Stay Connected – Why you need to join LinkedIn

Today in Dr. Freberg’s class we had the pleasure of receiving a lecture from the graduate assistant Imani on business networking. We focused on LinkedIn which is a powerful professional platform that has been around since 2003. Check out these riveting stats about LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is geared toward the professional market and it is an extremely effective platform for Business 2 Business content distribution. LinkedIn has become a vital professional element of the modern economy. Think of LinkedIn like a revolving electronic resume.

Social networks are becoming the preferred channel for promoting talent and brands. However, company and personal websites still hold the most significance. It’s a great idea to showcase your professional content along with your LinkedIn profile. Use projects, posts and experiences to spotlight your talent. Whether it is a blog, website, projects, etc… don’t be afraid to do a little bragging on LinkedIn because you want to showcase yourself.

Don’t use cliché lines that everyone says such as “I’m a hard worker”. LinkedIn could be compared to the Missouri “Show me State” motto. Employers do not want to hear about fairy tales, they want to see concrete facts. No shout outs allowed on LinkedIn either. Sorry guys, save that for Twitter!

LinkedIn is often used by employers and recruiting agencies to scout out potential talent. There are numerous professional groups to join on LinkedIn as well. LinkedIn is the perfect platform to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. However, one must be timely, consistent and genuine in order to become a leader. LinkedIn offers you the ability to recommend other professionals and they can do the same for you. LinkedIn utilizes the “You scratch my back and I will scratch yours” approach.

Here is a basic LinkedIn check list:

Photo: You must have a photo on LinkedIn. This isn’t the site to be an internet troll that hides behind a Shrek photo. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is professional and classy!

Headline: This is where you can tell people what excites you. You could mention your future goal, or summarize what your about overall.

Summary: In this section you can go into a little more detail. Talk about what motivates you. Whats trending in your expertise? What next for you and what are you working on?

Experience: This section is just like what you would find on a traditional resume. Here you want to list all the jobs or internships you have held. Be sure to list what you specifically accomplished at each of those jobs. Include work photos, completed projects, etc… The more you can prove, the more people will believe you.

10 wonderful must know tips for successful business networking!

I’m new to LinkedIn because I initially found the platform to be intimidating. However, it’s better to try and fail than to have never tried at all. I hope that you feel encouraged to check out LinkedIn after reading this post from a fellow LinkedIn beginner. LinkedIn is like the gym, “what you put in is what you get back. If you maximize your effort, organize your connections and stay consistent, the possibilities are endless.

Now go get connected and stay connected!

My take on the Madness so far!

We all can agree that the NCAA tournament has once again lived up to expectations so far. We have had the epic buzzer beaters and riveting upsets.

. The Kentucky Wildcats continue to steam roll through the competition. What was that freshman from West Virginia thinking!? Check out what Daxter Miles Jr. initially predicted and how his attitude changed after the game. The Kentucky players made sure to fire back last night after the ridiculous blow out via Twitter. Xavier gave Arizona everything they had and it was the match up of the night, but at the end of the day Arizona’s tenacity prevailed. The underdog story of Wichita State once again ended, but not before they had the chance to one up inner state rival Kansas. North Carolina took Wisconsin to the wire, but eventually the rainbows became bricks and super senior Frank Kaminsky put the game on his back. Sam Dekker stepped up as well, but he had a little extra motivation. Look at this playful twitter exchange between Dekker and Green Bay Packer QB Aaron Rodgers.

Perennial basketball prize fighters remain including Wisconsin, Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky and Arizona. However, under the radar teams like Louisville, Oklahoma and Utah are lurking about ready to steal the show. Cinderella dreams could be in the making once again. Can NC State over-exceed expectation like Jimmy V’s 1983 team? Will this be the year that Gonzaga finally staples their name alongside the big boys? Many questions circulate this tournament and you can cut the tension with a knife!

The NC State vs. Louisville game is on as I’m typing this blog post. I predict this game to come down to the wire. It may take another beautiful mid-range J from Mango to edge out the Wolfpack. NC State is built for the press so will Rick Pitino go zone or stick with his guns? I believe this game may be decided by which star shooter gets hots. The Cardinals have been riding sharp shooter Terry Rozier all tournament long. Trevor Lacey of the Wolfpack is one of the most silky smooth players in the nation when he is on. The question is, who will be on when it matters most?

