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Tag: linkedin

  • Leveraging LinkedIn for Branding and Lead Generation

    LinkedIn is the most popular social media platform for establishing a strong professional network globally. LinkedIn not only helps you build connection across your industry, but it has become one of the major tools for promoting your brand. The professional networking platform that was started as a job listing platform for companies is growing hugely and has come up with several features. While employees and jobseekers use job search and LinkedIn learning features, Entrepreneurs can use LinkedIn for business. It can generate leads and helps promote your brand.

    Here are opinions shared by some of the startup founders and entrepreneurs on how LinkedIn can be used for lead generation and branding.

    Vidisha Debsarkar – Head, Growth Marketing, TradeSmart
    Aditya Singh – Co-Founder, Eggoz Nutrition
    Neeraj Sharma – Vice Chairman, The Lexicon Group | Director – Pune Times Mirror
    Gauri Bhatia – Founder, The Unveiled Sagas
    Amulya Nagaraj – Executive Director, PEPPER INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
    Ashmita Dhingra – Managing Director, Digifish3
    Abhishek Singh – Senior Vice President of Marketing, Hirect India

    Vidisha Debsarkar – Head, Growth Marketing, TradeSmart

    “LinkedIn being the largest professional networking platform provides a huge potential to build brand awareness worldwide. Marketers should definitely consider LinkedIn in their brand outreach programs and social media marketing strategies. A significant platform for making public company announcements, displaying work culture, and leading conversations on changing trends can in turn lead to building goodwill for a brand.

    People wanting to know more about a brand – prospective customers, partners and talent can eye a brand’s LinkedIn space. Hence, maximizing the offerings and analytics of the platform to create valuable and high-end content centering the niche audience of one’s sector can garner an overwhelming response.

    The LinkedIn blog feature is an effective tool for thought leadership providing unique insights on a specific product, customer behavior, and the evolving industry trends. It is also a great place to showcase human interest stories related to a brand. Intelligent use of LinkedIn ads can further help in successful lead generation from appropriate target audience. When all of these are used holistically, the platform ensures awareness and growth of a brand.”

    Aditya Singh – Co-Founder, Eggoz Nutrition

    Despite having enough potential, LinkedIn remains under-utilized; as marketers continue using common social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, etc., for business promotion. LinkedIn can be a treasure trove for businesses in branding and lead generation. This is primarily because LinkedIn is widely used by Fortune 500 companies. Being a professional networking platform, LinkedIn brings in marketers, working professionals, and the general audience at the same platform, providing businesses with the opportunity to build the brand while generating sales qualified leads.

    LinkedIn also provides marketers with industry updates and gives access to a company’s profile and latest performance updates. With the scope to do extensive business research, marketers get the opportunity to contact other relevant businesses and enhance their outreach.

    One way to leverage LinkedIn for branding and lead generation is by making a list of target companies and providing them with the company’s relevant information such as services, performance details, and upcoming projects. This increases the visibility of the company in the domestic as well as global market, thereby being an effective way of branding; it also opens the door for lead generation through interaction with other businesses. LinkedIn has a sales navigator to help businesses effectively manage their sales pipeline. The LinkedIn sales navigator also saves the searches and leads and provides sales updates in real-time, connects to the sales tools, and automates the process of lead generation.

    LinkedIn Business Model | How Does LinkedIn Make Money
    LinkedIn is globally used professional networking platform. Lets get an insight of the business model of LinkedIn and how linkedIn makes money?
    StartupTalkySushree Sangeeta Behera

    Neeraj Sharma – Vice Chairman, The Lexicon Group | Director – Pune Times Mirror

    With the advancement in technology and increased consumption of social media across a myriad of geographies, marketers have successfully mastered the art of leveraging social media for branding and lead generation. Thus, creating the booming field of Digital Marketing. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are widely used by marketing teams around the world, and LinkedIn is joining the club at an accelerated pace.

    LinkedIn offers extensive prospects to marketers with opportunities to connect with Business Leaders and decision-makers of virtually all industries in one place, also serving as a platform for debate, research, and networking. A recent study by hubspot.com on the impact of social media on lead generation conducted for more than 5000 businesses showed that LinkedIn generated the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate at 2.74%. This was 277% higher than the conversion rates of both Facebook and Twitter.

    Though grabbing attention or coming into the spotlight has to be subtle, the advantages of marketing via LinkedIn and the resulting conversion outweigh the efforts by a large margin. The platform is professional and offers a massive amount of data relevant to the criteria utilized in targeting. The audience can be targeted based on their professional information and business fields. Important promotional announcements in the format of new posts have the potential to reach the correct audience interested in goods and services similar to or even the ones you offer.

