Connecting to old friends on LinkedIn is more rewarding than on Facebook - e-ttracting referrals

blog 2015
Written By Andrew Ford

I have nerdy confession to make, I love LinkedIn! They don't even pay me to say that (but if you're listening Jeff Weiner...) I just find it really useful. I don't spend that much time using it. In fact, I probably waste more time on Facebook. However, the time I do spend on LinkedIn produces amazing results for my business and also my personal life. It could also help you out on Mother’s Day! How? Read on my friends...

Let me begin with a story of a friend of mine named Jeremy.  We attended Ivanhoe Grammar together back in the 1980's and I distinctly remember him being such an entrepreneurial guy. While I was trying to hold down my paper round each morning (remember them?), he had a massive business making mixed music tapes. You just tell him which songs you wanted and he made a tape for you for $5, genius! Sure not quite legal, but that was the era pre-napster when nobody cared about that sort of thing. (BTW for those too young to remember tapes, they were how we stored music in between vinyl records and CD's, iTunes and Spotify)

Jeremy stood out from the crowd as a dynamic little entrepreneur. I wasn't very business focused back then so we didn't keep in touch after high school finished. We saw each other at the odd reunion but really we had only touched base a few times in the last 25 years. So when he called me a few months ago I was super glad to hear from him.  It's amazing what memories long lost old friends bring back!  Awesome.

Jeremy called me because he wanted to start a new business in my local area. His partner Kathleen, a passionate and talented florist, was working for others but had a dream to open her own business and they needed some help. Jeremey and I had connected on LinkedIn ages ago so he knew exactly what I did. He had read a few of my blogs so understood my style of how I helped businesses create a strong digital presence with websites and social media. I was pleased to help him and give him an old boys discount :)

The result is Floral Impressions. A beautiful and personal florist business serving the local community in East Ivanhoe, Melbourne. Right near the old school! They specialise in weddings, events and corporate work, but also 'just because' flowers. They also want to give my loyal readers something special for Mother's Day so read to the bottom for the deal.

The moral of the story is how do you make best use of your time online. With my 30 minutes a day on LinkedIn compared to other social networks I get so many benefits. By connecting with Jeremy on LinkedIn he knew specifically what I did for a living and how I helped people. He could read my blogs and understand the details of our processes and my culture. He felt confident reaching out when he had a dream he wanted to make real, because he knew I loved to help people start their passion projects. 

Sure I could have connected with him on Facebook but then he wouldn't have known specifically what I do and we might have just remained distant acquaintances. He might have commented on a few photos, but would he respect my work? Also he isn't even on Facebook! 

The benefits to me were many. I was able to reconnect with an old school mate. I had the pleasure of helping his beautiful partner Kathleen live her dream of having her own florist business and I help my company with some new business. I even get to help my clients with some fresh flowers for their mum! It's a win, win, win, win.

By using LinkedIn, a little bit every day, I have literally dozens of stories just like Jeremy. I am blessed with people connecting with me every day asking for help which feeds my business but also my soul. That's the difference between advertising and branding.

Jeremy and Kathleen now have their successful florist business and they were so happy with our work they gave me glowing recommendation, another benefit of LinkedIn... 

"Over the past few months I have been working closely with Andrew and his team to transform my shop front into a digital reality. Tonight the website went live and it all came together. A consistent approach with a seamless strategy across several platforms that is just right for my evolving business. Best of all, I have control of it. Thanks Social Star!" - Kathleen Farrell, Floral Impressions, Ivanhoe VIC.

Even better they want to offer all my clients a 15% discount off all pre-purchased floral arrangements for Mother’s Day! *  But get in quick as it's only for today and tomorrow.

To all my clients and friends, I wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day and encourage you to reach out to old friends on LinkedIn and see if you can help each other be more successful.

Love your job - love your life,

Andy

Floral Impressions offer *Pick-up, or arrange delivery to locations throughout Melbourne Metro. Cost of delivery not included in discount. Please call, email or message us on Facebook. Offer ends 5pm Friday 8th of May. Mention this blog to receive your discount.

 

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As an added bonus all my visitors can download a complimentary copy of my book 'Creating a Powerful Brand' by clicking on the book menu button or here. Tell your friends we have load of eBooks! It will change your life or your money back. Enjoy!

 

(the link is http://www.andrewford.com.au/book/)

Andrew Ford
Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.
http://www.andrewford.com.au/
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