A LinkedIn Health Check – is your profile up to scratch?
From Regan & Dean
LinkedIn is the most widely used professional network, with a staggering 106 million active users. With this in mind, LinkedIn is the ideal platform for making business contacts and it is one which is used by most recruiters and many direct employers to find suitable candidates. If you are looking for a new role in Events or Marketing, it is important that you give your LinkedIn profile a bit of a health check and make sure it is up to scratch. These are some areas to look into, when it comes to improving your profile.
Looking for work
If you are on the market for work, make sure you update your LinkedIn profile to reflect this. As an enhancement many candidates will put ‘looking for a new challenge’ or will be more specific, such as ‘available for short term event projects.’ This can make you stand out to recruiters, who will instantly know that you are seeking employment.
Of course if you are currently in a role and your current employer doesn’t know you want to leave, an announcement on LinkedIn is not the way to tell them!
Up-to-date
It is important to make sure your LinkedIn profile is as up-to-date as possible, with your most recent job and work experience, and your previous work history well set out. You should update it every time you move job or you pick up some relevant skills. The more information you have on your profile, the greater your chance of being found by recruiters.
Recent photo
Whether we like it or not, we change over the years so make sure you keep your LinkedIn photo as current as possible. Potential connections might not recognise you if your photograph is a bit out of date, so aim to upload a fresh one every couple of years.
Use a shot that presents you as you are in the workplace. Photos of you on holiday, at a wedding or downing a cocktail are best kept to other social media channels, not your professional one.
Job description
There is little point in putting your job title on your profile, without any description. You should put succinct information about your current role and any others, so that recruiters can easily determine if you are suited to the role, and can clearly see your current and previous responsibilities.
Aim to incorporate keywords into your job description, for instance, any systems you have used or particular skills you have. The more detailed your LinkedIn profile is, the better your chances of making an impact with it and the greater the likelihood that you will be found on a search.
Recommendations
LinkedIn offers the opportunity to ask previous and current employers and/or clients for a recommendation and these can make your profile more attractive to recruiters. Recommendations are just like references, albeit a lot shorter, but they can make your profile stand out. If you are looking for a specific job, make sure you have recommendations from a similar role, even if it is voluntary work you have been involved with. You should always aim to update your recommendations as often as possible.
Publish Posts
If your writing skills are good, it is a great idea to make your LinkedIn profile more attractive by publishing some posts. It doesn’t need to be anything complicated. It can just be a simple post about anything within your profession that interests you.
LinkedIn Pulse is a good place to post longer articles. Think of it as a blog that is hosted on the biggest business network in the world.
Remember, LinkedIn will often be seen by recruiters and potential employers before they meet you or even see your CV, so it’s important it creates a great impression. Lavish as much love on your LinkedIn profile as you would on your CV and make it a habit to keep it up to date. It’s your shop window to potential employers so ensure it makes the best impact!
Greig Watson on what drives him as a young game developer
I am developing a game based on my own experiences of bullying. The game will be open to everyone however some aspects individuals may find disturbing it is recommended that parents check the game content before allowing their child to play, Even though I’m trying to make it friendly for everyone, the game will consist of various scenarios each of which is based on a type of bullying for example the sample i am currently working on is based on Cyber Bullying. this will hopefully submerge people so they feel like they are that character so everything that happens to that character they feel inside, Without giving too much away there is some major events that happen very quickly, I am hoping if the person playing the game feels like they are the character they will realise the damage bullying does and maybe begin to allow individuals too look at bullying a different way.
The game will be made using a software similar to Scratch which is used in schools, Due to the game only being 2D there is no real graphic needs however after the first version is done depending on feedback I might move on a make it more of a 3D game with more demanding parts.
I am hoping to strike up something with a game development company to make it easy to market the game in a wider variety such as billboards and then maybe use them to help get it distributed onto major game sites such as Addictive Games.
Greig Watson
Hashtag Printing: The Greatest Marketing Tool You’ve Never Heard Of
There’s recently been a pretty cool development that will give online social media profiles a power boost. A UK brand experience agency have brought harmony to our complex worlds of digital photography, online social media and physical life. A holy trinity of the modern photography age if you will. They have designed and manufactured the UK’s first home grown hashtag printer called the #HASHTAG Mini. What comes to mind when you hear the words ‘Hashtag printer’? Well for one, it’s not a printer designed specifically to print images of hashtags. That would be highly impractical and slightly insane. To explain it simply, you snap a photo on your mobile device, then you share it on social media with a chosen unique hashtag, then you print your photograph through the hashtag printer kiosk.
How awesome are photos? The answer is ‘very’. Without them, you would be left with an unclear mental image that fades over time. Something that you can never get back. A bit like dodos, but less birdlike. Photographs have always helped to capture those special life moments; like how excited you were for your first trip to Disneyland, flinging your hat in the air at graduation or kissing the accounts manager at the work Christmas party. Although your colleagues are more than likely to remind you of the last one, even without photographic proof.
Developing photos had always been quite the task until in 1972 Dr Edwin Land first introduced the portable polaroid camera to the world. Polaroids were a groundbreaking invention that gave full control of the photographical process to whoever snapped a photo. Artistic creativity skyrocketed. Development was instant, exciting and people loved the feel of a physical printout they could hold. Eventually digital photography took over and nowadays photos are mostly viewed on screens and archived in digital folders.
