Jane Jackson, Career Management Coach, Speaker, Corporate Trainer and Author is getting noticed and touching lives in a big way. In fact, with over 300,000 views on her Linkedin articles, and overseas demand for her coaching services, Jane is sharing her message far and wide.
With her book ‘Navigating Career Crossroads – how to thrive when changing direction’ shooting to Amazon Australia’s #1 spot in the careers category, we were eager to ask Jane all about her transition to Key Person of Influence in her industry.
Here, Jane imparts her tips for reaching thousands of eyes with your message, techniques for creating a killer Linkedin profile and why you should definitely be publishing content.
You’ve had a whopping 300,000 views on your LinkedIn articles! We’d love to know the nitty gritty.
I must admit it was really a snowball effect. My very first post received over 1,000 views within a week and I thought that was pretty good, but the first time one of my posts really took off it generated over 10,000 views and I was really excited. Next, my post ‘Do You Appear Desperate If You Follow Up?’ went nuts with over 50,000 views and over 200 comments. And then the BIG ONE happened – within a week, the heading, ‘Will You Ever Get Another Job?’ had over 190,000 eyeballs on it and over 500 people commented on it – which included requests to connect, requests for advice, some coaching assignments and many book sales via my website (at the end of each of my posts there is a link to my website and my book sales link.)
I realised that there is power in a heading that challenges or taps into the very real fear of the reader. So before writing your headline, ask yourself what is the fear you are solving for your audience?
It’s also important when it comes to generating interest to know your audience and use the right medium. I post articles on Google+, on my Facebook coaching page and on Pinterest and none of those social media outlets generate the same amount of interest I receive on LinkedIn.
What are your top tips for a stand-out Linkedin profile?
- Complete each section available to you on LinkedIn if it’s relevant – Summary, Experience, Projects, Skills, Certifications, etc.
- Remember that Linkedin is Social Media and people want to get to know you – Linkedin is not a resume database.
- Write your summary in the first person.
- Let people know what you are passionate about and your reason for being. Make sure when anyone reads your summary they are getting a little piece of you. Let your passion and direction come through clearly.
- Have a good profile photo.
- Use the relevant keywords in your profile so you turn up if someone happens to be looking for someone with your skill sets, include your skills for which you can be endorsed.
- Get recommendations! There is nothing better than having someone with a bit of klout and respect in the industry providing a glowing recommendation about YOU.
Are there any big mistakes people often make with their approach to LinkedIn?
Many people treat Linkedin like it’s a Plaxo account. They put some basic information up and then forget about it – they are not ACTIVE on Linkedin. For example, they don’t congratulate their connections when they get a new job or a promotion, they ignore articles that others share, they don’t join relevant groups and don’t get active sharing valuable content to other group members. Linkedin, as I said before, is Social Media – it’s there for interaction.
Many also have a bad profile photo. That is unforgivable. A profile photo should show you in a professional capacity with a warm smile, should be in focus and show you looking at the camera with your gorgeous eyes too.
Why publish articles via LinkedIn?
Simple: it demonstratesthought leadership, positioning you as an authority on your subject and it boosts your profile in your industry sector.
Where are you now compared to before you started the KPI journey?
Compared to where I was before I started KPI, I now have a better media strategy, plus I ask for what I want, I charge more and I am not afraid to say no. In addition, I have a wonderful alumni of professionals who are equally driven to succeed and who are so generous with their opinions, partnerships and support.
Tell us about your bestseller ‘Navigating Career Crossroads’.
Publishing the book has been amazing. It’s made my life so much easier when it comes to positioning myself – I don’t spend so much time telling people what I have to offer (because I can tell them to read the book!) The book provides a great starting point for me and I’ve gained clients without having to sell myself. For example, a lady read one of my Linkedin articles, then she bought my book, then she contacted me to coach her as she said she felt she knew me and told me my book ‘spoke’ to her. As I am based in Sydney and she is in Wellington, NZ, I told her she might be better off with a coach in Wellington but she only wanted to work with me! Without my book that would never have happened.
The book provides a foot in the door, it lifts my profile, it has increased media interest and is generating some great PR.
What is your best piece of advice for anyone going through a career change?
Take time to build your self confidence by assessing who you are, what motivates you, what your personal and professional values are, and your transferable skills. Once you have a solid base, you will be able to explore what might be satisfying. It’s all about exploration and understanding your professional environment. It’s about having the desire to succeed despite obstacles, and above all, it’s about your network.
Why do you love what you do?
I love what I do because I’m able to touch lives and really make a positive difference to each and every person I am blessed to coach.
Loved Jane’s Interview as much as we did? You can find more of Jane here:
Website: www.janejacksoncoach.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/careercoachsydney
Book: www.navigatingcareercrossroads.com
Twitter: @janecareercoach
Instagram: @janecareercoach
LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/janejackson
Tweetable kudos: (copy and paste to your Twitter)
Major kudos to @janecareercoach for hitting over 300,000 views on your #LinkedIn articles. #Publish at it’s finest!
