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Show Notes
Have you ever struggled with how to present yourself on LinkedIn? Maybe you’ve wondered how to make a good first impression, or how to connect with the right people in your industry.
If so, then this episode is for you. Join David and his guest, LinkedIn expert Jen Corcoran, as they dive into the top tips and strategies for creating a professional and effective LinkedIn profile. You’ll learn how to optimize your profile, connect with the right people, and take advantage of all that LinkedIn has to offer.
Especially for introverts, this episode will give you actionable advice and insights to help you stand out on this powerful personal branding platform. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from a LinkedIn expert, and take your online presence to the next level.
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Jen Corcoran is on a mission to help sensitive, introverted and empathic female coaches, consultants and trainers to toot their horns on LinkedIn in an aligned, easy and fun way. With her authority marketing, she helps them super boost their LinkedIn profiles, make genuine connections and attract consistent ideal clients using my 4-stage PACT framework (Presence – Action – Connect – Track). Her clients are left feeling reinvigorated, confident and raring to go, excited to tap into all the prosperity and endless opportunities that LinkedIn offers them.
Contact Jen:
Jen’s website: MySuperConnector.co.uk
Jen’s download: Maximise your profile checklist to attract ideal clients
LinkedIn | LinkedIn Group |
– – –
Contact the Host of the Quiet and Strong Podcast:
David Hall
Author, Speaker, Educator, Podcaster
quietandstrong.com
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david [at] quietandstrong.com
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Questions and Answers
- What should you focus on in the top section of your LinkedIn profile for a good first impression?
Answer: Have a professional banner, headshot, and headline that speaks to what you do, and use branded banners and clear headlines to communicate who you are and who you help quickly. - What is the ABC formula for the headline on your LinkedIn profile?
Answer: The ABC formula stands for A for who you are, B for who you serve, and C for how you help. - What is the key difference between introverts and extroverts in the workplace?
Answer: Introverts tend to take their time when approaching something and do a lot of research to feel more confident and better prepared, while extroverts tend to fly by the seat of their pants and talk the talk without always having substance behind it. - How can being authentic on LinkedIn help your personal branding?
Answer: Being authentic and showing up as your real self on LinkedIn is crucial, and finding your purpose can make you unstoppable. - Why are personalized LinkedIn connection requests better than generic ones?
Answer: Reading someone’s profile and finding something interesting about them before connecting can make them feel special and more likely to accept the request. - What is the Packed Framework for using LinkedIn?
Answer: The Packed Framework stands for presence, action, connect, and tracking, and takes a holistic approach to LinkedIn. - How should you balance personal and professional posts on LinkedIn?
Answer: It’s important to have a balance between professional and personal posts on LinkedIn, and building content around frequently asked questions is a good strategy for creating content. - How often should you post on LinkedIn?
Answer: Posting frequency on LinkedIn depends on the person, and consistency is key. It’s important to prioritize quality over quantity and not post more than once a day. - How can market research be used to improve content and sales pages for a business?
Answer: Feedback from market research can be valuable in improving content and sales pages for a business, and offering a sweetener, such as free tips or a video, can encourage more people to participate. - What is a good way to stay organized and achieve goals on LinkedIn?
Answer: The speaker uses a tracker built on Google Sheets tailored to individual clients, with tabs for clients, sales calls, LinkedIn engagement, and other activities based on clients’ interests.
Timestamped Overview
[00:08:33] Introverts tend to take their time, research thoroughly, and come at things from a different angle, which can be a strength in business settings. Deep processing can be a gift and provide different viewpoints, but it can also be overwhelming.
[00:13:07] The PACT framework (Presence, Action, Connect, Track) is a holistic approach to LinkedIn. The first step is building a profile and doing market research, followed by taking authentic and intentional action. The third step is connecting through commenting and DMs, and the final step is tracking progress. The framework helps introverts build their networks and showcase their brilliance.
[00:19:42] LinkedIn is a professional platform focused on personal branding and building valuable connections, with more elevated and thought leadership style content compared to other social media platforms. It has become the number one personal branding platform in the world, and will have a billion members next year. Relationships and networking are prioritized on LinkedIn, whereas other platforms are more about broadcasting content and gaining followers.
[00:22:24] Use a tracker with tabs for clients, sales calls, and LinkedIn engagement. Customize tabs to suit individual needs and goals, allowing for targeted engagement with connections on the platform. Spend limited time on LinkedIn by focusing on one tab at a time.
[00:25:50] The key to successful networking on LinkedIn is to personalize connection requests by referencing the other person’s profile or latest post. It is bad etiquette to sell in the first message, and it is important to build a relationship before selling services. Treat people like a human, not a number, and do your research before reaching out to them.
[00:33:28] Offer incentives for market research, such as shout-outs or polls. Give a “sweetener” to make it more appealing. Specify audience and give options. Results can greatly help improve business.
[00:37:17] Focus on above the fold, with good professional headshot, clear banner, and a headline that speaks about your niche and the transformation that you offer. Don’t rely on intangible claims like confidence or clarity, but rather focus on outcomes that matter like saving time, making money, or getting clients. Use all 220 characters to get creative with your headline, and don’t forget that the picture is worth its weight in gold.
[00:41:47] Business owners should aim for 20% social proof content and 80% value posts with a mix of professional and personal content on LinkedIn. FAQs are a great source for content, and personal posts often generate more engagement than purely professional ones. Testimonials, stories, and case studies make great social proof content.
[00:45:36] Consistency and quality are more important than frequency on LinkedIn. Posting once per day, preferably in the morning, is best. Check your analytics to see when your audience is online. Repurposing and scheduling is encouraged. Don’t be afraid to repeat good content.
[00:48:03] To excel on LinkedIn, introverts must connect with their purpose, overcome their fears and showcase their real selves. They have an advantage online and must not dull their brilliance. Dig deep to find your purpose and values to become unstoppable.
