| How to Increase LinkedIn Engagement Posted: 03 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST Whether you use LinkedIn strictly for your personal brand or you manage a business profile on LinkedIn, it can be tricky to get the levels of engagement you want on the platform. Part of the reason for this is that LinkedIn is not considered as "fun" as other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. However, there are many things you can do to increase engagement with your posts and profile on LinkedIn to get more out of it and gain publicity and even potential clients for yourself or your company. Don't get discouraged if you aren't seeing massive engagement right away. Keep tweaking your profile and creating high-quality content and watch your following and engagement grow! [Edit]Polishing Your Personal Profile - Highlight your expertise and knowledge with your profile's headline. Decide what topic or field you mainly want to share content in and gain followers. Make the headline on your profile specific to this, rather than more general. Appealing to a smaller group of people interested in something specific will get you more engagement than trying to appeal to a large, diverse audience.[1]
- For example, if you plan to share content about data analysis and want to gain followers who will engage with your posts on this topic, your headline could be something like: "Data Analyst | I Use Real-World Data to Develop Businesses."
- You can also try writing a headline that speaks directly to your audience if you want to offer them something specific. For example, if you plan to share content about leadership, you could write something like: "Leadership Coach | I Help Professionals Grow Their Leadership Skills."
- Update your profile every month or quarter. Go through your profile at the end of every month or quarter and add any new work experience, achievements, skills, certifications, and anything else that will make you look like more of an expert in your field. Set a recurring reminder on your phone to update your profile if it helps you remember to do this.[2]
- Updating your profile regularly makes you look more active on LinkedIn and people are more likely to follow you and engage with you.
- Make sure to update your profile any time you change something like your current position or location, as well.
- Use high-quality profile and background photos. Set your personal profile photo to a professional-looking headshot. Change the default LinkedIn background photo to something that showcases your location, your industry, or your personal brand.[3]
- It's OK if you don't want to invest in getting a professional headshot taken by a photographer. There are other ways to take a good profile picture. For example, you can take a professional-looking profile photo by standing against a blank wall and using a smartphone camera's portrait setting.
- Some ideas for your background photo could be an aerial photo of the city you live and work in, a custom logo for your personal brand, or the logo of the company you work at.
- Include relevant keywords throughout your profile. Choose some keywords that are relevant to the types of jobs and clients you want and include them in your profile's headline and job descriptions. This will help people who are more likely to engage with you find you through LinkedIn search.[4]
- For example, if you're a freelance content writer with a marketing focus, you can use keywords like: "content creator, content writer, ghost writer, and content marketer."
[Edit]Building a Strong Business Profile - Take notes on your competitors' LinkedIn profiles. Review the profiles of your top competitors and look at how they're portraying their brand to your potential customers. Take notes on their pictures, descriptions, listed specialties, content updates, and anything else that stands out on their profile.[5]
- If there are certain things you like about a competitor's profile, you can try to include similar things on your profile in a unique way. On the other hand, if you want to differentiate yourself completely from a competitor, you can avoid using things like similar descriptions or photos.
- Use custom branded banners to make your business profile look professional. LinkedIn allows businesses to use up to 3 custom banners on their profiles, so take advantage of all 3 of these slots. Create a unique branded banner for each one to make your profile look professional and polished.[6]
- You can also take advantage of the banner spaces to include a call to action. For example, if you're launching a new clothing line, you could create a banner that includes some text that says something like: "Our Summer 2020 Line Is Now Available. Visit Our Website to See It Now!"
- Fill your profile with industry and product keywords to optimize it for search. Make sure to fill out your profile with all the relevant products and services that your company offers, so people who search LinkedIn with those keywords are more likely to find your page. Include other relevant keywords that describe your company and aren't necessarily a product or service as well.[7]
- For example, if your company manufactures and sells environmentally friendly clothing, you could include keywords like: "eco-friendly clothing," "eco-friendly fashion," "environmentally friendly clothing," "environmentally conscious fashion," and other terms along those lines that people might search for on LinkedIn.