Last year an estimated 1 trillion digital photos were taken and almost 80% of them were on mobile devices. Instagram and twitter make up a combined total of nearly 700 million active users. Each day over 70 million photos and videos are shared on Instagram; and over 58 million tweets are shared across the globe. That’s close to 2 thousand social shares a second. If sharing is caring, then society sure as hell cares. We are creating digital content at an unprecedented level; but so often these fond memories end up never to be seen again far down a social media feed or even worse, deep in the dark rotting recesses of internal phone memory. The physical world is a place that can give more meaning and lasting value to printed photos that would have otherwise been lost forever. A place where images of memories can be displayed on the fridge, a pin-board, in a wallet or in an album. A place that escapes the digital world we all seem to be forever trapped in.
Enter the #HASHTAG Mini. A kiosk designed to seamlessly bring together the digital, social and Physical.
Hashtag printing is the greatest new marketing tool you’ve never heard of, but makes so much sense now that you have.
Promotional products best for gaining client loyalty
- Promotional gifts make almost six times as many recipients feel appreciated (64%) than the mediums of print (8%), web (8%), direct mail (9%) or TV (11%)
- Business gifts motivate over twice as many recipients to take action (50.7%) than the mediums of print (9.8%), web (11.2%), direct mail (8.9%) or TV (19.51%)
- Promotional products invoke loyalty in over three times as many customers (60.1%) than print (8.7%), web (7.9%), direct mail (6.4%) and TV (16.9%)
Team Tactics List Top UK Corporate Events
For two decades Team Tactics have been a leading provider of unique corporate team building events and client events in and around London and the UK. www.teamtactics.co.uk
Incorporating corporate hospitality within your marketing strategy can bring a wealth of benefits for any sized business. With such a variety of events on offer there’s something to suit everyone’s tastes and budget. To give you some idea of what might best suit your company we have a rundown of the top 10 UK corporate hospitality events.
10 – The Golf Open
The world’s best golfers come together for the only major outside the United States (which is also the oldest of the four majors.) If you know your clients or workforce are remotely interested in Golf then you can’t get any better than the open, set in breath-taking countryside.
9 – Cowes Week
A favourite with the sailors amongst us but also a fantastic social event. With Cowes week being one of the largest sailing regatta events in the world, a staggering 40 races a day and up to 1000 boats competing, combined with some fantastic entertainment and bars on shore; Cowes can’t help keep you entertained.
8 – Six Nations Rugby
As the name suggests it is six nation, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales competing for the prestige and the championship trophy. With fantastic facilities and a legendary atmosphere the UK venue of Twickenham is ideal for enjoying a memorable day out. You don’t have to be a rugby fan to enjoy this exciting event.
7 – RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Its easier to take a much more leisurely and relaxed approach to this event. Known the world over, this premier flower show sees some of the best in the horticultural world demonstrating their green fingers and displaying some truly impressive horticultural. The event boats approximately 550 exhibitors from show gardens and has every imaginable item to buy for your garden and more.
6 – Goodwood Festival of Speed
This event is a truly mind-blowing collection of some of the most iconic cars in motorsport; from historic rally cars to modern day F1 teams. Not only are they there to be admired they are also there to be driven and even more importantly raced. The beautiful location of Goodwood sees a true festival of sound, smell and racing that will leave lasting memories for all attendees.
5 – Polo in the Park
This unique event features highly in the chart because of its unique atmosphere and fantastic location, set within the heart of the city of London. Hurlingham Park hosts this three day event which now in its seventh year and has seen grown in strength year on year. Its not only the largest polo event in Europe but also one of the unmissable events in London’s summer calendar. The format for the polo has been carefully structured to offers easy to follow and entertaining action for the polo novice.
4 – Goodwood Revival
Goodwood Revival is less of a petrol head event than Goodwood’s festival of speed and more a unique social gathering. Encompassing music, racing and fashion of the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. From historic flyovers to over 90% of the visitors dressing in period appropriate clothing you really are stepping back in time at this event.
3 – Henley Royal Regatta
This memorable event allows you to relax by the river whilst taking in the exhilarating racing and ambience of this fantastic venue. The event has a whopping 200 plus races set over five days. There’s plenty to see and do including visiting bars, enjoying fantastic food, racing and even has a shopping village for some retail therapy. You will leave having had a thoroughly enjoyable day out.
2 – Cheltenham Festival
This is the premier event of the horse racing season and a fantastic opportunity to wow your clients or employees. With its recent multi million pound redevelopment, the Cheltenham racecourse offers amazing facilities and cracking views over the world’s premier horses competing for some of the most prestigious races. You can’t help enjoy yourself at this unforgettable event.
1 – The British Grand Prix
In the top spot is the British Grand Prix. Visitors can’t help be in awe with the roar of the cars, exhilarating racing, and impressive venue and facilities available. These all help to make this a day that will excite and create memories that will stay in the mind of the client or employee for a long time. If you’re looking for a corporate event that will truly be a spectacle, the F1 grand prix definitely will not disappoint.
This chart gives an idea as to some of the many events on offer when looking into corporate hospitality, choosing one that best suits your needs and those attending will offer you the best return and best memories for your clients and business.