This post is provided by Kristina Jaramillo, who appears as a guest on Thursday’s Cat Chat.

Lots of people are “different” these days. But are they really thought leaders?

…In most cases, you can’t tell one coach, consultant or expert in a particular industry from another. They practically use the same language to describe themselves and what they do.

… If you look at the articles on their blog and distribution list, you’ll notice that they provide the same old information as everyone else.

Now, look at your profile. Look at the content you provide. Take an even closer look. Then go into LinkedIn and view others in your industry.

So how different are you? Are you ready to differentiate yourself? Let’s start with these ,,,

5 Ways to Differentiate Yourself On LinkedIn

1. Create a headline that…

a) Grabs my instant attention
b) Proves to me your value
c) Makes me want to know more about you.

For example, check out these headlines…

• From Skip Weisman’s profile: Client Admits Losing 5 Million Dollars Because of Poor Workplace Communication! Could You Be Making the Same Mistakes?

Notice how this headline makes you stop and think – “Wow, if Skip uncovered the reason why a client lost 5 million dollars, I wonder how much money he could stop me from obliviously losing.”

• From Judith Lindenberger’s profile – Discover why Bristol Myers Squib, American Express & AstraZeneca invest in this WSJ featured HR expert, & Consultant.

Notice how Judith sets herself apart by mentioning the large company names she works with and by showing that she is a Wall Street Journal featured expert. She is adding credibility elements.

2. Stop making your summary sound like “An About the Author” section. For example, I recently completed a Live Video Profile Review for an immigration lawyer. His summary was:

“John Sanchez” is an attorney who specializes in immigration law. A large percentage of his practice is focused on immigration trials and appeals.

“John” was the former chairperson for the American Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Division, Immigration Law Committee. Throughout his career, he has served on many local, state, and federal government boards and commissions. He speaks professionally on a variety of immigration and political issues.

This bio might appear on an “About the Author” section on the back of a book. The only thing missing is, “John lives in New York City with his wife and two dogs.” It does not make me want to learn anything more about him as an individual or businessman. It’s even in third person which does nothing to help the reader relate to him on a human level.

3. Stop making your experience section sound like a resume. Use this area as a way to show prospects exactly what you can do for them.

For example instead of just saying HR Consultant (which resembles a boring resume that no one wants to read), here are some of the positions we created for Judith Lindenberger…

• HR Expert Specializing in Helping Companies & Global Corporations Avoid Million Dollar Lawsuits
• HR Expert, Consultant and Trainer Now Offers 25+ Training Solutions for HR Executives & Leaders

We didn’t just put out a listing of current and past jobs along with a basic description of some accomplishments. We made sure that the headline and copy captured the readers’ attention. We focused on what Judith is doing right now to help clients – because that’s what your prospects want to know.

4. Get testimonials that show specific results.

Yes, you should get happy when you get testimonials like: “You deliver BIG results so I keep coming back.” No! It doesn’t describe the big results. It doesn’t get specific. When you get testimonials and LinkedIn recommendations like the one above, you need thank the client and then ask questions that lead them to a more specific recommendation. This way, you can get testimonial like this:

“150 New Subscribers, Four New Coaching Clients, $6,259 In Immediate Profits, And Two Media Interviews!” Leveraging the full power of LinkedIn® has been the “secret ingredient” that has, in just the past 5 months, taken me further toward achieving “authority” status as a website conversions expert than I moved in three years PRIOR.” – Adam Hommey – Founder, Help My Website Sell

5. Create content that sets you apart. For example, you’ll find controversial articles on Skip’s LinkedIn profile and blog like:

Debate 1: Teamwork Is A Myth And That There Must Be A Focus On “I” In Team

Debate 2: The Communication Model Taught During The Last 40 Years Is A Bunch Of Crock!

Notice how Skip is not following the generally accepted model. He’s differentiating himself.

If you want to be a thought leader, then you need to stop following every one else and make yourself stand out from the rest. You cannot be afraid to do something different or go against common thoughts, philosophies or mindsets. You have to let loose and share information that others keep hidden from others unless they pay thousands of dollars.

For even more LinkedIn marketing secrets that will help you differentiate yourself and make you the thought leader in your industry – check out this FREE teleseminar exclusively for Cathy Goodwin’s followers.

