Unlocking the Power of LinkedIn For Business Growth w/ Lorraine Duncan

Have you ever wondered how to effectively use social media to grow your business?

That's the big question I posed to Lorraine Duncan, LinkedIn Super Ninja and the powerhouse behind Biz Gone Social, in this enlightening episode. Lorraine explains why businesses need to have a commanding presence on social media and how to use it to connect with customers, both existing and prospective.

She also shares her wisdom on transitioning from an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial one as a LinkedIn user.

We continue with our deep dive with Lorraine as she unpacks her wealth of knowledge on social media marketing, with a particular focus on humanizing your audience. She also provides invaluable advice on podcasting, from understanding your 'why' to exploring the tools and platforms needed to propel your show.

Be ready to take notes as Lorraine shares her secrets to creating a personal connection with your audience and treating them like the human beings they are, rather than faceless consumers.

Finally, Lorraine highlights the critical role of relationship marketing in today's digital landscape. She discusses her own unique experiences and what motivates her to keep pushing forward.

She also stresses the need to fully utilize all the features LinkedIn has to offer and the benefits of connecting with active users on the platform.

After listening to this episode, you’ll have some actionable tips you can use to navigate and thrive specifically in the LinkedIn ecosystem.

Connect with Lorraine: Website | Podcast | LinkedIn

Want to be a guest on Tools of the Podcast Trade? Visit my profile on PodMatch and schedule an interview or chat. Let's share your awesome gift with our audience.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

try to get one new recommendations per month and if you don't have one, just go back to some of your prior clients and you just have to make sure they're on LinkedIn.

Speaker 2: 0:30

My guest today is Lorraine Duncan, linkedin Super Ninja and owner of Bizgon Social. Thanks for coming and talking to us and tools at the podcast trade. Lorraine, I appreciate you.

Speaker 1: 0:41

Thanks for having me.

Speaker 2: 0:43

Sure, before we get into what you do, could you tell us who is Lorraine Duncan?

Speaker 1: 0:49

Who is Lorraine Duncan? Lorraine is an amazing person who loves people, who loves relating to people, who loves helping and serving people. That's who I am.

Speaker 2: 1:00

Okay, all right, thank you. So LinkedIn Super Ninja, what does that?

Speaker 1: 1:05

mean. So I'm really good at LinkedIn and what it really does mean is that when you work with me, when we're working on LinkedIn, we try to reach out to people and we try to capture people that are attracted to you before we even start talking to them. So that means and how that translates, is having really a good profile. That's not touting you necessarily, but actually it's client attractive Meaning when they read your profile, you're solving a problem, you're helping them in some way, because, I mean, honestly, they don't really care who you are, they just want somebody that can help them.

Speaker 2: 1:50

Right, yeah, okay, I understand that All right. So tell us about how you help entrepreneurs, and then we'll get into specific questions about that.

Speaker 1: 2:09

Yeah, so I own a digital marketing agency called Bisco and Social, and it's kind of like I'm a support person, so I love to help entrepreneurs with their social media or their SEO and I, so I do it for them, and so then they can actually be in their zone of genius. So, and the other thing is is that I also do have do it yourself classes and stuff, too, that help if somebody doesn't want somebody to do it for them. So that's what I do.

Speaker 2: 2:46

Okay, all right, so all right. So you basically help those of us who will be, you know, get us out, caught up in trying to do the online stuff instead of doing what we actually wanted to do in the first place. Okay, cool, all right. So we're going to talk about social media, since that's what LinkedIn is, and so why should business owners be on social media? I?

Speaker 1: 3:15

always say this. It's like what is there? I don't know the exact numbers anymore, but there's, you know. I'm just going to say there's millions of people on social media, yeah. So, when you go so online, it's really good to be able to create awareness about your brand and let other people know that you're in business. When you go to like an in-person networking event, the most people that you could really have a solid connection with is maybe 10, and then maybe meet 25, but not all of them are going to become raving fans. So you know you're establishing a relationship. It's a great way to establish relationship with people in a superficial level, first online and then bringing them deeper into. You know what you're sharing and what you're talking about.