Gonzaga is up on UCLA at half time by a short margin. This will be a West Coast scorcher. UCLA is the most acclaimed name in all of college basketball and Gonzaga has been clawing their way up the prestige ladder for years now. Get your popcorn ready for the second half of this one, it could go either way!

Now for the game no one is talking about. Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans have quietly scraped their way into another Sweet 16. We saw Connecticut win it all last year with a similar mid range seed like Michigan State currently has. Oklahoma can score at will and the school has been relatively quiet since the days of Blake Griffin. Could this be Oklahoma’s moment to steal the show? No matter who wins this game, they will still be overshadowed, but that could play to their advantage.

A lot of people are picking Utah for the upset over Duke. However, the players at Duke are gellin’ like Magellan right now and it will be difficult to break their mojo. Utah must contain Jahlil Okafor in the paint and force Duke to live by the three as they are so often known for. I like Duke to win this one. I believe Duke is one of the only teams in the country that could give Kentucky a scare and I’m dying to see Christian Laettner round two. If you haven’t already seen it, go watch the ESPN 30 for 30 movie “I Hate Christian Laettner” for a little background on this rivalry. 

Keep your eyes on this upcoming elite 8 match up between Kentucky and Notre Dame. The ACC champs have their chance to prove that Kentucky plays soft competition. Kentucky can end that form of criticism once and for all with a win in this game. If Kentucky goes down, this bad boy is wide open!

Buckle up and Keep Calm, It’s Still March!!

March = Money

Well its almost that time of year. It’s time for the madness to begin! CHA-CHING $$$

Did you know that coaches normally receive bonuses for wins in March? In 2013 Rick Pitino accrued an estimated $840,000 from tournament bonuses. Pitino received a $150,000 bonus from the championship win alone. Coaches aren’t the only ones making all the money. CBS and the Turner TV network earned over 1 billion dollars in revenue from the tournament in 2013! That’s B as in BILLION. Oh by the way… Louisville was college basketballs most valuable team that year and estimated to be worth over 38.55 million. Hmmm I wonder who the most valuable team in college basketball is this year? I bet it’s that blue team in Lexington, but sorry I can’t recall the name 🙂 This article is full of financial info about the 2013 basketball tournament.

According to Kantar Media, The NCAA men’s basketball tournament and the NFL playoffs are perennially the two largest post-season sports franchises. After two years atop the rankings, college hoops finally slid to 2nd position behind the NFL in 2014. The only TV ads more expensive than March Madness ads are NFL playoff game ads. March Madness means big business. Major companies including GE, Coco-Cola, and AT&T all sponsor the NCAA. Ever wonder what kind of ads see the most air time? That would be automotive ads! Now for my personal favorite statistic measured by Kantar Media:

HH Rating Index
Index Rank	TV Market	Games w/Out-Of Area Teams	All Games
1	Louisville KY	304	379
2	Topeka KS	227	267
3	Dayton OH	224	255
4	Lexington KY	219	269
5	Wichita-Hutchinson KS	213	264

How to read: The average game rating in Louisville was 3.04 times greater than the national average

What this information means is that the Louisville, Ky. market had the most committed audience during the 2014 tournament. Take that Wildcats! Katar Media provided tons of cool March Madness statistics and you can check them out in this article.

There are a few reasons why March Madness is unlike any other sports event.

1. The Alliterations. Unlike the Super Bowl, March Madness is a segmented sporting event. This means that the revenue stream will stay open for longer. The NCAA implemented a great strategy by segmenting March Madness into names like the sweet 16, the elite 8 and the final four. Each one of these segments presents a new opportunity for revenue.

2. The Spontaneity. What people love most about March is that no one ever guesses the winners correctly. This is why your wife’s color coordinated bracket demolished your strategic masterpiece last year. You don’t have to be a pro to understand March Madness. The first days of the tournament are like heaven for those with short attention spans. You can flip to the last 2 minutes of a game and share in the joy of a buzzer beater. I believe the revenue stream for this sport is so high because it captures casual sports fans just as well as hardcore sports enthusiasts.

3. The Contests. Everyone wants to take Warren Buffetts money in the billion dollar bracket challenge! However, Fox Sports, Capital One, ESPN and CBS Sports all have their own version of bracket contests as well. No sporting event does contests, sweepstakes and betting like March Madness does. Whether the odds are impossible or not, people love to shoot for the stars.

Not everyone appreciates March Madness as much as the fans do. Take a look at this humorous infographic on the economics of March Madness.

As you can see, March Madness is all about the money. Try not to get fired from your job this week and may the bracket Gods be with you! LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!