When I first heard about Kristina Jaramillo’s expertise on LinkedIn, I must admit I was skeptical. After all, so many people claim to be “experts” in social media.

However, I decided to take a risk with just a few of the strategies she offers as a gift. To my surprise, I began to see results almost immediately. My profile was viewed and I was “found” more often. Some new contacts migrated to my opt-in list. And the whole process didn’t take a huge chunk of time.

That was just the tip of the iceberg.

More and more I’m hearing business owners talk about the value of LinkedIn as the most important social marketing medium. And Kristina helps her clients grow their business by using LinkedIn strategically.

So I couldn’t resist inviting Kristina to be a guest on the Cat Chats – and she graciously agreed. There is no charge to attend. A recording and mp3 download will be available up to 72 hours after the event.

Come join us here:
Thursday, July 28, 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT

http://budurl.com/chatjuly28

Just came across an excellent guide to advertising on Facebook, StumbleUpon and other social media. The author argues that advertising isn’t about attracting traffic but more about testing to make your website better. It’s an intriguing concept. Read more here.

LinkedIn Secrets – 3 Reasons Why Most Small Business Owners Fail To Attract Clients Using LinkedIn

Guest Post By Kristina Jaramillo

Over 100 million influential professionals from over 200 countries on LinkedIn are eligible to become your potentials customers. In fact, LinkedIn’s membership is what Neilson Online calls,  “the world’s largest audience of affluent, influential professionals.”  You will find executives from all Fortune 500 companies along with experienced professionals from large and small companies and every type of business and industry imaginable.

So, you may ask, why aren’t you able to attract more clients and customers? Why is no one connecting with you?

The truth is …

Out of the 100 million professionals on LinkedIn, only a few are successfully getting more clients each and every single day from LinkedIn.  And I’m ready to share their secrets.

3 Reasons Why You Are Not Attracting More Clients and Making More Money with LinkedIn

Reason #1 – You are waiting for prospects to come to you.

Clients who are willing to pay for your books, products and services will not just fall into your lap. As an entrepreneur, author and small business owner, you have to be the one the take charge and find your prospects.  After all, they don’t even realize they need you!

Here are a few ways to easily engage with others on LinkedIn

– Update your status message every day.

– Start a vigorous discussion in various groups. You will be able to demonstrate  your expertise in your given area.

– Answer questions on the Q & A Boards. You get to showcase your experience and eventually become a thought leader

Reason #2 –You fail to take advantage of LinkedIn groups.

LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups – where you can network, join conversations and show prospects that you have the answers to their problems. Yet most authors, small business owners and internet marketers do not actively seek groups that would give them valuable exposure.

Those authors and small business owners who do join groups usually make these two mistakes:

First – they become a member of a group – but then sit there like a lump on the log. How can you expect prospects to come to you if you do not take the time to make yourself heard?

Second – They join groups where members are clones of themselves. For example, authors join groups where other authors belong. Let me put it to you this way: do you want to belong to a group that is full of your competition or do you want to belong to a group filled with potential prospects?  Sounds pretty obvious, but many authors and business owners join groups of “like” members.

Even better … Create your own group -   the absolute best way to create your own community of followers. You are the one who is in charge of the type of content that is posted. You can make sure what you have to say is heard and you have the power to control your own group.

From my experience, many group members religiously check out what is being discussed in the groups they find the most useful. Why can’t your group be one of them?

Reason #3 – Failure to Create Content and Distribute it to the Different Groups

Eric Gruber (My Partner at www.GetLinkedInHelp.com and Founder of Article Marketing Experts) belongs to 50 different groups. Now, if each of the 50 groups has at least 1,000 members, then each time he submits content, he is getting his content in front of 50,000 potential clients – just with a couple clicks of the mouse.

So, you need to create content that…

• Proves your expertise

• Sparks controversy and debate

• Gets people talking

• Entices prospects to visit your blog and website

• Motivates prospects to take action (using your products or services of course)

Get ready to take action

Just by avoiding these common LinkedIn mistakes, you will begin to build your list of connections and prospects. Continue the conversation – and you will turn these prospects into paying customers and clients. Now, you can avoid these mistakes (plus many more) by grabbing my Instant LinkedIn Marketing Templates.  You get  100+ Fill-in-the-Blank Profile Headlines, Instant Profile Templates that will not have your LinkedIn profile sounding like a boring resume … plus Instant Article Templates that will have you creating content (in 30 minutes or less) that you can share in your group and other groups.  Learn more about the templates here.