- Ask customers for recommendations and endorsements. Reach out to past customers and ask them to write recommendations or to endorse your company on LinkedIn. This will make your profile look more reliable and potential customers are more likely to engage with it.[8]
- For example, if you sell environmentally friendly clothing, you could send a follow-up email to customers who have made online purchases from you and say something like: "We hope you're enjoying your new clothes! If so, would you mind taking a second to review and endorse us on LinkedIn? This would help us get our eco-friendly clothing to more customers worldwide!"
- Create Showcase pages to highlight specific products or services. LinkedIn's Showcase pages are additional pages that appear on the right-hand side of your business profile and show up separately in LinkedIn search results. Create these pages for different product lines, services, or departments of your company to provide more focused and specific information for people interested in those things.[9]
- For example, if you have an eco-friendly clothing company, you could make different Showcase pages for women's clothing, men's clothing, shoes, and any other lines you want to highlight. That way, if someone searches for something like "eco-friendly men's fashion," they will see your showcase page and be taken directly to the page that is most relevant to them.
[Edit]Creating High-Engagement Content - Focus on publishing mainly text-based content. Plain text posts actually tend to receive the highest numbers of likes, comments, and views on LinkedIn. Posts with external links and photos receive lower levels of engagement, so focus your content publishing efforts on text.[10]
- This doesn't mean that you can't create other types of content. In fact, you definitely should add some variety. It just means that text-based content should be your first choice on LinkedIn.
- For longer text-based content, you can use LinkedIn's "write an article" feature. This allows you to publish more long-form content directly on LinkedIn, which is shown to get more engagement than trying to send traffic somewhere else, such as a personal blog.
- Publish short native videos on LinkedIn to connect with your audience visually. Videos uploaded directly to LinkedIn tend to perform better than sharing videos from another platform like YouTube or Vimeo. Upload videos that are under 90 seconds to get the most engagement. [11]
- For example, if you work in marketing, you could start a video series of 30-second marketing tip videos. Or, you could do 1-minute video interviews of other professionals in the marketing space.
- Another video idea is videos that demonstrate new technologies your company is working on. For instance, if you work in 3D printing, you could upload videos of your latest 3D printers printing impressive objects.
- Tell personal or business stories in your content to connect with people. Readers and viewers are more likely to engage with content that tells a story. Share things like before and after stories and personal or client success stories.[12]
- For example, if you're a career coach, you could share a personal story about how you were once lost and struggling to find a career, but you persisted and never gave up and now you're successful. This will encourage engagement from users who are in a similar position.
- If you work at a marketing agency, you could tell a story about how your marketing services helped a certain struggling client boost their sales dramatically and become successful.
- Include a call to action at the end of every post. Ask users to comment and share your content. Telling users directly what you want them to do is an easy way to increase engagement.[13]
- For example, you can say something like: "If you liked this video and found it helpful, be sure to share it!" or "Let me know what you think about this topic in the comments below."
- Ask questions in your posts to facilitate conversation and debate. End text-based or video content by asking your readers and viewers what they think about the topic. This will encourage people to leave comments and engage with you and other users on your content.[14]
- For example, if you wrote a short post about "5 Marketing Trends for 2021," you can end it with a question like: "Which of these trends do you think will be the most important and why?"
- If you're a fitness coach and you uploaded a video about a healthy diet, you could end the video by saying something like: "Which meal of the day is hardest for you to eat healthy at?"
- Respond to users who engage with your content. Read the comments that people leave and try to respond to as many as possible—every one if you have the time—to keep the engagement growing. When people see that you've engaged with others on your past content, they are more likely to take the time to leave a comment themselves.[15]
- If a piece of content you posted isn't getting the engagement you would like to see, you can also try commenting on it to spark engagement. For example, you can ask for feedback or ask another question in the comments section.
- Even if someone leaves a simple comment like "Great points!" take the time to respond. You can say something like: "I'm glad you found this post useful! Thanks for reading."
[Edit]Getting Your Content Seen - Post new content at least 1-2 times a week. LinkedIn's algorithm rewards people who post regularly, so make a habit of creating content at least once or twice a week to show up more in users' feeds. Choose specific days of the week and set aside time on those days to share content on LinkedIn, if it's easier for you to commit to doing it this way.[16]
- Don't worry if you don't see high engagement right away. Just stick with it and keep publishing content regularly. Eventually it will pay off in the form of more followers, connections, and engagement.
