Can I let you in on a little secret? It's so simple that once I tell you, you won't be able to unsee it.
LinkedIn gives you a FREE billboard on your profile. Yes, free.Your LinkedIn header is the equivalent of a free billboard you see on the side of the highway, and it's on every single person's LinkedIn account.

About half of the profiles I review on LinkedIn have the default: teal green with the interconnected dots and lines. Like this:

Think about the last time you drove by a highway billboard that said "THIS SPACE AVAILABLE." If you have the above on your profile, it's basically the same thing.

Look at your profile right now. Do you have the teal blue dots/lines default image?
If so... YOU ARE WASTING AN OPPORTUNITY. (sorry: I'm a "tough love" kind of LinkedIn coach).


TIP: change the default image NOW to something INTERESTING that aligns with your professional brand or your company brand.

• You can simply upload an image to your LinkedIn header by finding a picture from your marketing department or a stock image website (I recommend Pexels.com or Unsplash.com).
  
• Be sure that you check the alignment by viewing your profile from the desktop version of LinkedIn as well as the mobile view. You may find that something that works well on desktop has important elements (YOUR LOGO, for example...) that are hidden a bit on mobile. I created and use this template to guide me into the areas that are hidden by my profile photo on desktop and mobile. Feel free to right click and download it or share it with others. The dimensions are 1584x396px. I don't know of the exact position of the circle. I'm not a graphic designer. I use canva.com
  

• The ideal image size for your LinkedIn header image is 1584x396px. I use Canva.com to create images that are perfectly sized to these dimensions, and I export them from Canva to a png format to upload into LinkedIn.
  
• The bonus when creating this LinkedIn header image in Canva is that you can create a message to lay on top of the image, as I have on my header image.
  

Just like a billboard gets boring and then becomes virtually invisible after you've driven past it every day for a month, people start to ignore your header image if you never change it. I tweak my header image every few months with a new marketing tip, LinkedIn tip, or product/service I am highlighting.

Here are links to a few profiles containing LinkedIn header images that are done quite well:

Amanda Holdan-Sinisi https://www.linkedin.com/in/aholdan-sinisi/. Amanda uses an image of a mountain in the background. This gives me the impression she is a high achiever who enjoys challenges.

​Rob Fershtman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robfershtman/. A nice nod to his industry and brand. Cool image, isn't it?

MiVida Burrus https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmburrus/ uses an image that is complementary to her company's brand, but slightly different in color scheme.

​David Bann https://www.linkedin.com/in/davebann/ works for the Leader Dog organization. Who doesn't love puppies?

​Tanya Abreu https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyaabreu/ has a cool bubble rainbow effect in her header. It reminds me of a garden globe.

​Chris Meller https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismeller67/ (yes, he's my husband) is active in networking and recruiting and has a collage of photos. It shows variety in his brand.

​Pam Majchrzak https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelamajchrzak/ has a visually interesting color image that makes me think of patterns and energy. This aligns well with her job title and industry expertise.

​Greg Coyne https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregcoyne/ uses a branded image with his website. Even though you can't click the web address, you don't need to dig around his profile to find it.

​Craig Fry https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigfry/ illustrates his product with an eye-catching brand color background. I wonder if he could make me a #socialmediapie pin?

​These are just a few of the many LinkedIn header images I frequently cite during individual and team training sessions. I'm always on the lookout for other images, so if you have an interesting one, comment below.

Hopefully these examples and this blog provide some inspiration to you.

OK. So now you're convinced that you need to change your header image.

STUMPED on how to change it? You're not alone. Watch this video to learn how to change your LinkedIn header image. Or, contact your marketing department or me (see info below).

​*************************************
Let's connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brendameller

Need help with LinkedIn? Contact me.

I specialize in optimizing LinkedIn profiles to maximize your impact - helping you drive more of the RIGHT audience to your profile and than keeping them there when they visit your profile.

My LinkedIn training ranges from a 2-hour virtual coaching session up to a "done for you" profile rewrite and training.

I also provide LinkedIn company page set-up and management services. Visit https://www.mellermarketing.com/linkedin to learn more.

*Blog Post shared from Meller Marketing* 

Wants vs. Needs: Promotional Products
By: Promotions Guy 

Many managers regularly express interest in marketing for their business in one or more of the following ways:

• We want to expand our brand recognition within the community. 
• We want to do more because more customers are out there. 
• We have a new service and want to get the word out. 

Oftentimes, however, managers and owners fail to recognize and capitalize on opportunities to get that word out about that new service, or fail to implement their marketing plans to expand that brand recognition like they want to. Typically, time and money are the culprit here. BUT... I would argue that this failure is more-so due to the fact that many managers see their marketing and promotional needs as "wants". 

Try reading the above bullet points again; but this time, replace the word "want" with "need". Notice a difference? Let's look at them closely... 

We NEED to expand our brand recognition within the community.

• The difference between a customer knowing vs. not knowing you exist in the first place. 

We NEED to do more because more customers are out there. 