    An added advantage of the platform that can assist marketers is features like the LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Showcase Pages, and even the availability of selective groups of individuals who share interests, offering or providing services. Features like saving your searches and leads, automating lead generation, CRM integrations, and pages to promote products can be highly beneficial for lead generation and branding when utilized with an appropriate marketing strategy.

    Gauri Bhatia – Founder, The Unveiled Sagas

    LinkedIn is one of the goldmines when it comes to lead generation. It is an organic directory that indexes on Google- you can control your reputation by editing your profile yourself.

    If nothing else, just enlisting your services and your expertise in your profile will get you consultations. I remember when I worked in a corporate, LinkedIn had come to my office to celebrate our 5 million followers– we didn’t even have an active ad campaign going on. Just regular, targeted content was getting us the traction that we needed. Well-written copy and easy to comprehend graphics are all that you need to feature on LinkedIn.

    Of course, I would still recommend people stay true to the platform- it is a professional platform, expanding to the virtue of maybe containing the career trajectory. Diluting the content by posting personal information has turned it into another Facebook- which I am not in favor of.

    For brand building, my company and I stick to only publishing information, opinions, or industry reports basis our studies of our clients.

    For lead generation, although it is better to run traffic ads on LinkedIn, we use the platform for what it’s worth- hyper niche targeting. We run ads for a very small target market- let’s say, entrepreneurs with 15+ years of experience, staying in California with a company of over 200 employees. Those guys have the money and the knowledge required to invest in our services. Of course, I love Google for mass targeting and low CPC, and of course, this kind of campaign is going to burn a hole in my pocket- but the leads I get are so specific and so precise, that I don’t even have to try to sell. They’re filtered, verified, and knowledgeable.

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    Amulya Nagaraj – Executive Director, PEPPER INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    Amulya Nagaraj - Executive Director, Pepper Interactive Communications
    Amulya Nagaraj – Executive Director, Pepper Interactive Communications

    LinkedIn has over 800 million registered users across the world, and this includes senior leadership members who access and pay attention to the platform. In a chaotic social media world, LinkedIn has streamlined its content to purely business and work. Good content shines on any platform, but with LinkedIn, the organic reach for a good piece of content is so much higher than any other social media platform.

    Secondly, building a network for lead generation is simpler on LinkedIn. The 6 degrees of separation are clearly showcased in LinkedIn. Your network is a powerful tool to showcase your brand, your vision and encourage others to reach out to you.

    This means the network and reach out can happens with a good blog, an insightful post or even a good video. Being active and interacting with people can also happen with just comments and minor engagements. The data of demographics available on LinkedIn help you create micro audiences for better ROI via ads.

    Additionally, each employee of a company becomes a brand ambassador on social media. The amplification of content of any form is more effective when your team engages with the content on your company page. The insights available on pages also provide a wealth of information on your current audiences and allow you to modify the strategy if required. The audience segmentation is available under job function, industry, seniority, location and more.

    Ashmita Dhingra – Managing Director, Digifish3

    LinkedIn is indeed a powerful social media tool for connecting with professionals or for brands catering services to a B2B clientele’. This social media platform is indeed transforming into a very powerful tool for branding as well as lead generation for many brands.

    LinkedIn as a platform is helping users to network with businesses and marketers worldwide. It has evolved tremendously as it has more than 750 million users on its platform.

    Interesting, isn’t it?

    Brands today are not only trying to position itself on the platform as a communication platform but also enjoying the benefits of getting leads with LinkedIn Marketing.

    Armed with the right strategy, you can grab audience attention and grow your business while generating leads. You can also use LinkedIn to increase website traffic and reinforce brand credibility.

    Impressive, right?

    Once you start working on creating valuable content, optimizing, and engaging with people, you will begin seeing traction from LinkedIn. Make sure to have a  strategy and evolve the same with user response.

    If you focus on generating quality leads, make your funnel strong enough to get your prospects to paying customers. Using LinkedIn for qualifying leads is efficient, and you get better quality results for sure.

    To conclude, Building a company page on LinkedIn is like having a booth at the world’s largest networking event. Why not seize the opportunity to promote your business and build new contacts?

    With so many B2B businesses using LinkedIn for lead generation, understanding how to make the most out of the channel will save you time chasing leads that don’t matter. Whether you’re meeting new prospects, promoting lead magnets, or sharing customer reviews and testimonials, LinkedIn is a great way to amplify those efforts.

    So, what’s the wait for?

    Start leveraging LinkedIn TODAY as when you water your audience regularly, leads will begin to sprout automatically!