Speaker 2: 4:06

Right, okay, so it's a good way to build connection with current and potential customers. You'd say Absolutely, absolutely Okay, all right, thank you. So, and then now? So what would be the benefit of social media marketing? You know, yes, we might have a lot of fans, but do they really convert to? And if they do, how do you achieve that conversion to paying customers?

Speaker 1: 4:39

Yeah, so it's. You know, again, it's a whole process and if you're willing to spend a little bit of time in doing the process such as, of course, building connections, but not just building any connection, building connections with people who actually you can serve or people that could be strategic partners and then you sort of bring them through a process. And what happens on LinkedIn for me usually especially on LinkedIn I can't say that for like Instagram or Twitter, or I should say X now but what happens is that eventually people start reading your content and it actually solves a problem for them, and so then they get in touch with you. I get in meals all the time, as can we talk a little bit about how you can help our company, and so it's like I said, it is a process. It's not like you know, if you think about you meet, usually everybody's closing rate should be at least 50% better in person. Then it is online, and so I will never tell anybody to not be in person anywhere, because it's important. But on the in, the online, you also have to make sure that you are listening to the audience that's out there and you are listening to the people who you serve. So you, if you see somebody that wants to connect with you or wants to go deeper with you, you're engaging with them, and that's really important.

Speaker 2: 6:12

Thanks, thanks. I I'm on LinkedIn. I started on LinkedIn as an employee of a company and then and then slowly transitioned over to you know, talking about podcasting. How do you help? Can you help someone to transition from that employee mindset online to that entrepreneurial mindset?

Speaker 1: 6:41

Yeah, so it's two totally different things, because when you're on LinkedIn as an employee, actually the company that you're working for sort of owns you and actually owns your social media. In fact, in some places, like such as some law firms, they have a strict guidelines when it comes to everybody that you connected with while you were working with them. So in some cases, you actually do have to set up a whole new profile. In some cases it's just a shift by taking off you know like employee of this corporation, to your new, you know your new business and making sure that then at that point it's not the same, it's like You're not, it's not like your, for instance, it's not like you're looking for a job, it's your starting your own business. So then you have to create you know your company name and at this point I didn't used to recommend this, but it's always good to have a company page, your own company page to, because then you can link the profile to the company page. Yeah, so that's the best way to do it, to do it very slowly, but, you know, making sure that you're not violating any like non compete clauses that you had and anything else that may, anything else that you may have signed while you were an employee of a company.

Speaker 2: 8:02

Okay, all right, thank you, and also, can you tell us how we can get in touch with you and you know all your social handles and stuff. I want to get that out of the way first. Yeah, I mean, the best way to get a hold of me is on LinkedIn, because I'm on LinkedIn all the time.

Speaker 1: 8:16

so that would be the rain duck. You know, just go to LinkedIn and type in the rain Duncan, and I should come up like right, you'll see it, because it will say super ninja as soon as. So that's the one you're looking for. Okay, all right, thank you. So why do you?

Speaker 2: 8:35

like LinkedIn. I mean, everybody say you should be everywhere, but you're focused on LinkedIn. Tell us why that contradiction?

Speaker 1: 8:44

Well, actually I'm, I am everywhere, okay, but I focus on LinkedIn because Okay, it's the best place to be if you're B2B and especially if your service, if the main thing you do is provide services, as you know, like products, if your products you're going to, you're going to want to be on Instagram, you know, because then you could showcase your products Got it. But I am everywhere because I have to know. You know it's like if I'm running Instagram for somebody else, I have to know what's the best way to run Instagram. So, and Facebook I love, but really honestly, your mom's on, everybody's mom is on Facebook, right, so it's very good for consumer Like. So if you're like a service provider that serves the consumer, then it's the best place to be. But because I'm on LinkedIn, it's because I serve business owners, so that's why I'm on LinkedIn and I think it is like it's like networking. People don't realize it's such. The best way to network is on LinkedIn. They just have to get used to how it works.

Speaker 2: 9:58

Yes, yes, definitely All right. So give me one piece of advice for an aspiring podcaster who want to expose themselves, so to speak, to these businesses on LinkedIn who may use their service.