Podcast Transcript
Jen Corcoran [00:00:00]:
So you need to connect to your values and your why and your purpose, and then there’s no stopping you. So if you’ve not yet kind of found that purpose, I would say dig deep, because once you do, then you’ll be unstoppable. Honestly, I think if you’re an introvert, you’ve got the advantage on LinkedIn and social media, anything online, you have got the advantage. So try for the introverts to rise up. Yes, find your voice. Find your voice on there, because you can get your voice in the room online.
David Hall [00:00:43]:
Hello and welcome to episode 119 of the Quiet and Strong Podcast, especially for introverts. I’m your host, David Hall, and the creator of quietandstrong.com. This is a weekly podcast dedicated to understanding the strengths and needs of introverts. Introversion is not something to fix, but to be embraced normally. Will our each episode on a Monday be sure to subscribe on your favorite platform. Leave a review. That would mean a lot to me. Tell a friend about the podcast. Help get the word out there that introversion is a beautiful thing. Jen Corcoran is on a mission to help sensitive introverted and empathic female coaches, consultants and trainers to toot their horns on LinkedIn in an aligned, easy and fun way. With her authority marketing, she helps them super boost their LinkedIn profiles, make genuine connections, and attract consistent, ideal clients. Using her four stage packed framework presence, Action, Connect and Track, her clients are left feeling reinvigorated, confident and raring to go, excited to tap into all the prosperity and endless opportunities that LinkedIn offers them. All right. Well, Jen, welcome to the quiet and strong podcast. We’re excited to have you on today.
Jen Corcoran [00:01:56]:
Thank you so much for reaching out, David. I’m excited to be here.
David Hall [00:02:00]:
Yeah, we’re going to get into the great work you do working with introverts, empaths and HSPs and on LinkedIn. But before we do that, let’s just talk about you. How did you figure out that you were introvert, a highly sensitive person and an empath.
Jen Corcoran [00:02:15]:
It was quite a long journey. I’d love to say I knew really early on, but I didn’t. I think when I was really young, I never even heard of the term introvert, so I was like, oh, I’m different, but I don’t know how I’m different. And I remember I think somebody gave me a book when I was about ten and it was about my stereotype. So it was about a capricorn, which I am of January, and I was kind of like, oh, I had an interest in figuring out who I was as a person. Then I just latched onto I’m a capricorn. And that was probably kind of altering my teens. I’m a Capricorn, this is why I’m like this. And then I think when I got into my twenty s and into the workspace, then I first started learning about introverts and I was like, I’m an introvert. And then the empath thing, I would say, I didn’t really think about it until probably my thirty s and then just working with certain individuals who weren’t empaths and trying to figure out what is the difference. So that was a slower journey. So I’d say in my thirty s and then in my 40s, I’m 49 now, so I discovered I was a HSP about three years ago and that was like a light bulb moment and explained my whole life to date. So, yeah, I’d love to say I was somebody who’s always been self aware, but it’s been a long journey. And on the introvert scale, I’ve done, like, Myers Brigg and I’m an INFJ. And apparently, and I do think it’s quite true, we’re very good at fisting up other people and we could smell bullshit a mile off and we can read people’s feelings, but we’re not very good at ourselves. It’s been a long journey.
David Hall [00:03:57]:
Yeah. And you are not alone in the long journey. Like myself, other guests, it’s a rare case that people know who they are early on and I mean, that’s part of why I’m doing this work is let’s help people figure it out a little bit earlier. But, yeah, you’re not alone in that. How did you learn to embrace it?
Jen Corcoran [00:04:18]:
I think, again, it’s just been in a journey. I think when I dig deep into introversion and found out the different types of introverts, I was like, okay, I can see who I am and I want to like, you, get the news out there and dispel the myths about introverts. And I was actually at a networking event earlier on on Zoom, and I was chatting to two ladies and they brought up something about introverts, and I was like, no, because they were saying, I couldn’t believe she was an introvert. And I was like, what do you mean by that? And basically the topic was the person was a good public speaker. And I was like, no, introverts can do anything. And I was like, there’s different types, there’s a fact focused or a connection focused. And I took great delight in telling them, like, Obama’s an introvert, Oprah is an introvert, and you could see the shock on their face. So I was kind of like, people need to understand what being an introvert is. And they both thought I was an extrovert because I’m chatty and I’m like, yeah, I can chat, I can show up on screen, I can network, but I need to lie down after. And it’s all about the energy and how you plug in. And I was saying, I can do it in networking and I can enjoy it if I’m with the right people, but I do not get energy from it. I will be lying down after, but I know it’s good for me and it’s good for my career, and likewise I can do a talk and speak up and it’s been a journey. I couldn’t do it years ago, but I can now. But again, it’s about the energy, so yeah, I think yeah, once I kind of discovered who I am, I’m proud to shout out about how introverts can do absolutely anything they want. They just need to put their mind to it. And energy.
David Hall [00:06:03]:
Yeah, so it’s about the energy. We’re also deep thinkers, or in your case, also deep feeler. We need time to recharge, but we also need time alone for a lot of different things. But we don’t want to be alone all the time. So definitely we’re busting some myths right here. Introverts, you can be a great public speaker. You might go about it a little differently. I know I definitely prepare differently than I would an extroverted colleague, but you can be amazing, definitely.