About the Author: LinkedIn Expert Kristina Jaramillo creates online marketplace opportunities for authors who want more website traffic, prospects and profits. She is also the creator of the first and only Instant LinkedIn Marketing Templates that hold you by the hand and take you through every step of the LinkedIn marketing process. Grab her templates now at: http://www.InstantLinkedInMarketingTemplates.com/ copycat

These days we’re all busy and we’re looking for ways to create content fast … and faster. We know we’re supposed to write LOTS of blog posts and turn them into articles. So where can we find the time?

(1) Use article templates. You can download free templates, buy template packs, or model your post on the structure used by popular authors.

Be careful about copying content – just use and modify the structure. For instance, you could take this post as a guide and write your own post on real estate law, clearing clutter or getting out of debt.

One good source of FREE article templates comes from Eric Gruber, the article marketing expert. Click here for more info.

(2) Turn correspondence and forum discussions into blog posts. Every time you respond to a forum query, cut and paste your answer into your blog. You may have to add some extra sentences or paragraphs for clarification.

You can also expand on your correspondence with clients, as long as you change the context to maintain confidentiality. I’ve found that most clients actually enjoy seeing their questions turned into blog posts.

(3) As you read articles and posts written by others in your field, challenge yourself to write

– on the same topic with a different slant;
– on a different aspect of the same topic;
– on a new topic that was inspired by the original article.

(4) Tell your inner critic to take a hike. Your blog posts need to be accurate and insightful, but you’re not going to get nominated for a Pulitzer. Your blog post won’t be studied in university classes or analyzed line by line. Most likely, you’ll get a 2-minute read and a quick scan.

And the more you write, the better you’ll get – automatically.

(5) Avoid the temptation to hire a low-budget writer. You can hire someone to write posts for $5-$35 each. However, you have to ask how much research a writer can accomplish at that rate. More important, your discount writer may be helping herself to other people’s content … and you’re the one who gets blamed.

Writing blog posts isn’t rocket science and you don’t have to give up your life to create content. I’m happy to help as well. My Laser Marketing Makeover can help you create more content, more easily and I have referrals to different resources as well.

Brandon Cox just wrote a strong blog post:
“How to Handle the Critical Culture of the Online Marketing World.”

Read the full post here.

Here’s what I like and agree with 100% (in his words):
————————————————————–
I believe in authenticity, but I’m not going to tell you how much money I make online. You’d just criticize me for that anyway.

I believe in disclosure, but I’m not going to point out every single affiliate link all over my site.

I believe in providing awesome, free, valuable content as both a marketing strategy and just to be nice, but I’m still going to sell some things.

When I believe in a product, I’ll recommend it, but if I can potentially be paid as a representative of that brand, I’m going to use an affiliate link.

I’m not into get-rich-quick methods, but I’m willing to point you to an obnoxiously marketed program IF I think you can learn enough from it in the way of tactics to actually pay yourself back for the initial investment.

I love the idea of social media, but if you think Facebook and Twitter shouldn’t be used as marketing platforms at all, you’re essentially ignoring the fact that the creators of those platforms are raking in millions, or billions in revenue simply because you provide them with content and connections.
————————————————————–

I never met the author but he’s on to something. I’m sure we will hear from him again.

What do you think? Post your comment below. If you don’t see a “Comment” link, click on the title of the post to get the full post view.

Most of us have been to Open Houses in the live world.

Real estate agents invite prospective buyers to look over a property.

New businesses introduce themselves with an Open House. Even professional services, such as physician groups, have done this.

Businesses open their doors during holiday seasons.

But what if your business primarily exists in the virtual world? You can get a similar effect when you think about the purpose of an Open House: get to meet some good prospects face-to-face and get a jump start on the “know-like-and trust” factor.

Two ways to hold a virtual Open House:

(1) Offer a Q&A teleseminar. Invite your list members to attend and ask questions. Even if just a few people show, you will have a good time. You can share the recording with the rest of your list, so they’ll observe the way you answer questions and talk to others.