- Use up to 6 hashtags in each post to increase the visibility of your posts. LinkedIn allows users to search for content with hashtags, so use a few of them in every post you make to help your content appear to a wider audience. Choose hashtags that are highly relevant to the specific content and your industry or professional niche.[17]
- For example, if you posted something about marketing trends, you can use hashtags like: "#marketingtrends," "#marketingtips," and "#marketingindustry."
- A person can also choose to follow certain hashtags on LinkedIn and content with those hashtags shows up at the top of their feed. So, if someone is following "3Dprinting," your posts that use that hashtag are more likely to appear to them.
- Invest in LinkedIn ads if you have the budget for it. Sponsor content that you want to have the most visibility, so it shows up to more people. Create personalized ads that will go directly to users' inboxes if you want to reach a very specific audience who is more likely to engage with your content.[18]
- For instance, you can target your ads at people in certain industries or with specific job titles or functions.
- Share your content in relevant LinkedIn groups. Join some groups that are related to your area of expertise and the type of content you are posting on LinkedIn. Share your content within these groups to get it in front of highly interested users who are more likely to engage with it and share it themselves.[19]
- For example, if you're primarily creating content related to software development, you can look for groups of programming, coding, and software professionals.
- Before you start sharing in a group, take a look at other content that has been posted to see if people are actually engaging in conversation in the group. If not, it might not be worth your time to post in the group.
- You can join up to 100 groups on LinkedIn, so try to find as many relevant groups as you can. You could even try creating your own group to gain a following of people who are interested in the exact type of content you're creating.
- Engage with content that other people create. When you comment on or like someone else's content, it shows up in your connections' feeds, so you gain more visibility on LinkedIn. People will then potentially jump into the conversation or click on your profile and go look at the content that you've created.[20]
- Try to find other people who are in the same industry or professional niche and engage with their content. That way, people who are interested in their content might take a look at what you've created and engage with it as well.
- Aim the content you share on LinkedIn at a specific audience of people who are more likely to engage with it.
- Look at engagement like a two-way street. Engage with other peoples' content and respond to people who engage with yours.
[Edit]Warnings - Outside links receive less engagement than content posted directly on LinkedIn.
- Videos that are longer than 90 seconds receive less engagement than shorter videos.
[Edit]References |
| How to Clean a Rusty Necklace Posted: 02 Nov 2020 04:00 PM PST Rusty or tarnished jewelry can look dull and not quite as pretty as new jewelry. Rust looks reddish and flaky and usually shows up on costume jewelry, while tarnish appears dull and usually affects silver jewelry. You can clean your rusty or tarnished necklace with a few items that you probably already have in your home to clean up your jewelry and look dazzling all night long. [Edit]Cleaning with Vinegar - Fill a bowl with of white vinegar. White vinegar is a natural cleaning agent that is mildly acidic, but not so much that it will hurt your necklace. Pour some into a bowl or a shallow dish that is large enough to hold your necklace.[1]
- You can find white vinegar at most home goods or grocery stores.
- Vinegar won't harm costume jewelry, but it may hurt any precious metals or stones.
- Vinegar is great at removing rust, but won't work as well on tarnish.
- Submerge your necklace in the vinegar completely. Make sure all parts of your necklace are dunked underneath the vinegar, especially the areas with rust on them. If you need to, add more vinegar so that your necklace is entirely covered.[2]
- Let your necklace sit for about 8 hours. Vinegar takes time to loosen the rust attached to your necklace. Set your bowl in an area where it won't be disturbed overnight and check on it in the morning.[3]
- Scrub off the rust with a toothbrush. Pick your necklace out of the vinegar and set it down on a towel. Use a toothbrush to gently rub the rust off your necklace until it's clean again. If there's a lot of rust on your necklace, you can let it sit for another 1 to 2 hours to soak.[4]
- A toothbrush has soft bristles that won't scratch your necklace.