Jen Corcoran [00:06:31]:
And I love alone time. And I think people are shocked when they hear that because I’m, like, chatty and everything, but it’s like if you gave me the option of a kind of a party or a room attempt and it could even be ten of my best friends. Or being on my own. I’d probably choose being on my own. And that shocks people. And I’m like, I never get bored, because, like you say, we’re always thinking, we’re always processing. I’m like, I’m never bored. I can read so many books, I can lose myself in so many box sets. It’s like, I’m happy Netflix and I’m done. So I think that’s quite shocking and people thinking we’re all antisocial, we don’t know how to communicate, we don’t know how to talk to people. We’re all like, at home under a blanket the whole time, and it’s like, yeah, I do like being under a blanket, but I can also connect with people and hang out with family’s friends. It’s just about just managing your energy and what feels right.
David Hall [00:07:29]:
Yeah, absolutely. I think you busted a lot of great myths right there. Is there any others that we missed that you want to bust today?
Jen Corcoran [00:07:39]:
I think the stereotype of an introvert is always like, somebody very fact focused, stuck in a corner. I don’t like the stereotype, like, professions, but if I was, it would be like an accountant or a bookkeeper or somebody poring over facts and figures. And don’t get me wrong, they are introverts as well. They’ve been more kind of blue fact focused, but just knowing that there are connection focused introverts out there, and that not all introverts are the same. You can’t tar us all with the warm brush, because I will meet introverts who are not like me and who I do not get on with because I will approach things differently. So just bearing that in mind that we’re not all the same, right?
David Hall [00:08:26]:
And then the more important part of this conversation today, or what are the strengths that you found being an introvert?
Jen Corcoran [00:08:33]:
I think, like you said about being like, a deep thinker and processing, I think introverts take their time when they’re coming at something. So we tend to do quite a lot of research probably to make ourselves feel more confident and better. So I think I know I never go into anything half asked. I will always research it and come in it from that angle, so everything will be well taught out, whereas not dis and extroverts. But they will fly. A bit more when the sea of their pants and they can talk the talk but there’s not always substance behind that talk. Whereas I think we’re an introvert, they will have done a lot more research. So I would say that’s a strength and just that deep processing and taking it all in and having that time to percolate and come at it from a different angle. I know when I was in Corcoran, it wasn’t geared at introverts at all, so my team meetings would be led by the extroverts in the room. But I would always email my boss after with my thoughts and bullet points. And it was kind of like, here’s the insight from an introvert who’s actually coming. It from a different angle. And actually, similarly in business life, I am proud of a business association and I was doing a volunteer role at the start of the pandemic and we used to show up on zoom and mainly the extroverts chatted on the screen and then I would mail the head of that company and say, Why? And I know it was valuable for them because we will come at things from a slightly different angle. So I think that deep processing and the time to percolate on things, I’m not somebody like super impulsive, I will always take that time and I think when you do take the time to reflect, you can come up with lots of different viewpoints and angles and just come at it from a different viewpoint. So, yeah, the deep processing and it is a gift sometimes I would love the deep processing to switch off. Yeah, I had a massage earlier on today, that’s like one of my things is just try and zone out for an hour or two. But it is a gift because not everybody has it and not everybody can process the same.
David Hall [00:10:50]:
Yeah, and when you’re doing that, I bet your answers or your thoughts are very well thought through, aren’t they?
Jen Corcoran [00:10:56]:
Yeah, definitely.
David Hall [00:10:58]:
You specialize in working with highly sensitive people in empaths. What are some strengths from being a highly sensitive person in an Empath?
Jen Corcoran [00:11:06]:
I think just being able to pick up on how people are feeling and I can empathize and relate to their blocks. And so the reason I kind of target these people is because I’m one of them and I have had to shift my mindset and work through a lot of blocks. That’s how I can recognize them in other people and get to the crux of the matter. And I think having empathy as well allows people to feel more nurtured and safe in your company and then to disclose more and you can make quicker breakthroughs because they feel like they’re in a safe space. And yeah, I think that’s something I’ve had all my life. Usually when I meet people, they tell me everything. I’m just one of those people. It’s good. It is nice. I used to think, why do people always do this to me? And then when you meet other empaths, you’re kind of like, oh yeah, they just come to us, they can feel it. So I think I know I worked with people who maybe haven’t been as empathic and it’s just felt a bit more intimidating. And you don’t fully show up as yourself. You can put on a bit of a mask, whereas I think when you’re like, you’ve got an empathic coach or consultant that gets stripped away so you can get to the heart of the matter quicker and move on. Because it’s usually never a logical block, it’s usually some kind of an emotional block. And I’ve been through them currently. I’m always working through my mindset blocks and trying to get better and better and better. So I’m becoming a feistier, introverted version of myself with each passing year.
David Hall [00:12:54]:
So tell us about the work that you do as a LinkedIn consultant. And then again, like I just said, you focus on helping introverts, highly sensitive people in impasse. And why did you choose to focus there?