(2) Offer a call-in day, where prospects call you and chat one-to-one for a specified amount of time – usually 10-15 minutes. You’ll have more opportunity to meet more people than you would at a typical networking event. You also get to interact on a deeper level, creating a more solid connection.

Learn more about these options:

More Clients With Call-In Days :
http://www.GoodCatMarketing.com/call-in-day.html

You followed me…and I’m not following back. What are you doing wrong (and what can you do to get more followers)?

Reason #1: Your bio (and maybe some of your tweets) used language that is potentially offensive. Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t be offended if we were good friends hanging out in a bar. I wouldn’t mind if you were writing a script for the return of the Sopranos. But on Twitter? No thanks.

Reason #2: Your Twitter page includes the same Tweet, over and over. Maybe you are selling. Maybe you are just re-tweeting. Regardless, your content is beyond boring.

Reason #3: You have a 29,323 people following you. You follow 101 people. You have power -  but unless I am totally fascinated by your content, I can’t afford to follow a lot of people who are not following me. When we have too many “follows” and not enough “followers,” Twitter blocks us from following more people.

Reason #4: You don’t have a photo. Or you have a photo of your child, your pet (without you), your dandelion patch, or an abstract graphic that invites analysis but not  relationships.

Or…

Reason #5: You are doing everything right, but we are just not a good fit. Maybe you sell a product or service I’m not comfortable promoting. Maybe you have a spiritual orientation that is not congruent with what I can offer.  Or your Twitter account has been set up to make personal friends, while I am in this for business relationships.

Learn more about social marketing here.

Many business consultants and coaches advise their clients to, “Go live!” Get out from behind your computer and talk to some real people, face to face, in person.

The truth is:

Live networking can jumpstart a business that’s in the doldrums. Every so often you will make that one special contact who turns out to be an ideal client…or who introduces you to some ideal clients.

Live networking can recharge your batteries even if you have a full practice and a busy business. If you work at home all the time, you can change your energy by going out, wearing different clothes and meeting new people.

So what’s wrong with this picture? When we’re sitting at the computer, we know we need a copywriting mindset. Everything we write focuses on attracting ideal clients in our chosen niches. We know we have to choose a niche, choose a promotion strategy and write the content.

All too often, the copywriting mindset vanishes in the face to face world. Here are some ways to meet this challenge:

(1) Choose a venue that’s compatible with your niche and your marketing goals. For instance, if you are looking for speaking engagements, you need a group where members  belong to multiple organizations – and where they’re savvy enough to identify the meeting planner and make recommendations.

(2) Recognize that your self-introduction calls for copywriting. I’ve cringed when I hear people introduce themselves with a life history: “I used to be a corporate writer. Then I tried jewelry design. That didn’t work. Then I became …” At that point I zone out.

Begin your intro by recognizing your listeners’ needs. If you’ve chosen your niche by focusing on problems (as I recommend to my own clients), your job is easy. You talk about your niche’s problems. You don’t share a lot of process. You *do* talk about transformations.

And you don’t need a tired old “elevator speech.” Introduce yourself with a story or a strong example.

(3) Think of getting opt-ins, not buyers.

A networking event is like an opt-in page. Your goal is to meet folks who (a) don’t know you yet and (b) belong in your niche.

Therefore, it’s important to meet new people and avoid the temptation to catch up with old friends. It’s also important to think of hooking them so you can follow up later, rather than landing the sale right away.

Want to discover how you can apply a copywriting mindset to maximize your return on your networking investment? Check it out here:  http://bit.ly/gYyOiI

Nicollette Talmadge maintains  5 different WordPress blogs with topics from jewelry making to web design.  Here’s what her blogs have brought er:

Here jewelry and jewelry business have been featured in several industry magazines.

She was invited to join a round-table discussion about blogging at the American Craft Council’s annual conference

Her Facebook fan page was featured in the book, “Social Media Marketing for Dummies”.

And she’s gotten hundreds of subscribers, clients and customers.

Nikki’s offering a mini-course starting tomorrow night at a very affordable investment. When you sign up today she adds a full hour of consultation as a bonus.

My affiliate link is:

http://bit.ly/f2ztDQ