see for those other non-profits look for examples of being small and on a tight budget does not mean you lose your quality of the presentation of your message.

Happy #CharityTuesday !

Amplify’d from www.socialbrite.org

8 great examples of nonprofit storytelling

How to convey a powerful message with videos & photos

Target audience: Nonprofits, social enterprises, NGOs, foundations, cause organizations, Web publishers, small businesses.

A
s regular readers know, I’ve been a longtime proponent of visual storytelling to advance the missions of nonprofits, cause organizations and businesses. (Heck, I co-founded Ourmedia.org before there was a YouTube.) People take action on behalf of a cause only when they feel an emotional connection, and yet nonprofits in particular are famously bad at telling their own stories.

What we tell people in our Socialbrite bootcamps and in our consulting work is this: Every nonprofit is now a media organization (the same goes for social enterprises and businesses). Never before have the tools of visual storytelling been so inexpensive, easy to use and accessible to the masses.

So why aren’t you taking advantage of visual storytelling yet? (Or are you? Tell us in the comments!)

There are dozens of ways to convey your story, and we’ve laid out lots of ways to get started — see the links at the bottom of this article.

Remember, it’s not about the tools or the technology. It’s about finding people who encapsulate what your core objective is all about — and conveying their stories with power, genuineness, passion and humility. Some can be elaborate productions, with narration, titling and musical score all working together. Others can be as simple as holding up a video-capable smartphone to capture a moment.

One you have a visual story, or several, that you can draw upon, you’ll be able to begin using it in your public outreach: on your website or blog, on your Facebook page, in your annual report, in your email newsletters. And don’t forget to enter contests like the DoGooder Awards, TechSoup Storytelling Challenge or CurrentTV’s just-ended The Current Cause, where $15,000 in prizes will be awarded.

Here are seven great examples of nonprofit storytelling:

2/ Digital stories using photos & narration

digital storiesI’ve been involved in the digital storytelling movement since 2004. A vastly underutilized medium, digital storytelling uses photos, video, film or found materials, combined with voice-over narration, to convey powerful, evocative stories with a rich emotional dimension.

3/ Videos with a call to action

call to actionSince YouTube rolled out a free “call-to-action overlay” feature for nonprofits in March 2009, a lot of nonprofits (but too few) have made use of the technique. Nonprofits can place an “ask” in the opaque pop-up overlay. As YouTube explains:

4/ Mobile devices: Video on the go

mobileSometimes, simple is better. Video producers and photographers often say, the best device is the one you have with you — and that gadget is increasingly a smartphone — an iPhone, Android device or Nokia phone — or a Flip cam or other portable device.

5/ Animation

animationSome subjects are best told using evocative imagery or animation rather than documentary or traditional video techniques.

6/ Creative mashups

mashupsOne of my favorite flavors of nonprofit storytelling is the kind that takes advantage of the visually interesting styles you can get by using sites like RockYou, Slide, Animoto and Stupeflix. (We covered them in Mash up a visual story for your nonprofit.) The creative possibilities are boundless.

7/ Personalized videos

personalized videosThis is a risky technique — the line between engaging and gimmicky is a thin one — but I’m still a fan of videos that let viewers insert themselves into the storyline. For young people in particular, personalization is part of the new media ecosystem.

8/ High-end professional productions

high-endI saved the high-end professional productions for last because most nonprofits look at these, throw up their hands and say, I can’t do that. Well, two answers. First, maybe you can, by partnering with an organization like Storytellers for Good, a small outfit in San Francisco that’s doing some amazing work with nonprofits (see video at top). Second, don’t get distracted by productions whose budgets outstrip your budget — people don’t expect every visual story to be a masterpiece.

I’m sure you have your own favorites — please share. Which kind of storytelling do you like, and why? What did I miss? Let us know in the comments!

Read more at www.socialbrite.org
 
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/nYHgo7