    Abhishek Singh – Senior Vice President of Marketing, Hirect India

    LinkedIn is a networking site primarily used for professional networking and growing career opportunities. The platform is one of the largest professional networks that allow individuals and brands to build their online presence and connect with other professionals.   With LinkedIn’s user base proliferating, there are many ways in which one can leverage this platform for branding and lead generation purposes. In this article, we will discuss some techniques that Hirect uses to attract more leads that other brands can use to make their business stand out from the rest of the crowd.

    Many marketers and individuals prioritize LinkedIn as one of the critical platforms for finding the right customer and building brand awareness. The platform helps to network with people working across different industries.

    A brand can utilize the existing features like joining relevant business groups and participating in industry-specific dialogues, which will help generate leads and enhance brand visibility. LinkedIn provides a plethora of groups for numerous categories and businesses, filled with like-minded professionals.

    One of the best ways to use LinkedIn for business is by using it as a content marketing platform. This can be done by publishing blogs on relevant topics on the platform, which will help you rank higher in search engines and add your voice authority. A brand can also create presentations uploaded on the profile so that others can access them easily. Another way to leverage LinkedIn for branding is by hosting webinars on the platform, which will allow you to reach out to more people and help you build authority through different narratives.

    For example, Hirect uses LinkedIn to generate leads by reaching out to recruiters and assisting them with onboarding by analysing and solving their talent acquisition concerns. Hirect’s Outbound and Inbound marketing strategies have generated significant brand awareness.  With initiatives like ‘Bring It On’, ‘Counter Offer Comics’, and events like ‘Through Founders Lens’ and ‘Humans of Hiring’, Hirect has constantly evolved its content game to reach the relevant audience and successfully hit the correct string to find the prospects with its strategic marketing approach. With events like Humans of Hiring, Hirect is building a community of HRs where we talk about various aspects of hiring every week in the form of webinars. Hirect executes the campaign in the form of audiovisuals along with influencer marketing which helps to reach out to a large user base.

    Hirect also leverages LinkedIn to create informative and engaging content for job seekers and recruiters. It thrives on posting appealing videos and organic content, which leads to a higher reach and engagement rate. Hirect engages with target users by posting thought-provoking content and participating in industry-specific discussions.

    Conclusion: As a brand, it is essential to understand the target market and use LinkedIn strategically. In general, LinkedIn can be a helpful tool for raising conversion rates, establishing identity, engaging with quality leads, and helping increase sales over time.

  • Meme Marketing Strategy: How Can LinkedIn Boost Meme Marketing?

    The article is contributed By Agnik Ghosh, COO & Co-Founder, MemeChat

    The epoch is shifting. If you’ve spent any time on LinkedIn recently, you may have observed that from a staid corporate networking platform the site has evolved into a social media podium. With a more informal approach, professionals are having fun. And memes are considered one of the most powerful online marketing tools available.

    Brands are now embracing memes on LinkedIn to develop a digital identity using the unusual social phenomenon of subtle humour but with a more personalised touch. Brands use viral memes to promote their products, and they do this by creating visual elements that their customers can relate to and then spread.

    Meme marketing can be a very effective strategy for attracting attention, stimulating conversation, and potentially making your content go viral. Furthermore, it helps a brand gain more customer involvement, fostering a more relaxed and interesting dynamic between the brands and its audience. LinkedIn’s algorithm also rewards active participation, particularly in the form of contributions that spark debate. As a result, LinkedIn is the ideal platform for increasing your meme marketing efforts.

    Here are a few tips for using LinkedIn as a tool to elevate your brand’s meme marketing strategy.

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    Reliable Source

    LinkedIn is regarded as the most reputable source of information and is responsible for 46% of the social traffic that is sent to B2B websites. Therefore, content marketers must employ LinkedIn for content marketing, particularly for business-to-business (B2B) marketing and lead creation.

    1Bn Monthly Interactions

    The majority of LinkedIn’s active members log in every day, resulting in over one billion monthly interactions. However, you only have a few seconds to create an impact. Therefore, meme marketing is the most effective method for achieving long-term success. The objective is not simply to create content, attract attention, and then start pushing your product. It’s all about generating interest in your brand and then using that interest to develop your network.

    Pop Culture References

    Having the biggest number of youth (34.33 percent) in the globe, the Indian market is ripe for a wide range of marketing opportunities. Memes are a big deal in India because of the country’s rich cultural past and reliance on pop culture references. Video and image uploads, stickers, emojis and even GIFs are all part of this new form of communication.

