Did you know that while Facebook has an average of less than 5% organic reach on all posts, LinkedIn boasts of more than 40%? If you knew about all that, then why aren’t you on LinkedIn? And if you are, why aren’t you taking advantage of the beast that is LinkedIn engagement? LinkedIn has traditionally been viewed as a professional social media platform for capturing our professional network, displaying an online resume, and applying for jobs. As a result, LinkedIn often gets utilized only when we are looking for a job or not at all. The thing that most people don’t realize is that LinkedIn has evolved into a powerhouse of information that we can mine to help us advance our careers and businesses.  

Being Independent Versus Being Interdependent – 04:28

With entrepreneurship comes the freedom to be independent, to do whatever you want whenever you want. However, as entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves wanting to do everything on our own. This is usually due to our insecurities that nobody else can do a better job than we do. The reality is, to be truly independent, you must depend on others. You need to rely on your team, your networks, your friends and even your customers. 

Harnessing The Power of LinkedIn – 06:42

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone talks about LinkedIn? A boring professional site, right. However, just like any other social media platform, LinkedIn can open doors and still be fun. The thing that worries most first-gens is that LinkedIn seems too professional and too complicated for the average person to get the most out of. Linked has been around for more than 17 years, and during that time, it has evolved from being a professional site to being an engagement site. If you’re in search of a social site where you’ll enjoy high engagement rates, Linked is the site for you since you’ll get 40% reach on all your content. 

How To Get The Most out of Social Media – 11:53

Most people view social media as the platform to catch up with gossip, latest trends and hang out with friends. Although I’m not against that, I’d like to tell you about how social media can help you reach heights that would otherwise seem impossible. The first thing you need to do is to establish your brand. What do you want people to know you for? When creating a brand think about these four things: your image, the why, the what, and your vision. It’s as simple as that. Once people know who you are, why you do what you do, and your vision for the future, they’ll have known all they need to know about you. 

How Institutes of Higher Education Can Help Their Students Get On LinkedIn – 16:35

Unfortunately, most of the staff in colleges and universities have never had to apply for a job in like 15 years. Though they bring with them immense knowledge, they just don’t know how to apply for jobs in the digital age. The job application techniques they’ll teach you are outdated and only worked ages ago. So, if you interact with students, it’s your responsibility to be on LinkedIn. Why am I saying this? Because, as a leader, you’re a role model to most of your students, so it’s only fair that they’ll try and emulate you. To empower your student, just create an account, update your profile, and learn the basics of networking. It’s as simple as that. 

Owning Your Voice as a Minority – 23:41

Growing up as a minority is not always easy. Your peers will taunt and harass you for being different. The treatment might even extend into adulthood and quite possibly affect your ego. However, being different is actually a good thing. Think about it this way; how do brands and big companies make tons of money in an already saturated market? By being different and coming up with unique products. What I’m trying to say is that being a minority should never be a liability. Own your uniqueness and make your voice heard. Always remember, you don’t necessarily need to find your voice; you just need to have the courage to use your voice.

Oscar Garcia is the Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer of Aspira Consulting, a Silicon Valley training and consulting firm.  He is an introvert turned international speaker.  Oscar has given over 375 seminars and trained over 12,000 professionals.  His training style is of a “practrainer” – he actively practices what he trains others to do.  As Chief Empowerment Officer, Oscar empowers you so opportunities come to you. Connect with Oscar Garcia on LinkedIn. 

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