- Rinse off your necklace with cool water. Make sure all of the vinegar is gone so that it doesn't break down parts of your necklace. Focus the water on any areas that were especially rusty to clean them.[5]
- Cool water is more gentle on your jewelry than warm water is.
- Pat your necklace dry with a clean cloth. Make sure your necklace is completely dry before you wear it or store it again. If your necklace is wet, it could get rusty again. Use a clean cloth so you don't scratch your jewelry.[6]
[Edit]Using Dish Soap - Mix 2 drops of dish soap with of warm water. Use a small bowl to combine warm water from the sink with some mild dish soap. Try to use unscented, dye-free dish soap if you can to protect the surface of your necklace.[7]
- Rub your necklace in the soap and water with your fingers. Dunk your necklace and chain into the water and make sure it's fully submerged. Gently rub the surface of the pendant and the chain to get rid of any rust or tarnish.[8]
- Using your fingers is more gentle than a cloth or a sponge, which can scratch delicate jewelry.
- Rinse your necklace under warm water. Make sure there is no soap residue left on your necklace so that it doesn't leave any dark spots. Use warm water to clean off any extra tarnished areas.[9]
- Dry dish soap can discolor your necklace and make it look spotty.
- Pat your necklace dry with a clean cloth. Make sure your cloth is completely free from dirt and debris before you use it. Gently pat your necklace and make sure it is fully dry before you put it away.[10]
- Storing your necklace while it's wet can lead to more rust or tarnish.
- If your necklace is silver, buff some silver polish into its surface to keep it shiny.
[Edit]Mixing Baking Soda and Salt - Line a small bowl with aluminum foil. Keep the shiny side of the foil up. Choose a bowl that can hold about of liquid.[11]
- Aluminum foil creates an electrolytic reaction to remove tarnish and rust without harming the metal of the necklace.
- Mix 1 tbsp (14 g) of baking soda and 1 tbsp (14 g) of table salt with warm water. Heat up of warm water in the microwave until it is hot but not boiling. Pour the water in the bowl with the foil and then stir in the baking soda and table salt until they have dissolved completely.[12]
- Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent that is mildly corrosive. It can remove tarnish from gold and silver, and rust from steel or costume jewelry.
- Submerge your necklace in the mixture and make sure it touches the foil. Use caution as you place your necklace in the bowl since the water will still be hot. Make sure the necklace touches the bottom of the bowl so it's in contact with the foil.[13]
- Let the necklace sit for 2 to 10 minutes. Depending on how tarnished or rusty your necklace is, you may need to let it sit for the full 10 minutes. You may notice some small bubbles on your necklace, which is just the chemical reaction removing the rust.[14]
- If your necklace wasn't super rusty, you can take it out after 2 or 3 minutes.
- Rinse your necklace with cold water. Use tongs to pick your necklace out of the hot water and then clean it off in the sink with cool water. Make sure there is no residue of the salt or baking soda so they don't sit on your necklace long term.[15]
- Pat the necklace dry with a clean cloth. Set your necklace on a cloth laid flat and gently fold it over to pat the necklace dry. Leave the necklace out to air dry for 1 hour before you store it again to prevent rust, or put your necklace on right away to enjoy its new, shiny look.[16]
- Rust builds up on necklaces when they are left in a moist or wet environment.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Cleaning with Vinegar - Bowl
- Distilled white vinegar
- Soft-bristled brush or toothbrush
- Soft cloth
[Edit]Using Dish Soap - Small bowl
- Dish soap
- Soft cloth
[Edit]Mixing Baking Soda and Salt - Aluminum foil
- Baking soda
- Table salt
- Microwave
- Soft cloth
[Edit]Warnings - Never clean jewelry with precious gemstones or pearls in it. The cleaning solution can damage gemstones and pearls.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make Smoked Paprika Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST Smoked paprika provides a big smoky flavor that is an essential component of many dishes that call for it. However, it can also be harder to find in stores than other types of paprika. If you're cooking something like a Spanish paella that calls for smoked paprika, but you don't have any on hand, don't worry! You can probably find an acceptable substitute in your spice cupboard to save the day. On the other hand, if you find yourself cooking with smoked paprika all the time, you can try smoking, dehydrating, and grinding fresh peppers to make your very own homemade batch to have handy. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Homemade Smoked Paprika Makes 3/4 of a cup (86 g) of smoked paprika powder [Edit]Creating Your Own Smoked Paprika - Wash and dry red peppers that you want to make smoked paprika with. Use red bell peppers if you want a milder, sweeter paprika or red chili peppers if you want spicy smoked paprika. Rinse your chosen peppers thoroughly under cool running water, then pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels or let them air dry completely.[1]
- Paprika can be made from any capsicum pepper, but the traditional paprika is made from pimiento peppers (small, sweet, red peppers with thin walls)
- You don't have to only use red peppers, although this is what gives paprika its rich red color. Feel free to mix some orange or yellow peppers in with some red peppers to create your own unique blend of flavors.