Speaker 1: 10:19

Yeah, I mean. So, if I'm hearing you correctly, you want some advice for somebody who may want to expose their services through podcasting? Yes, okay, so my biggest thing is this is something I start out with with everything that I when I work with a client is that you have to know your why, why you want to start a podcast, and then, once you do that, it is really really very easy to get involved in podcasting. You know, all you really do is need a laptop or your phone and maybe ear set If you're like in a noisy environment, a pretty decent camera and you could just go right into it. But think, think clearly you got to look, you got to go on like Apple podcasts and you got to Google the name that you want to use for your podcast just to make sure it's not taken. And then you want to have a description that's going to draw and attract people and I highly recommend it's really boring listening to, listening to just one person talk. So I really do highly. I started out my podcast as being just me talking and it's like, oh, this is, I can't do this for the rest of my life. So it my podcast actually quickly morphed into being a podcast about other business owners so that I could get to to know them and they could get to know that my audience could get to know how to do business better. So I highly recommend knowing what your aim is going to be. It's the same thing Know who your target is, um, and then you. Then you have to figure out what you're going to use two really amazing things that you can use and there's plenty of other platforms out there, but Spreaker is one and Zoho is another and then Buzzsprout. Buzzsprout is really. Buzzsprout gives a lot for for for the money. Yes, yes, that's true, I use Spreaker, so I like that because it shoots it out to all the other um media's out there. You know like I heart, and you know Amazon and all the other places, so Apple too Right, okay, all right, thank you for that.

Speaker 2: 12:35

Um, had some. I. I had something. You said something that I wanted to get back to when I got distracted. It will come back to me, okay, so everybody's talking about AI, ai this and AI that and chat GTP, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Um, what's your opinion on us using it for to create content? And basically, I think a lot of people, from what I see on YouTube, rely on something like chat GTP to think for us. What's your opinion?

Speaker 1: 13:11

Yeah, um, I think it's a slippery slope in the sense that it's okay to use chat GTP, but the problem is is people are blindly using it without knowing how to use it. So it's um, so you, you, if you're using it to, like, write something for you, just make sure it's in your voice and make sure you read it over, because sometimes the language isn't right. So I saw something recently that it seemed like they were writing in old English and none of us talk or write in old English today. Yeah, so you know, there were words that you know were little old Englishy and I'm like that's. So you knew it was chat GTP. The other thing is is remember not everything. That, like, if you type in a topic you know that you want to write about and you know not everything's accurate, um, chat GTP is kind of like a child. It goes it goes out there and it will. Its job is this it has to answer you. So it will answer you in whatever way that it finds, which is not always accurate. So you know, if you're going to use it, make sure that you actually read what you just supposedly wrote, and I highly recommend you know. The best way to use it if you're using it for writing is, you know, get some like points from it, like three points on, um, how to use LinkedIn. You know three tips on, you know. So get the outline and then right to the outline. That's so much a better way of using it.

Speaker 2: 14:54

Yeah, I think you're right on that. I find that it's very helpful in um coming up with topics or you know descriptions and then you just look at it and it gives it gives me an idea of what I want to talk about or what I want to name something, but I never use their title, cause, yeah, yeah, and you just have to make sure I always also search, like if they give me a title I like Google it just to see, well, what's coming out. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 15:24

Because Google can tell another thing is that you got. You don't want to ruin your algorithm, so if you have like a really great, um, um. Look at up somebody's name and they're on LinkedIn. They're going to come like number two or number one In some cases number one and so you want to just see. You want to make sure that you're not messing up anything with you when you're using chat GPT.

Speaker 2: 15:53

Okay, all right, thank you. Thank you for coming and talking to us today, and I am really always intrigued by what professionals like yourself say about social media marketing, because there's a lot of times I'm just done with it, but then I realize you know that you need it. You need to have that marketing outlet to be where your clients are. So focus on, tell me, address that, because I think we mix up the personal with the professional when we're dealing with social marketing.