Jen Corcoran [00:13:07]:
Yeah, I think the work I do on LinkedIn really is a holistic approach to the whole platform because there’s a lot of hype that it’s all just about content on the home feed and I believe it’s a lot more. So I have a framework that I use with my clients that is my packed framework and using that has given me confidence and gives my clients confidence. So basically the P is a bit like we’ve already discussed about doing that groundwork and that deep research. And that’s all about building your presence. So building your profile and building your page and digging deep and doing your market research and making sure you’re customer centric when you’re talking to your audience and showing up as your best self and really making sure that you are showcasing how brilliant you are. So this can be a block for my clients because they can overthink and they are sensitive and I help them to rewrite their profile for them so they kind of get out of their head. And I know I felt really icky the first time I tutored my horn in my profile, but it’s something you then lean into and go, yes, that’s me. So that’s like the first kind of block and then the second part is action. So taking authentic and aligned action and being intentional with your outreach because I think a lot of introverts can be a little bit passive online and they worry about who should I accept on LinkedIn, who should I ignore? And I’m like, that’s not the right question. It’s who do you want to connect to it? And let’s go out and connect with these people. And you shape your network. You don’t allow other people to shape it for you because then you’re going to have no fun on LinkedIn. You’re going to be connected to random people that you don’t even know or enjoy their content. So I’m all about taking that aligned action. And then the C part is to connect and there’s various ways you can do that, whether it’s to content on the home feed, commenting. I love commenting. As an introvert, I find that more easy actually, than creating original content. I’ll happily weigh in and comment online and then send in DMs. I love sending DMs because they’re behind the scenes, nobody can see. It so perfect for me as an introvert. And I help all my clients to work it for their personality and figure out what feels the best for them, the easiest for them, the most fun, because I don’t believe in the one size fits all. And then the T part of my formula is tracking, because if you’re not tracking, you’re going to lose track. It’s just going to be all noise on LinkedIn and you’re not going to know where you’re going and you’re going to be targeting everyone in your network and you don’t need to because, yeah, less is more, definitely. So I think a lot of people just jump straight to the connect part. So pushing out the content and I’m like, well, your profile is not optimized, you’ve not filled it out, it’s boring, it’s bland, there’s nothing there. And I’m like, people are going to go back to your profile from your content and then be like, oh, this looks a bit spammy, or You’ve got the wrong network, you’re not connecting, you’re not feeling in alignment when you’re actually reaching out to people. And that’s coming across as a bit off. So I find a lot of people try and fast track and they jump straight to the say they’re just trying to sell straight away. Whereas I think interests like to build a better foundation. So I found once we kind of tick all of the boxes, then LinkedIn becomes fun for my clients. But the profile is always like the best place to start and just digging deep into connecting with your values as well and your why that’s important to my clients, as opposed to just putting out something for the sake of it. So it’s about doing that kind of deep dive to just make them feel good and look good on LinkedIn. And as an introvert, I know we were saying before we went live, I love the fact my profile does the talking for me. It’s that warm introduction to me. So when people connect to me, they already feel like they know me. So that’s perfect as an introvert, it just kind of reduces that time networking.
David Hall [00:17:19]:
Yeah, we’re going to dive more deeply into so many things that you just said. So, not that we can never learn from extroverts, but why is it that introverts learn best from other introverts?
Jen Corcoran [00:17:30]:
I think because they’ll know the approach that will probably feel the best. Like, I’ve studied everything on LinkedIn, the extroverted, the introvert, but ultimately it’s the introverted way that feels good. For example, video versus text. For me, text is my love. I will happily write all day. Video, not so much, but I will do it now and again. And I’ve done lots of LinkedIn lives, but over the years, I’ve reverted back to the text and it’s like my people resonate with the text usually because they’re introvert. So I think it’s just, yeah, you’ll be able to emulate if you see an introvert doing something and you’re an introvert, you’ll be like, okay, I can do it and I’m seeing it in action. But again, it’s not a one size fits all. So for me, I would dig deep with every client to figure out what feels good, because I know I’m not the same as every other introvert, but I can give them all the things that I’ve tried. I’m someone who goes all around the houses, who does all the things, whereas somebody else will want to fast track and that’s what I will help them to do and say, well, I’ve tested this, this will work, this is good, try this, try this, don’t try this. So I can just teach from what I’ve learned, like, what gets the most return on investment for the minimal effort. So I think, yeah, I am somebody, like I said, who will go around the houses and do everything. So I can give advice on both the extroverted and introverted approach, but I think when you’re working with somebody who’s a similar kind of a personality type to you, you just feel like it’s more achievable and probably the energy, even on the calls is similar. You’re not going to feel like, overwhelmed. I know I’ve had some extra better coaches and they were lovely, but I probably felt a bit zapped energy wise when in conversation with them, because you’re just different.
David Hall [00:19:30]:
And I’ve heard you say that you look at LinkedIn as a social network versus other social media platforms. What’s the difference between LinkedIn and some other social media platforms?
Jen Corcoran [00:19:42]:
I think fairest. Your profile is so much bigger. It’s really more about you as an individual. Whereas, say, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, they’re more pages to follow, whereas your LinkedIn profile is you as a human being and you’re building those valuable connections. I think the content on LinkedIn for start is a lot more elevated. There’s a lot more thought leadership style content. Whereas the other platforms, even if you take something like Facebook, like Facebook was originally created for friends and family, and even though you’ve got business pages. That’s primarily the dynamic. And Twitter was created for the news, short and Snappy, whereas LinkedIn was created for business. So it’s a professional platform. And I think one thing that people don’t realize is that over the last 20 years, it’s become the number one personal branding platform in the world. So it’s kind of like the number one business on platform, business online platform, the number one personal branding platform, and it’s going to have a billion members next year. They’ve just launched their quarterly results and we’re up to 930,000,000. So it’s just growing at a rapid pace and I think the people on LinkedIn are more of a professional mindset and versus like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, it’s just a different dynamic. And even the size of the bio on your Twitter or your Instagram is only a few lines, whereas your profile is just a lot more detailed, a lot more interactive. And connections. I think they mean a lot more on LinkedIn than a follower on another platform. So the others are more like stuff that you consume, whereas this is more about building a relationship. You can send DMs on Twitter, Instagram and all, but it’s just not the same vibe as on LinkedIn. I think LinkedIn is just really all about networking, whereas the others, it’s just a different vibe. They just seem more like broadcast as opposed to, this is a network where you get the best results by helping other people, whereas the others are more like, follow me, follow me, buy from me. Whereas LinkedIn. And the best approach is always, how can I help you, how can you help me? And you’re a perfect example today because we connected and you’ve invited me onto your podcast.
David Hall [00:22:17]:
Right. So what are some networking strategies that you use on LinkedIn?
