The latest in the series of Ghost Storied @ Cubic was as successful as the previous. It seems that the idea of Ghost Stories resonates with people. The quality and experience of my guests makes all the difference.

This session was no exception. The subject matter was LinkedIn for business. The guest speaker was Martin Murtagh, Digital Media Consultant. I have known Martin for a few years now, and always found that he was ahead of the curve when it came to digital marketing, and social media. Martin has an infectious personality, and despite his obvious large stature (6’5”), Martin is quite humble and helpful.

The Chat.

From the outset the room was engaged. We used my laptop, and LinkedIn profile for demonstration purposes. So real was the demonstration that when we went to the search bar, one of the attendees came up in my search history (@Sharon McConville) thanks for coming).

We discussed profile photo’s, content, and when to post. Everybody in the group was very honest about their own tricks, tactics, and what they found to be most effective. Some of the attendees were incredibly honest about their lack of knowledge, and activity on LinkedIn. That took a lot to admit, but the environment was such that they felt able to admit their lack of knowledge.

Martin was able to guide us through his opinions on video content, and some really great tips for effective posting. We discussed content that we liked, and didn’t like. The chat led to the importance of engagement of your audience, and linking your accounts together. From Instagram to twitter to Facebook, and LinkedIn.

All in all, very positive Ghost Stories, and well worth doing.

What we learned.

1. Make your profile photo professional. It doesn’t have to be a professional photograph but it has to look professional. On this particular point, I personally disagree. I think that spending time and money on a professional LinkedIn photograph is really worth it.
2. The best time to post on LinkedIn is Tuesday morning from 10am -12pm. I don’t know why, it just is! I suspect the algorithm has something to do with it.
3. I didn’t understand the humble but powerful #. I asked the question and was given a whole new insight. You can search the platform by #. So #ghoststories that I was putting in my posts was something that I thought you just did. In fact by searching #ghoststories brought up all posts linked to that #. New Knowledge!!!!!!
4. Make your content informative, and engaging.
5. Keep your video content to less than 90 seconds and use a microphone if you can.
6. For video content invest in a gimbal, it makes a real difference.
7. Always remark on other people’s posts in a positive, supportive light
8. Post firstly on your company page, and share with your personal profile, it’s more effective. If you are in a company of more than 1, ask your employees/colleagues to share from the company page.
9. LinkedIn is not Facebook. Facebook is Facebook.
10. Like all social media, what you put up or comment on stays there forever. Remember this.
11. Search your interests by #, and comment on the posts to get more recognition in your field.
12. In this day and age, any time spent on LinkedIn for your business is well worth it.
13. Your business needs a LinkedIn strategy.
14. Martin Murtagh is a good place to start with that strategy.

Thank you Martin Murtagh