Speaker 1: 16:35

Yeah. So I just recently did a talk about personal connection and how important it is, and I think I really think the key to social media is that when you're doing it, you realize that the person or persons on the other end are human beings. And if you treat them like human beings, you're not going to like I mean, we've all heard it, seen it, maybe even done it, but like the minute you connect with somebody you're spamming them. That isn't even how a relationship works. It's kind of like going from the first date to maybe a kiss or whatever. So you kind of really don't, you don't do that. You know it's like so it's like get to know somebody. Funny story ever. This is actually funny. I am. I was connecting with a certain group of people last week and I got in my messaging after we connected. They said if you spam me within 30 days I will cut you off. And I was like but because it's happening so much is like the minute somebody asked to connect with you and then all of a sudden you get six paragraphs in your inbox. Who has time to read six paragraphs?

Speaker 2: 17:54

And why?

Speaker 1: 17:54

would I want to read six paragraphs.

Speaker 2: 17:56

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 17:57

I mean, so they, you really have to be thoughtful of the person. I mean, we all on the other side. And the other thing is is just if you realize that they're human being and I think if you go from I'm really big into relationship marketing and so if you go for the relationship first, you may not get them as a client, but when they think of social media, they're going to think about the girl who didn't spam them, that treated them like a human being. So that's what you want to do. That is the biggest thing. I think that people don't understand about social media marketing that they think they're a robot and they they just have to spam as many people and it's a numbers game, which it is it is a numbers game. It is a numbers game, unfortunately, because why not? Everybody's going to work with you.

Speaker 2: 18:46

Yeah, that's true, that's true, I agree, okay, so what is Lorraine grateful?

Speaker 1: 18:52

for today. I was thinking about this and it's actually a new grateful because I do. I keep a gratitude journal. But what I'm really grateful today is I love family, so family is like everything to me, and I just found out that pretty much I think all my children are going to be home for Thanksgiving, so I'm grateful for that.

Speaker 2: 19:11

Wow, oh, good, good stuff. Yeah, all right, Thank you. Thank you for sharing that and give us one proven strategy that someone could use, you know, in their social media marketing.

Speaker 1: 19:28

Yeah, so there's a lot of people who teach tactics out there, and you know. So when I think of a strategy that's proven, one of the things that I think works the best and I'm just going to go with LinkedIn right now is take advantage of everything that there is to offer on the profile. So open up your creator mode. And what I saw immediately when I opened up my creator mode so this isn't a tactic, it's just it's a fact I saw my numbers of profile views like almost double and in some some weeks, triple. So I mean there's other factors involved in that. I always give really good content, I'm on there every day and so you know, whatever one is more proven. I think you know the big factor is just that whole consistency piece. A lot of people will tell you you don't need to be on the platforms every day, you don't need to post every day and that that whole thing is out there for whoever wants to interpret it. But I have noticed that when I post every day and I opened up that creator mode on LinkedIn, literally I had gotten more profile views.

Speaker 2: 20:49

So post, become a creator on LinkedIn, basically yes, and post regularly.

Speaker 1: 20:56

Yeah, and then, and actually LinkedIn over the summer has changed a couple of their policies, and one of them is they want to give more credit to people who are are create, are creators, and then what ends up happening is that they also show your stuff to your number one connections, and what that does is it lays off the people who are just connecting with the number three connections and just spamming them because they're not going to show your stuff to the number three connections that you're connected with. Now, I have no proof of that, but I just know what I read, and it was from LinkedIn. So I'm thinking well, it's probably true, but they could change their mind on how they do things because it's their platform.

Speaker 2: 21:51

Yes, definitely. I did get an email from them this morning saying they were going through connections and just getting rid of people who haven't been active. So they're working on something.

Speaker 1: 22:04

Actually, that's one thing I do want to address really quick is that when you're connecting with somebody, make sure they're active. And when I mean that, see, for instance, make sure that everything on their profile is updated. If you see somebody that hasn't had a recommendation since 2005 or whenever LinkedIn first came out, and they have never posted and you could see in their activity you could see if they've commented on somebody else's. Don't connect with somebody that's not active, because it's actually just like dropping a ball in the water and not knowing it, like in the ocean and then not knowing where it's going to go, because it's probably not going to go anywhere. Nobody's going to read your stuff.

Speaker 2: 22:48

Okay, wow, that's an interesting tip. Thank you for that. Yeah, okay, so you mentioned recommendations and that's something that I use as an employee and so are you saying that as a business on LinkedIn? It's recommended that you get recommendation from clients.