Jen Corcoran [00:22:24]:
I think I’m very targeted, so I have a tracker and I’ll give you an example of the kind of people I have on my tracker. So it all depends on your goals at a certain point in time. So the tracker I have super simple. I build it on Google Sheets for all of my clients and everyone’s different, so everybody will have different tabs. But some tabs that everyone can have, number one, if you’re a business owner, is clients. Have all your clients on one tab, so I have their names and their LinkedIn URLs and any notes. So that way if I’m like, oh, how are my clients doing? I can bring them up quickly, I can have a look at their content, maybe I want to comment on it, show them some LinkedIn love, maybe I see something that’s really interesting that’s happened to them and I send them a DM. So it’s kind of like one tab just for clients. Another tab is just for sales calls. So sales calls, really over the last six months, so if they’ve not converted to a client, I want to nurture them. So, again, it’s like bringing up their profile, seeing what’s going on. And again, it could be commenting on their content or chatting with them in the DMs. It’s basically that. And another tab is, of course, LinkedIn. So the LinkedIn tab is not a super hot tab. I would say it’s LinkedIn engagement, really. People who’ve been engaged with you over the last seven days. So that could be in your DMs or commenting on your content. After seven days, it tends to go cold. So if I was to reach out to somebody, like two weeks after they’ve commented on a post, they’ll be like, I can’t remember that. Whereas if you do, within a few days, it’s hot. So it could be like, I want to just engage with people on LinkedIn. I’ve got loads of tabs. So another tab, I’ll tell you a few more of my tabs just to give people inspiration. So one is networking. So if I’ve been networking or I belong to certain networks, I want to connect with the people. Like, I was that one earlier on for fellow female business owners. If I want to see what they’re doing, they’re all on one tab. If I do a webinar, I’ve got a webinar speaking tab. So anyone who’s been on my webinars, I want to nurture them, I want to get them over onto my sales call tab, I want to get them to my client tab. So I’ve got networking webinars. I’ve got one for podcast, so you’ll be on that. So for collaborations, so I can keep in touch. But I’ve got a Zillion tabs, so they’re just a few. But for my clients, definitely they get the client tab, the sales call tab and the LinkedIn tab are the tree minimum. And then, depending on what they do, if it’s speaking, maybe they run their own LinkedIn group or a Facebook group. That’s a tab for them. Or they’ve got something going on. It could be they run a podcast, so they’ve got their podcast guests. So for me, it’s about working off that tracker. So when I go onto LinkedIn and I’m only on there half an hour a day, that’s it, max, no more. I love LinkedIn, but I don’t spend my life on it. I just pick one tab and go, right, what do I feel like today? So I just pick what feels good for me in the moment, stick on some music and then start nurturing those people from that tab.
David Hall [00:25:41]:
And so how do you use DMs? What’s the appropriate ways to use DMs to connect with people and maybe some not appropriate ways?
Jen Corcoran [00:25:50]:
Yeah, I think everyone’s different and you’ll hear different things from different LinkedIn trainers. I’m old school. I prefer a personalized LinkedIn connection request. I don’t like when people send them to me and I have to figure out, who are you? Why do you want to connect to me? Do you want to sell to me? Probably. So I’m old school. If you want to connect with somebody, make them feel special. That is the way you get LinkedIn working for you and networking working for you. So I would bring up their profile, have a quick scan, is there something interesting about this person and then tell them why I want to connect with them. I just think it makes life so much easier and I’m sure a lot of introverts would prefer this approach as well because you’re going to accept that person so much quicker. Otherwise you kind of leave people queued up. So I think good etiquette is always personalize and make people feel special. Read something in their profile, read their latest post and mention it. Reference it, because you will stand out. Most people just want it cookie easy on LinkedIn at the moment and they’re firing out non personalized requests. And then when people connect, there’s a lot of bad practice. People selling in the first message and it’s just like don’t do that. That is just so spammy. It’s not that you can’t sell your product or service on LinkedIn, you can, but you have to wait for cues and you have to build a relationship first. So I think that’s where it differs from the other platforms. Maybe you’re following a Facebook page or whatever, or an Instagram page and you’re seeing a product and you’re inclined to buy straight away. That works with products, but it doesn’t work with services. So you have to be ready to relationship build and that’s where a lot of people get stuck because they’re not really sure how to do that or they’re not used to having to take the time. I think people need to realize that LinkedIn is a marathon and not a sprint. And you can be lucky, you can message somebody and within two messages or even one message, they’re saying, hey, I’ve heard this great podcast, you did it with David Hall. But others it’s going to take a bit longer. So just being willing to treat the person in that DM like a human being as opposed to a number, because I think there’s a lot of people forget that actually there are humans in these boxes. So do treat them like well and then you will move the conversation on a lot quicker. But yeah, bad etiquette. Don’t sell in the first message, don’t sell in the connection request. That’s another horrible new trend and it’s like, oh, who the hell is going to accept that? Yes, please sell to me. And I think read people’s profiles when you’re reaching out to them, we all get that spam. I’ll get people say to me, do you want LinkedIn training? And I’m like, just look at my profile. So yeah, make real special is the number one tip. And do your research. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time, just a quick glance of someone’s profile and you’ll find one thing, just a few seconds, you’ll. Be able to reference, and if it’s not their profile, bring up their content and reference what they just shared, and that will make them feel special, and they will connect with you pretty much straight away.
David Hall [00:29:19]:
Yeah. Probably not going to respond on the first DM where they’re trying to sell something, especially if it’s accept their connection, and then right away I get an automated message. I’m probably not going to respond. But the more specific that, hey, I like this about your content, I like this about your post, or I like this about your podcast. Much more likely to respond to something very specific where they actually did take the time.