- Note that of fresh peppers will give you about 3/4 of a cup (86 g) of smoked paprika powder.
- Deseed and chop the peppers. Place your peppers one at a time on a cutting board and use a sharp kitchen knife to cut off the top with the stem, then cut out and remove the center and the seeds. Slice each pepper in half, cut out any white ribs, and scrape out any remaining seeds. Cut larger peppers, such as bell peppers, into 4-8 thinner slices.[2]
- If you're making your paprika with hot peppers, wear latex gloves while you cut and prepare them to avoid getting the spicy capsicum on your hands.
- Be very careful not to touch your face, especially your eyes, while you're preparing your peppers or you might transfer capsicum and experience an unpleasant burning sensation.
- Use a smoker filled with oak wood chips to smoke the peppers. Soak the oak wood chips in water for at least 15 minutes, then load them into an electric or charcoal smoker. Put all your prepared peppers in a basket on the smoker's grill and smoke them for at least 3 hours.[3]
- Traditional smoked paprika is made by smoking the peppers very slowly over a period of days or weeks until they are totally dry. However, this isn't really practical if you're making it at home. You can just smoke them for a few hours to impart the smokey flavor, then finish drying them out using a dehydrator or your oven.
- If you don't have a smoker, you can also use a regular charcoal grill as a smoker.
- Dry the peppers out in a food dehydrator or in your oven. Lay the peppers out in an even layer on a food dehydrator tray or a baking tray. Set the dehydrator or oven to , then put the peppers inside and dehydrate them for at least 5 hours, or until they're completely dry.[4]
- If you're using an oven and it doesn't go down to , just use the lowest temperature it has and check on the peppers every hour or so. If you dry them out at , for example, they might be done after 3 hours.
- If you're using a dehydrator and it has a different recommended temperature for dehydrating vegetables, use that instead. Keep in mind that 5 hours is the minimum time your peppers will need in a dehydrator, but you can leave them overnight or for up to 12 hours.
- Keep in mind that very spicy peppers can give off an intense odor while they're dehydrating, so open up windows and use a fan for ventilation if you're drying out hot peppers. If you're using a portable dehydrator, you can even put it outside if you have room.
- Grind the peppers into a powder using an electric blade-style coffee grinder. Transfer the peppers in small batches to the grinder. Put the lid on, turn the grinder on, and blend the peppers up until they turn into a fine, uniform powder. Pour the powder out into a bowl and repeat the process until you grind all the peppers.[5]
- Blade-style coffee grinders are also often marketed as herb or spice grinders. They're the same thing.
- If your grinder has multiple settings, choose the finest grinding setting.
- Sift the powder through a fine mesh strainer to make sure there are no chunks. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour all your paprika powder through it. Stir it around with a spoon to break up chunks and help it fall through the strainer until all the powder is in the bowl below. Discard any large pieces, such as bits of skin, that are left in the strainer.[6]
- If you have a lot of bigger pieces left in the strainer, you can try grinding them up again. If you just have a few bits of skin and things like that, go ahead and just throw those pieces away.