Speaker 1: 23:17

I think it's a priority. Okay, the first thing I go to, I mean, I don't know, I mean I don't know what other people do, but the first thing I do, like when I'm going to buy a product I do like to. Especially like, if I'm on the Amazon, right, and I'm going to buy a product, I want to see what the reviews are. Okay, right, and yes, there's always going to be a bad review, which is good. That means that's normal, okay. But on LinkedIn, I can't put like as my profile, I can't put up the recommendations, so only they can. Now, you can accept or approve or not approve the recommendation, and but the bottom line is is that you can't manipulate that and those recommendations are gold. And so what I recommend to all my customers and clients is that they keep their recommendations current. Try to get one new recommendations per month and if you don't have one, just go back to some of your prior clients and you just have to make sure they're on LinkedIn or you and you have to be connected with them on LinkedIn. So go through it, see who you're connected. You could tell right away, because if it doesn't come up when you're writing the recommendation, like, will you write me a recommendation. It's not going to happen and I recommend it making it very easy for them to write a recommendation. So if they wrote something on for your website and you want it on LinkedIn too, copy and paste that recommendation for them and just say for your convenience, I put what you wrote about me on my website, so it just makes it. So it makes it easy for them to do.

Speaker 2: 25:03

Pretty cool, would you say that. Would you recommend using podcast ratings, like podcast ratings on LinkedIn, in that same format?

Speaker 1: 25:17

You mean like having recommendations written about your podcast on LinkedIn?

Speaker 2: 25:24

Yes, so someone write a really good review sorry, it's a review, I was meant to say about your podcast, about your work. Can you copy and paste that and ask them to post it on LinkedIn?

Speaker 1: 25:41

You could.

Speaker 2: 25:43

And what purpose does that serve?

Speaker 1: 25:44

It's a pretty cool idea. But I think in the featured section of LinkedIn you could put your podcast in there and if somebody wants to read your reviews about the podcast they could just go down. I feel like it would be. I mean, I like to use for my. I mean I think I have gotten some podcast reviews on LinkedIn I don't even know anymore. Mostly I get for my LinkedIn course that I have. I get reviews from. So what I recommend it's like the people you want like. So I have a business. So beyond my business is the podcast. I want people to write about the work and the service that I provided for them. So the podcast is just. I sort of keep it a little separate. In a sense, my podcast is on LinkedIn and I post the new stuff on LinkedIn as a social media post. But as far as recommendations, you could, I would actually even do it like you could always just copy and paste that that review. Hey, I just got a five star rating about my podcast on. You know it's it's a better way, but you want to be known for your services. The podcast is just going to enhance your business, unless the way you're only way you're making money is through your podcast. If that's what you do for a living, like you help others with podcasts, or you're niching down into podcasting, that's all you're going to do, then yes, you would get your recommendations that way.

Speaker 2: 27:13

All right, great. Thank you very much. What's the name of your podcast? That's what I wanted to ask you.

Speaker 1: 27:18

It's called the Bizgon Social Podcast.

Speaker 2: 27:21

Okay, all right, cool, so we'll put that link in the show notes as well, and do you? So you're only on LinkedIn. You don't have a website. Yes, I have a website. Okay, so we need that as well, thank you, it's bizgonsocialcom. Okay, so we're going to put bizgonsocial on our on the podcast so people could see all your handles and connections.

Speaker 1: 27:51

Yeah, Yep, sounds good. Also, all my handles and stuff are on my profile and podmatch too. Okay, did you forget? Great.

Speaker 2: 28:03

Yes, yes, thank you. Thank you very much, lorraine Duncan, for coming and talking to us today. Any parting shots?

Speaker 1: 28:10

Nope, just embrace social media and have fun with it, because if you're not having fun, there's no reason to be on it.

Speaker 2: 28:19

True, okay, thank you. Got questions about podcasting. Do you find yourself struggling with the tools and strategies that you know will help you launch and grow your show? Why not join the newest podcastist club where you can get your questions answered by me or one of our guest experts? The link to our next meeting is below Sign up today and don't let confusion about podcasting stop you from owning your genius, whether you're an individual or a nonprofit, the newest podcastist club is where podcastists come for answers. Link below.