Jen Corcoran [00:29:44]:
Yeah. And I know one of my clients, Laurie, she was super new to LinkedIn when she started working with me. She had no connections. She’s about 40 now. She’s still a baby on it. But she got really excited about the DMs, and I was like, Personalize make people feel special. So she reached out to one of her favorite authors and connected and sent a request. And when they connected, she was like, I really love your book. What you said on page 27, paragraph three, really resonated with me. And that author was, like, blown away, and they were on a zoom call within the next day. And I was like, that’s how you do it, Laurie. She was so specific that I’d be blown away if somebody prefaced me like that. And that is how you do it. Just make people feel like you’ve taken the time and you genuinely want to connect with them. And yeah. Tell David how amazing his podcast is.
David Hall [00:30:38]:
Yeah. And that’s such a great example because we can reach out, in a way, to many people, authors that we enjoy in a way that we never could before. And it really does provide an opportunity to connect with people that wasn’t there. Not so long.
Jen Corcoran [00:30:57]:
Exactly. The gatekeeper is gone. And I think at the end of the day, we’re all human beings. Whether they’re your favorite author or not, whether they’re making seven figures, eight figures, whatever, all that hype, they’re still human beings. So don’t be afraid to reach out, because why not? Life is short.
David Hall [00:31:16]:
Yeah. Is there reasons why some people are hesitant to be on LinkedIn?
Jen Corcoran [00:31:21]:
Yeah, I think they overtake it because it’s the professional platform. They’re like, oh, I need to be this thought leader, and all my content needs to blow people away and be something innovative. That’s never been said before. And obviously it’s great if you can have that kind of content, but you don’t need to. You just need to be yourself. And I think they’re just afraid to be themselves. So I know for some people, it will go deeper. They may have never explored who they are or their values. And I know I had this issue a bit when I started first up in my business. I kind of like, who am I? Because when you’re an employee, you work for a company, you kind of learn off the company’s values when you go for the job interview. And then it’s kind of like when it came to me, I was like, who am I? What do I stand for? So I had to do that deep dive and kind of go, these are my values, this is who I am, and connect really to my why and then really dig deep in the market research for the ideal client. So I think a lot of people haven’t done their research, they don’t know their keywords, they don’t know what their clients need, they don’t know who they are. So I think, yeah, it boils down to that research. So then they’re not showing up properly in their profile and their profile is incomplete and some of their marketing is incomplete and their market research is incomplete. So I think the deeper you know yourself, then you can get that confidence on LinkedIn and I think the more you know your ideal client and your business, then it becomes so much easier. But if you’re blocked about who you are, what you stand for, what you’re trying to achieve, that’s the first thing to tackle. So a lot of people get blocked and it’s nothing to do with LinkedIn or the tag, it’s to do with them themselves. They’ve not really gone deep enough.
David Hall [00:33:19]:
Yeah, so I know the research part is very important to you and the work that you do. How do you do research to come up with your LinkedIn strategy?
Jen Corcoran [00:33:28]:
Yeah, I think just doing there’s a few different things you can do, like shout outs, like a very simple level on LinkedIn, you can run polls just to get kind of a feeling of what people are wanting. I’m always emailing my list and asking for people to help and I think if you give a sweetener, that will help you with your market research. So, for me, I recently did a survey and the sweetener was, if you help me, I will give you one to two free profile tips. So I was inundated with so much people wanting it, I was like, oh. So I actually had to kind of cap it. So I think if you can give some kind of a sweetener and in a way you never know, those market research people may become clients down the line anyway. So it was a bit strategic on my point. So, yeah, think to yourself, if you’re like a business owner, what sweetener can you give that is super easy to you and you never know where it’s going to lead. So I just did it, one simple email and I did a specific shout out to the people that I wanted. So I was like, if you’re on this email list and if you’re an introvert, if you’re an empire or highly sensitive female entrepreneur, I’d love to hear from you. I have a short survey about content and LinkedIn and how you feel, and then I can tailor my content to help you more. If you want to be involved, let me know. And I gave people options, so I said, you can either respond to the form if you prefer to come on a zoom call with me, we can do that. And then again, when I was giving them the tips, I said, You’ve got two options. Again, if you don’t want to come on and call me, that’s fine. I will just make a video for you. So I think if you can give a sweetener, you will get that research so much quicker, because I think people are over. Like, here’s my quick three minute survey, can you fill it out and you see crickets? So think, what could you offer as an incentive? And I know I just got the results back from the survey and they really going to help me in my content in my sales pages. So it’s like priceless feedback. So don’t be afraid to ask for it, because I think a lot of my clients are overthinkers and they’re like, oh, I don’t know if I want to hear from people. But I think it’s the only way you can improve your business and your offering is by asking. And you can do a shout out, even on LinkedIn, but once again, you need to call the people out and say, this is only for the X-Y-Z people. I had people on my list kind of go, I’m an extrovert and I’m not an impact, but I’d love your tips and I was like, Sorry, I want to hear from because I don’t want to regret you in my marketing. So I think you have to really spell out your people and then offer a little sweetener. That’s not going to take a lot of your time. I’m going to enjoy making the videos for all of them, to be honest. They’re only be short and sweet. I could have got them all on a train in, so just in a 1 hour zoom and said, I’m going to do it all together. So you don’t need to give up much of your time as a sweetener back, but once you position it as a win win, then you’ll get quicker results. And you don’t need loads of people either. I had 50 people. In the end, I capped it, but I could have got probably just as much from ten. So don’t pressurize yourself to get loads of feedback, but if you hear from the right people, it will really help you in your content and just everything, really.
David Hall [00:37:12]:
So do you have some tips for making your profile the best?