Know your numbers!

This week in Dr. Freberg’s social media class we have been discussing social media research and data analytics. I hate math probably more than anyone (I switched out of a business major to get away from math), but I happen to love social media data analytics. For the first time ever, I can see how the numbers actually matter. Look at the cool info Pew Research compiled from the numbers. 

A lot of math involves solving some weird algebraic theorem  that has no effect on the overall scheme of life. On the other hand, social media metrics help us find new trends, increase revenue and build brand awareness. Social media campaigns are lovely, but your employer could care less how creative you are if you can’t translate your campaign into measurable growth.

Here are some important measurements to keep in mind!

Audience Growth Rate: It’s important to know whether you are better off today than you were yesterday. This measurement involves comparing your current audience to your audience in the past. So if you had 500 followers last month and this month you have 600 followers, that means you have a 20% audience growth rate. This number can be used as a stepping stone for future audience growth goals.

Average Engagement Rate: This is where you breakdown the engagement with your audience. How often is an individual posting compared to the rest of your audience? It’s vital to understand what causes these differences as well. Always listen to what your audience has to say.

Response Rates: How fast do you get back to people?  Before taking this class I never even considered how essential time is in social media. Time is of the essence and brands are waiting like hawks to swoop in and steal your shine. It’s important to treat your audience like you would a friend. Be timely, polite and resourceful.

Inbound links: Links work like a spider web on the internet. This measurement lets you know who is helping you expand your spider web. Inbound links shows the number of sites linking back to yours. You should show a lot of gratitude to the people sharing your links!

What about formula’s?

There are tons of formulas at our disposal, but here are some must know ones.

Share of voice = Brand mentions / total mentions from all competitors. Share of voice lets you know how you stack up against the competition. Every great fighter knows that you must study your opponents to become a true master!

Audience Engagement = Comments + Shares + Trackbacks / Total Views. This measurement helps you understand how your content is resonating with your audience. Be aware of what content drives the most engagement!

Conversation Reach = Total People Participating / Total Audience Exposure. Conversation reach is not about size, it’s about participation and involvement.

Active Advocates = # of Active Users within past 30 days / Total Advocates. Is it smart for a gym to expand its reach, but not monitor its active users? Absolutely not! In the case of a gym, active users provide feedback on equipment needs. People hop on and off brands like they do gym memberships in January. Always know what your active audience has to say because usually they are your most loyal clientele.

There are numerous measurement tools available on he web, but you must negotiate your way through all the fluff tools. Here is a resourceful article by Sprout Social on some of the best measurement tools to check out. 

If you take away anything from this post, remember the 3 wise men of social media measurement tools. Everyone should know the basics! Reach = size of audience, Engagement = total number of likes, shares, comments, etc… and Impressions = how many people saw your post.

I know I did not list every tool or formula available for social media data analytics, but my Professor Karen Freberg shared the metric holy grail with us today. I hope I sparked an intrigue in you to find out more! If you love fun data, I urge you to follow @chriskerns on Twitter. Read Chris Kerns book Trendology and go get a leg up on competition! It’s amazing to witness the amount of brands/companys that lack a social media presence on a particular platform. If you can master data analytics, you can easily create your own career. Go out there and use the numbers to your advantage!

#LeanInTogether : How Sports and Social Media can change the world!

We live in a magical world these days and no I do not live in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Awareness can be raised more quickly than ever. Sports and social media are like a perfect marriage living in ultimate harmony. People love to view, discuss and spread social media campaigns alongside sports because of the massive engagement that can be achieved. Deep down inside we all secretly want to #BeLikeMike. Speaking of being like Mike, kudos to Gatorade for updating the 1992 Michael Jordan commercial with a hashtag. I don’t think I’ve seen a brand use an actual retro commercial in that way.

Now lets get down to business! I want to talk about a new sports social media campaign that I fell in love with. I was watching one of my favorite TV programs called ESPN First Take like usual, but I found it odd that their special guest was the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg! Typically First Take just has sports related guests. Sandberg is coming out swinging for the fences with her new found COO position. I like how she seized on the massive ESPN market to help spread campaign awareness. The name of this social media campaign is called #LeanInTogether. The purpose of this campaign is to promote equality. Both the NBA and WNBA have hopped on board with Facebook. How do you and your family lean on each other? How has someone in your family or workplace changed your life? These questions are what the campaign is all about. In particular, the campaign urges men to promote gender equality. As far as I’m concerned, women can do anything that a man can do. I am now intrigued about Sandberg’s highly acclaimed book called Lean In. 