- Store your smoked paprika in a sealed container at room temperature. Transfer the powder to a sealable container, such as a jar with a screw-on lid, and put the lid on tightly. Put the jar somewhere where it will stay at room temperature, like in a cupboard, away from heat sources like the stove and sunlight.[7]
- Paprika doesn't go bad, but it can lose potency over time, especially when exposed to heat. In general, it will be most potent within 6-8 months of making it.
[Edit]Using Smoked Paprika Substitutes - Utilize other types of paprika to get the paprika flavor without the smokiness. Try equal amounts of Hungarian, sweet, or hot paprika powder in your recipes instead of smoked paprika. These paprikas don't have the smoky flavor, but at least you'll get the pepper taste and red color of paprika.[8]
- This would probably be best for recipes that only call for small amounts of smoked paprika, in which the difference won't be super noticeable.
- If you're making a recipe that relies heavily on smoked paprika for the seasoning, try a different alternative that recreates the smokiness of it.
- Try chipotle powder for a very similar store-bought substitute. Store-bought chipotle powder is widely considered to be the best substitute for smoked paprika. Use the same amount of chipotle powder as the amount of smoked paprika that your recipe calls for.[9]
- Chipotle powder is made out of smoked, dried jalapeño peppers, which have a similar flavor profile to the smoked peppers used to make smoked paprika.
- Some chipotle powders can be spicier than smoked paprika, depending on how hot the jalapeños used to make them were. If you don't like the heat, reduce the amount of chipotle powder you use by 1/4 or so or just add it a little at a time to taste.
- Use liquid smoke instead of smoked paprika to replicate the smokey flavor. Use half as much liquid smoke as you would smoked paprika in your recipe. Measure out liquid smoke in 1/2 the amount of the smoked paprika that your recipe calls for and pour it in. This will infuse a smoky flavor into the food to provide the essential component that smoked paprika contains.[10]
- For example, if your recipe calls for 1 tsp (2.3 g) of smoked paprika, use of liquid smoke instead.
- You can add 1/2 tsp (1.65 g) of a different kind of paprika for each of liquid smoke to add some paprika flavor and color as well.
- Liquid smoke is usually available in the spice aisle of your local supermarket, alongside BBQ seasoning mixes and similar things. Alternatively, you can order it online.
- Mix 2 parts sweet paprika with 1 part cumin for a passable substitute. Combine sweet paprika and cumin in a 2-1 ratio in a small bowl and mix them together thoroughly. Add this mix to your recipe in the same amount as the smoked paprika that the recipe calls for.[11]
- The sweet paprika will give you the color and flavor of paprika, while the cumin adds a bit of smokiness.
- Cumin also naturally pairs well with the flavors in many dishes that call for smoked paprika, so it won't harm your recipe at all.
- Choose cayenne, guajillo, or ancho pepper powders for smoky alternatives. These are 3 types of peppers that all have natural smoky, spicy flavors to certain degrees. Use these in recipes instead of smoked paprika in equal amounts or to taste.[12]
- Cayenne is the spiciest of these options, so use it if you want to add extra heat to your dishes.
- You can also mix these into other types of paprika or into paprika combined with cumin to make your own kind of spice blend that is similar to smoked paprika.
- Store-bought smoked paprika is made by smoking capsicum peppers for days on end. You can cheat to achieve similar results at home by using a smoker and a food dehydrator or an oven.[13]
- Smoked paprika is a key ingredient in many Spanish dishes and foods, such as paella, chorizo, and salami.[14]
[Edit]Warnings - If you're sensitive to spiciness, be careful what substitutes you use instead of smoked paprika. Other chili powders, such as cayenne or chipotle, are hotter than paprika, so you might want to add less or use a different substitute if you're worried about the heat.[15]
- Be careful when you're cutting hot peppers if you choose to make homemade paprika out of chili peppers. Wear gloves to protect your hands and don't touch your face or eyes.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Creating Your Own Smoked Paprika - Red peppers
- Kitchen towel or paper towels
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Gloves (optional)
- Oak wood chips
- Smoker
- Dehydrator or oven
- Dehydrator tray or baking tray
- Spice or coffee grinder
- Bowl
- Fine mesh strainer
- Sealable container
[Edit]References |
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