Jen Corcoran [00:37:17]:
Yeah, I think the main things to focus on is above the fold, like you would on a website, because that is all about that first impression and I think so many people get hung up on their about section and it is important, but nobody’s going to get there if the top of your profile sucks. So do focus on your banner behind your head, have a good professional headshot and have a headline that really speaks to what you do and the value you can bring. And the headline and the banner kind of go hand in hand. So the quick tip for the headline is, I follow, like, mainly an ABC formula with my clients and the A is your title, who are you? And then the B is, who do you serve? So what’s your niche? And the more niche you can be, the better. And then the C is, how do you help? What is the transformation? What is the outcome? Because I know a lot of my clients are really good at selling the sausage, but not the sizzle. And I’ve been guilty of this in the past. Why do and then I’m like, well, surely they know why they should go on LinkedIn. And it’s like, no, you have to say because you’ll get clients, because you’ll get opportunities, you have to really sell the sizzle. So once you’ve got your headline nailed, make sure it’s clear from your banner that this is what you do. I spoke to one lady yesterday and her banner was just black, black with a few stars. We need text on this. And she was a voice coach. I was like, you need voice coach at the top. And then I was like, who do you help? And she was like, Executive entrepreneurs. I was like, you need that underneath. And then I said, what’s the benefit of using their voice? I said, Is it to get more impact? Is it to amplify their career? I’m like, we need to put that in because that’s why they’re going to pay to work with you. So I think once you nail your headline, who are you, who do you help? And what is the transformation that you offer? So, most people will buy if it’s saving them time, saving them money, making them money, they won’t buy if you’re selling something that’s a bit intangible or wishywashy. Like, for example, I could say, oh, I make you confident on LinkedIn, I give you clarity, but people aren’t going to work with me for that. The thing I sell is I help you to get leads in your business. That’s why people will come to me. So really be clear on that outcome. And I find a lot of people put in, oh, confidence, clarity, and a lot of people are not going to buy that. That’s just a byproduct of it. Like, what is the result? So, yeah, focus on the top of your profile. Have a lovely branded banner in your company’s, brand colors. Stick your logo up there, but make sure people know at a glance who you are and who you help. Then have a good professional headshot. It’s really worth its weight in gold. And I know as introverts, a lot of you will be listening going, absolutely hate. Got my picture done and so do I. It’s work. Grinning and bearing, just do it. Because then that picture will speak for you for a few years, only you look differently. And if it makes you feel better, my first shoot for my business. I don’t know why I did this, but I stupidly booked it in on my birthday. So I came back and I’ve been grinning and grinning and grinning. I got a massive migraine and I think I was probably in bed for 5 hours after. But those pictures did the job for me for a few years and I looked like I was loving it. So definitely grin and bear it. It’s so worth it because people will treat you differently. And I remember when I upgraded from like a cropped out shot from my family or friends to the professional, instantly people treated me different and they connected with me quicker. So is where it’s weight in gold and then, yeah, that headline, you’ve got 220 characters to play with, so make sure you use them. Don’t just put in executive coach or founder or CEO, it’s like you’ve got 220 characters, so definitely make them work for you.
David Hall [00:41:37]:
Yeah, absolutely. I’m sure this is going to be all over the place, it’s going to depend. But how do you decide what your content strategy is going to be?
Jen Corcoran [00:41:47]:
I think mine though is kind of fluctuating. It’s one of those kind of works in progress. But a tip for any business owner on Is, I would say one day of five. So 20% of your content marketing should be social proof. So either testimonials, case studies, stories, because I know my clients, a lot of them feel like it’s bragging. And I’m like, it’s not bragging, it’s fact. You’ve done it. You need to attract more. So 20%, like one in five is about you. And in general, four posts out of five are value posts. So giving that value to your audience, I think one easy thing to do is FAQs. Just ask yourself what are the frequently asked questions in your community? What are people asking you again and again and again? And that’s great content to share because that’s what people need to know. And sometimes we take things for granted that we’re like, oh, everybody knows that, that’s easy, but they don’t. So that kind of content resonates and realizing that on LinkedIn there are a lot of lurkers. So I have a lot of lurkers looking at my content and they’re never liking or they’re never commenting, but they still become clients. So not worrying if you’re not going viral and you’re not getting hundreds of comments because everyone’s content is different, everyone’s style is different. One of my clients, Rosie, she’s a personal branding photographer and all of her posts are her photos of her clients. And they do the talking for her because her imagery is quite distinctive and stands out. And she hates DMs. She just hates any she’s neurodiverse as well. She’s got ADHD and she was like, I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to do any outreach or whatever to come to me. And she’s in that lucky position that her content is amazing. But not everybody’s content is amazing, including myself. I wouldn’t say that’s my strong suit. I would say my strong suit is profile positioning and how to use DMs more. The intervented approach. So I think, yeah, just learning and looking at your analytics and seeing what’s worked for you, looking back over the last seven days or the last month or the last year in general, personal posts will always triumph. Any business post, anytime I do any kind of a personal celebration, or it could be a story about my mother’s got mental health issues. If I did a post about that, I will get hundreds of responses. If I do a post about a webinar I’m doing and it’s got that professional headshot, it will never get as much as a selfie. So I think having that balance of professional content and personal content, it doesn’t mean you have to share everything about your life. But if you are too professional on LinkedIn, people will feel like they can’t connect with you. And if you’re too personal on LinkedIn, people won’t know what you do. So it’s all about having that fine balance and having that mix of both. But I would say for any business owner, one in five posts testimonial or a social proof or a story or case study and then FAQs are always a great place to start. I get asked the same questions again and again and again, so it makes sense to build content out of it. So, for example, one of mine is, Do I need premium? And I’m like, read this blog. So think to yourself, what are the questions you get asked again and again and make content out of them?
David Hall [00:45:32]:
Do you have any general advice on frequency of posts?