As a boy that was raised by a single mother, this campaign resonated with me deeply. My mom is like wonder woman and she has single-handedly allowed me to achieve my dreams. My mother may be a workaholic, but she has opened so many doors for me and I owe her everything. Many athletes and celebrities share similar family bonds as me. On ESPN First Take they brought up the often joked about MVP acceptance speech by Kevin Durant. Durant gave credit to his mom and named her THE REAL MVP. The speech may have initiated a storm of humorous memes, but many of us connect with what Durant was saying. If you haven’t seen the touching Kevin Durant MVP speech, you can view it here. Behind most strong men are the even stronger women that molded and guided them. It doesn’t have to be a mom, it can also be a sister, grandmother, daughter or wife. Ladies can flip the script and showcase how thankful they are for a man in their life as well. This is a campaign for both the home and the workplace. Celebrities are joining the #LeanInTogether campaign in droves. Some notable campaign participants include Richard Branson, Stephen Curry, Reese Witherspoon, Beyonce and Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock). The campaign has also received notable press from well-known publications such as USA Today, People and Cosmopolitan to name a few. Check out this People article on the #LeanInTogether campaign.

Before the days of social media, building awareness like this was not possible. #LeanInTogether connects with all forms of people and it is continuously growing. I love to see positive messages shared on the web! So lets hear your story!! Even if no one witnesses your post, I’m sure the special person in your life you wrote it about will appreciate the gesture. Always let your love ones know how important they are to you because time is precious.

Watch this awesome ABC News video on #LeanInTogether

Burgers anyone? – Review of Mussel and Burger Bar

I decided to take a break from all my usual sports talk because I will be gasping for air when March Madness arrives. So now lets dive into what I love doing just as much as watching sports. EATING!

Who doesn’t love a good burger? I visited Mussel and Burger Bar located at 9200 Taylorsville Rd. in the Jeffersontown area of Louisville, Ky. This was my first experience dining at Mussel and Burger Bar. I learned most people simply refer to the restaurant as MBB. The hours for MBB are, Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday: Noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday: 12 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

My immediate thoughts upon entering MBB revolved around how intriguing the design was. MBB looked as if it could have formerly been an old colonial home with a Southwestern interior design. All the design elements resonated with more of a traditional and classic feel. Soothing sounds of jazz, blues and classic music add to the ambiance by filling the atmosphere with warmth. I found it rather unique that MBB sits on top of a separate Italian restaurant called Cena which is owned by the same people. The actual bar seemed to be somewhat small, but the overall design of MBB is refreshingly creative.

Drinks come in mason jars at MBB. According to our waiter Steven, you may not be able to get home if you drink more than two alcoholic beverages in those types of jars. Water is served in a wine bottle, but unfortunately my water did not turn in to wine. The place mat was a little off putting because they are made out of paper, but this is the only cheapness to the entire restaurant. The food is served on these distinctive metal trays.

My table started off with an appetizer of calamari. The calamari had a unique twist of sweet and spicy flavors, however if you prefer crispy textured calamari, you may want to try another choice. I decided to try the succulent Spanish Blue burger which features La Peral Spanish blue cheese, pepper crest and fig marmalade with a smoked pineapple dipping sauce. The burger was cooked expertly and the flavors titillated my palate. My friend loved the La Frita Cubana burger and immensely recommends it. We finished off our meal with a deliciously awe inspiring piece of blueberry carrot cake served with a spiced pineapple ice cream with candied pecans. If you love pineapple like I do, you will appreciate MBB which incorporates pineapple in numerous dishes.

The service at MBB was top-notch. My waiter Steven was timely, friendly and helpful. Steven was willing to answer any of my questions and made great food recommendations. I have absolutely no complaints about the service. MBB can get rather pricey as it is an upscale burger joint. It costs about 65$ (including tip) for two people to dine at MBB and have a three course meal.

Overall my experience at Mussel and Burger Bar was astoundingly impressive. Here are some other opinions and reviews concerning MBB courtesy of Yelp. I whole-heartedly advocate trying MBB, especially if you adore burgers. Go follow MBB on Facebook! I noticed that MBB has a virtually non-existent Twitter and Instagram presence. I would love to help expand your social media presence and it would bring in new clientele! Food for thought, but anyways…

Pictures speak a thousand words so check out these photos I took!