Tips to Grow Your LinkedIn Network

Our way of communication has been taken over by social media and a large part of this occurs now through these channels. Relationships and connections can easily be formed over the Internet, and there is one social media platform that is different than all the others. LinkedIn is a way to not only build those connections, but also your career, and these tips can easily help your grow your professional network.

• Optimize your profile in the right way – You need a complete profile page with the required information, branding, and keywords that will help lead you to new connections. LinkedIn has its own search engine where people search those specific keywords, and those results can connect you with those that are genuinely interested in finding you.

• Post updates on a regular basis – It is essential that you are constantly active on LinkedIn and updating your connections and potential connections with what you are up to or what you have recently achieved. The more posts you have, the more opportunities for others to comment, like, and share your posts, ultimately expanding your network further. 

• Join and participate in groups – Choose to search for new LinkedIn groups each week or month, and engage with the members in those groups by commenting, asking questions, or liking other people’s comments. When people see you in groups and consistently interacting, they are more likely to reach out to you and want to personally connect with you.

• Add your LinkedIn URL to your email signature – Your LinkedIn profile can work as a resume, testimonial, business portfolio, etc. in one online platform. In your email signature, add your URL so people can easily access and connect to your LinkedIn account.

I hope these tips were helpful and as the industry continues to evolve, so should your strategies in how you present and market yourself and your personal brand. What other ways of engagement have you found that could also be beneficial to growing your network?

How to Grow Your Social Media Following

Influencers with strong social media followings are simply people who fans and followers go to for inspiration and knowledge on a specific subject area. But how did they do it? How did they get this massive following? If you're looking to gain followers and grow your social media presence, here are some tips and tricks. 

1.    Utilize tools and software - Most people with hundreds of thousands of followers did not amass such a following by spending hours on different platforms. Instead, they researched and found tools and software that would help them grow their following. Analytics are important as it allows a user to get statistics about your different social media accounts like when you should be posting, which posts get the most shares, and what posts elicit the most positive responses.

2.    Network with influencers – One of the most effective ways to gain a massive social media following is by connecting with established influencers you already follow or admire. By commenting on their posts, sharing tweets, and engaging with them, you are bound to get more attention on yourself.

3.    Get noticed by blogging – When it comes to building a social media following, blogging is often overlooked. Blogging allows your name and different accounts to be noticed all over the web and by doing this, you will start to gain a reputation within your industry, which will ultimately grow your following. The more content you put online, the more likely you are to gain a bigger following.

4.    Be consistent – You need to post consistently on the platforms that mean the most to you. Your followers need to be able to rely on you for daily content, whether that’s inspiration or guidance on a certain subject. When you become someone that other people can rely on, then your following then begin to rise.

An Homage to the Spike Squad: UGA's Newest Turnover Award

Throughout the first two weeks of the 2017 season, several teams have introduced their new turnover awards, meaning when a player forces a turnover for the other team that results in them getting the ball back. Miami first showed off a huge gold chain with a “U” medallion for players to wear on the sidelines. This is fitting for them, as the gold chain is quintessential Miami. Other teams like Colorado State and Ole Miss now wear wrestling style championship belts after creating turnovers. However, not all teams have created positive buzz from these new traditions. Tennessee just debuted a big grey trashcan for players to throw balls in after turnovers. After their last season and laughable comments made by head coach, Butch Jones, you would think Tennessee would realize maybe a trashcan is not the best representation of an accomplishment for their team. If anything, they have become the punch line for many jokes among college football.

Georgia, though, may have just one-upped everyone this past Saturday in their game against Notre Dame when Lorenzo Carter sacked the Notre Dame quarterback causing a fumble in the third quarter. Immediately on the sidelines, he was spotted wearing an all gold set of spiked shoulder pads with “savage” written under the G. Later in the game, Davin Bellamy also wore them after causing a fumble that won Georgia the game. 

This is a clear homage to UGA’s Spike Squad, a set of students who line the front row for all sporting events. They have one of the largest followings on Twitter among Georgia fan pages with 15,400 followers. After fans witnessed this new award, social media blew up praising UGA for this inventive and special idea. This is not why they now have coolest turnover award though. It is the coolest because when it comes down to it, this is football and they are football players, not wrestlers or anything else. So what better to award to football players than something football related? It will be interesting to see if other teams will try and do something similar after witnessing the hype UGA received, not only from the huge win, but from this new turnover award.

The Rise of Meal Subscription Companies Through Social Media

Food subscription services have been rapidly increasing over the past few years in the hopes of targeting the busy working moms who find no extra time to go to the grocery store or those couples looking to eat healthier and easier on date nights. Companies like Hello Fresh, Plated, and Blue Apron have risen to the top of this newly discovered niche and it is largely due to their presence on digital marketing and impact using social media.

These companies send all the fresh, ready to cook ingredients you need to cook for the designated meal right to your door. There are 2 person or family sized options and you can pick the number of meals a week you would like delivered. If you receive multiple meals at once, the ingredients are all labeled specifically to what recipe they go with and a picture of the dish is included to have an idea of what the meal should look like. 



Many people, myself included, first heard of these subscription companies over the internet, mainly from celebrities promoting these new brands. They talked about how easy the preparation is and how great the food actually tastes. Like any product promoted by celebrities, people will ultimately go out and try it because if people they look up to are using it, why shouldn't they? You also have the option to find discounts (ex: $35 off your first week at Hello Fresh) off social media accounts and that is a huge hook to get people first involved. While many people think that discount is a huge savings, some of these companies can get a little pricey. Blue Apron starts at $12 per plate per meal, so for a family of 4, thats already $48 for only one dinner. Some have complained the prices are too high for a family on a budget, and that very well may be true for people in different financial situations. 


Despite the what some may consider 'high prices', these companies have never promoted themselves to be cost effective as their main goal. They have continued to advertise fresh food, simplicity, and time saving. For those people looking for just that, they may want to seriously consider trying one of these subscription companies and becoming part of the huge market that is moving away from grocery store shopping.