Jen Corcoran [00:45:36]:
I think it depends on the person, really, as long as you’re consistent. I know people who post five days a week and it works for them, or there’s post three days a week, it works for them, or once a week. So it’s just about that quality over quantity. Definitely don’t post more than once a day with the algorithm. You never really get that reach on the second post. Unless you’re a content creator influencer and you’ve already got 50 to 100,000 followers, then you will get some. But in general, that’s the beauty of LinkedIn. You don’t need to do like four or six or eight posts a day, like on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook. So whatever feels good for you. I do five days and sometimes I do six or seven. But I love it. So I will tip up randomly on the weekend, but I would say, yeah, definitely one post a day max. And in general, I find the morning works best for me. So around 09:00 a.m., but everyone’s audience is different, so I would check your analytics and figure out when your audience are online. I know pre pandemic mine were more earlier, like it was the commute to work, so that was the time people are on their train or whatever, so a bit earlier, whereas it’s pushed up to nine now because people are starting a bit later. So I think, yeah, it’s just about checking your analytics, but if you’ve got quality content, you don’t need to do it five days a week. And I am a big fan of scheduling, take it off my plate so I don’t need to worry about it. And I’m a massive fan of repurposing and batching because just because you post once doesn’t mean you can’t share it again. If it’s good content, it’s good content. And sometimes people need to see something a few times for them to go up. I get it, I’m ready. So don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. And if you watch me and my profile and my company page, you will kind of go, oh, I’ve seen this before. And I just think, yeah, it’s the smart thing to do. And I wouldn’t have thought it years ago, I would have been like, oh, I have to have something original every day. And it’s like, no you don’t.
David Hall [00:47:50]:
Jen, you’ve covered so many great tips so far and we probably just have barely scratched the surface. Is there anything else that you want to mention today that we haven’t talked about yet?
Jen Corcoran [00:48:03]:
No, I think we’ve talked about a lot of things. I think, yeah, just knowing yourself, being willing to show up as your real self on LinkedIn, that’s really the key to it. So if you find you are blocking yourself, ask yourself why, if it helps listeners listening. In my business journey, I’ve had hypnosis even to kind of help my mindset any blocks. So you have to really go to the root of the matter and if you’re scared of LinkedIn or shy about it, you really need to ask yourself why? And then work on that. Because it’s such a missed opportunity if you don’t go on there. It’s such an amazing platform. Look at me, I’m chatting on amazing podcast and no, but it’s true. Like you can create so many amazing opportunities for yourself if you’re just willing to connect with people and have conversations. So don’t dull your brilliance. And I know a lot of introverts, we are used to being in the background and I definitely was on my corporate career. I was a personal assistant office manager, the only one on my team happy to sit on my own, isolated. And I was like, you have the spotlight to my bus. But I think if you’re looking to excel in your career or your business, you need to put yourself in the spotlight. So you really need to dig deep and figure out what’s going to help you feel comfortable doing that. And I know for me it was connecting to my why do I want to help these people? Because if I was to only think about myself like Jen Corcoran, you’d never get me showing up. So you need to connect to your values and your why and your purpose and then there’s no stopping you. So if you’ve not yet kind of found that purpose, I would say dig deep because once you do, then you’ll be unstoppable. Honestly, I think if you’re an introvert, you’ve got the advantage on LinkedIn and social media. Anything online, you have got the advantage. So, time for the introverts to rise up. Find your voice, find your voice on there because you can get your voice in the room online.
David Hall [00:50:16]:
Yes, and introvert voices need to be heard. We have a lot of great ideas and it’s a great way. So just tell everybody more about the work you do, your website, your offers, and I’ll put all that in the show notes.
Jen Corcoran [00:50:27]:
Sure. So I work with female entrepreneurs, mainly introverts, empaths, highly sensitive, so you can find me on my website and it’s www dot mysuperconnector. Co UK. At the top of it you’ll see a link to my LinkedIn profile and also my YouTube if you want to check out any of my videos. And I think I’m giving David a link as well, you can sign up and you can get my LinkedIn profile checklist for free. And this is like a seven page, might be eight pages now PDF, that gives you the skeleton of what you need to put into your profile to make sure that it’s optimized for search. Because if you’re not filling out all these sections, you’re going to come up in like 40% less search. So just building out your profile is a no brainer. So definitely check that out and start tinkering with your profile. And when you are looking at your profile, treat yourself like you would a good friend and beg yourself up. Okay? Because I find that’s the biggest block. What would you say to your friend? You’d be like, shower about that, put that in there. So anything that is an accomplishment, don’t dull your brilliance, toot your horn. And if you’re struggling, get out a Word Doc or a Google Doc and bullet point every achievement you’ve ever done and then look at it and then make sure that that is visible in your profile.
David Hall [00:52:00]:
Awesome. Yes, I will put all that in the show notes and I’m going to check that out myself. Such a great conversation, great strategies, great insights. I could talk to you for much longer, but thanks again, Jen, for being on today.
Jen Corcoran [00:52:12]:
Thank you so much. It’s been lovely chatting to you.
David Hall [00:52:15]:
Thank you so much for joining me. I look forward to further connecting with you. Reach out at [email protected] or check out the Quietandstrongcom.com website, which includes blog posts, links to social media and other items. Send me topics or guests you would like to see on the show. If you’re interested in getting to know yourself better, there’s now a free typefinder personality assessment on the Quiet and Strong website. This free assessment will give you a brief report, including the four letter Myersbricks code. I’ll add a link to the show notes. There’s so many great things about being an introvert, so we need those to be understood. Get to know your introvert, his strengths and needs, and be strong.
David Hall, M.Ed. is a speaker, author, and host of the Quiet and Strong Podcast, where he interviews thought leaders, creatives, and professionals who help introverts thrive. With over 25 years in higher education, David has led workshops, trainings, and presentations on productivity, personality, and introversion. His mission is to help introverts honor their needs, understand their strengths, and succeed on their own terms. He is the author of Minding Your Time: Time Management, Productivity, and Success, Especially for Introverts and a passionate advocate for creating work environments where introverts can do their best work.