• More customers ARE out there. Always. You don't want more customers. You need them, right? Well then you NEED to tell them where you are and what you do, don't you?

We have a new service and NEED to get the word out. 

• If your time and money are worth offering a new service/product, then your time and money are worth telling people about it. 

The difference here is fundamental. Wants vs. Needs. Businesses don't just want to grow. They NEED to grow. Otherwise, they will be passed up by another company that values growth more than they do. It's the world we live in. So when it comes to choosing how to go about marketing in the right ways, what do you do to resolve this conundrum? Well, there's more than one question I would pose to any specific manager:

What specific (or anticipated) problem do you need to solve for your business?

• This helps you narrow down your options significantly. If you only need to get the word out about a new item on your food menu, let's get you a sign to have out front. If you want to keep your current customers happy, on the other hand, let's look at thoughtful gifts for them that you can send or have ready when they visit. 
  
  

If money weren't a factor, what would you see done to best solve said problem?

• It's always good to get the perfect-world perspective, because if successful people have taught us nothing else, isn't it that "if you can see it, you can achieve it."

How much do you value solving the problem you face?

• This is where it gets deeper. Sure, you know what the problem may be. You may know exactly how you WANT to solve it in a perfect world. However, by determining how much you value solving it, you understand and can conceptualize what NEEDS to be done right now to solve it. You can begin to see the power of creating the solutions you seek. And from that, you begin to see results. Everyone loves results. 

Now, how do we tie in the wants and needs businesses have in relation to promotional products? I'm glad you asked... Promo products are your little army that fights for you even when you're not there. They are your cost-effective way to get something tangible in the hands of a potential buyer. Essentially, they are a low-energy investment into your business. 

Your business' marketing hurdles can be solved using a combination of efforts. But, in the meantime, if a simple promo product can work for you alongside any additional strategies you put into place, AND if that simple product can be cost-friendly enough that it pays for itself if only a small percentage of customers respond, then don't you NEED to take advantage of that? It takes a minimal amount of time to get them ordered and delivered to your door... or do you WANT to think about it?

"Don't wait for the right opportunity: Create it." -George Bernard Shaw

Print Marketing is NOT Dead! 
By: Doug Kelly, 5by5Design 

In this digital age is print marketing still a viable portion of your overall strategy?
Below are a few reasons why the use of print materials marketing is NOT dead. 

Print provides a tactile experience. 
An online ad can only be seen on a device. A postcard or brochure can be seen and touched - and the quality of the printed piece speaks to the quality of your business. 
Studies continue to show that the average person rarely reads more than a quarter of the text on a web page or targeted email, preferring to scan the content. However, magazine readers see 90% off all pages in an issue and will usually pick up a copy of a magazine more than once per day on multiple days, according to Bauer Media. 

Print Marketing has a high response rate.
Believe it or not, direct mail is still used and rather heavily. According to a recent Pitney Bowes survey, 76% of small businesses say their ideal marketing strategy includes BOTH print and digital marketing. 

Furthermore, according to PrintIsBig.com, advertisers spent $167 per person on direct mail in 2015, and earned $2,095 - that's a 1,255 % return!

A newfound (old) way to stand out!
There is less competition with print advertising, as opposed to digital marketing where there are millions of companies competing for an audience. And, according to a US Postal Service survey, people actually look at direct mail!

The massive amounts of digital media has given print media a strange new power. Think of how special it is to get a written letter as opposed to an email. If you're trying to target a C-level audience, forget email - their assistant will just hit delete. But if you take your e-book, print it as a nice brochure and mail it to the exec's office, it might get to their desk and leave a lasting impression.

Also a printed piece stands out more than personalized emails, which we are constantly inundated with everyday. People like receiving mail that feels made for them - and they'll assume it was expensive to do, when it actually can be done cost - effectively. 

In some instances, print truly trumps digital.
Hard copy catalogs are still more popular than digital versions, and therefore remain a core marketing strategy for many small, medium and large Macomb County businesses. In fact, 58% of people read catalogs as opposed to the 12% who read online, while other stats indicate that 93% of shoppers will venture to a store after paging through a catalog. It seems that despite our screen-scrolling tendencies, society maintains a firm grip on the tactile experience of the print catalog. 

Print is sustainable.
Most paper in the US is recycled. According to Two Sides "In 2012, over 65% of paper used in the United States was recovering for recycling." As a marketer, you can encourage your company and your customers to recycle, and you can also work with printers to ensure that you are using recycled paper. 
Marketing Profs points out that, "Paper-based marketing has a smaller carbon footprint than digital marketing, since carbon emissions are only produced once, during the creation of the product. Meanwhile, carbon emissions occur every time someone uses a digital device. Even the act of producing a CD creates MORE CO2 emissions than printing a 100-page report in full color."

What's old is new again, and in this case, new and old can work together in innovative and powerful ways. 
​
Are you ready to create some effective print marketing pieces?

If your current marketing strategy does not include print, click to contact 5by5Design.