    According to the findings of a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, LinkedIn is still the most widely used social media platform among students. It is also important to note that millennials make up more than 59 percent of the user base on LinkedIn, and that 11 million of the 87 million millennials currently hold positions that include decision-making responsibilities. Both of these facts are important to keep in mind. LinkedIn is an excellent platform for promoting meme content, which is extremely popular among members of Generation Z at the moment.

    How do Brands Leverage Moment Marketing? | Examples of Moment Marketing
    Moment marketing is a marketing technique if done right can gain massive followers for your brand. So, here’s how top brands leverage moment marketing.
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    LinkedIn Algorithm

    Memes on LinkedIn are disseminated using a particular model that takes into account connections made at the first, second, and third-degree. More than half of the increase in viral activity that has occurred over the past two years can be attributed to changes that have been made to the LinkedIn algorithm. There are currently over two million articles, videos, and posts that are being sorted, ranked, and displayed in the feeds of LinkedIn’s 645 million members and users.

    Creating a Digital Identity

    Brands are now leveraging memes to create a digital identity using the peculiar social phenomena of subtle humour but with a more personalized touch. They associate their brands with the most viral memes and create visual aspects that their customer can relate to and further share. For example, Zomato and Swiggy are known for curating the most innovative campaigns by triggering human sentiments and amplifying the ‘been there, done that!’ factor on LinkedIn.

    Impression Counts

    Impression counts on memes have gone from 19.8 million in August 2019 to 24.9 million in July 2020, representing a 26 percent peak, and eventually 28 million around April 2020. Because of Lockdown, consumers were obliged to spend more time in front of their screens, in the vain hope that escapism and memes would somehow magically transform into useful tools.

    Catchy Captions

    Memes are a brilliant method to capture a user’s attention on LinkedIn, but without a captivating caption, you’re not efficiently leveraging meme marketing. A caption should have numerous crucial components. Adding at least two relevant hashtags to your brand is a good start. For instance, a brand’s name is an excellent first hashtag, whereas a short but clever tagline is an excellent second hashtag. Additionally, the caption should convey more about the brand, product or service to the client. It helps to attach blog articles, landing pages, eCommerce Portals and PLR courses on a meme post.

    Necessary Precautions

    It can be difficult to keep memes strictly within the limits established by a company’s community. Therefore, marketers are now changing memes and shifting the focus of their content to something that is more closely aligned with the image they wish to project. The use of humour in marketing can be risky, and companies must take precautions to ensure that their clients are not offended or turned off in any way by the jokes they tell.

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    Conclusion

    LinkedIn marketing is an exceptional next step for meme marketing, which has gone from being an obscure trend to an international phenomenon. When it comes to responding to your brand and business in general, consumers turn to memes for an immediate and simple solution. Memes can help your brand get the upper hand when it comes to promoting your brand, gaining exposure, and strengthening client engagement on LinkedIn, as well as enhancing your meme marketing strategy.

  • How to Be Good at Networking? | Top Networking Skills You Needed

    For a professional, networking is probably one of the most important factors. “Networking”, everyone knows it, but how well you do it; is the point. Networking plays a special role when it’s job-hunting time. Bad networking is a situation when you associate networking with being all pushy and bearing. And, some people tend to hide away from networking because they don’t want to be labelled, as some sociopath. What we are going to learn is how to be good at networking, and connect to more and more good people.

    You have to learn that networking is an ongoing process, which requires persistence, patience, attention, goodwill, and networking skills. Incorporating the skill of networking can get you great opportunities and build relationships that will last a lifetime. In this article, we will talk about some tips that can help you be good at networking. So. let’s get started.

    What Is Networking?
    7 Tips for Networking
    Skills That You Should Have for Networking

    What Is Networking?

    The best way to explain this: Networking is a two-way street, where getting to connect to people by knowing them better, can be a great opportunity where they might be able to help you and how you can help them in return. A professional networking event is a great opportunity to present yourself, make new connections, and even find yourself a new job of your interest.

    7 Tips for Networking

    Good Listener

    This point is the most favourite because being a good listener is such a turn on to every person saying his/her point. Good networking results when you know how well you can listen and learn, and faster you’ll establish a valuable relationship. A good networker has two ears and one mouth and should use them proportionately. Listen to people’s needs and concerns and find opportunities to help them.

    Follow Up Or Not

    When you offer opportunities, whether it’s a piece of information, a special contact, or a qualified business referral, to someone who consistently fails to follow up, then you have to realize that you have to stop wasting your time with the person. One respondent said that when it comes to networking, “The fortune lies in the follow-up” and that many people just “Don’t follow up anymore.”

    7 Secret Tips to master Networking

    Be Yourself

    Before diving into any tactical strategies, you have to learn that there is a pandemic hustling around the globe, which is clearly seen in behaviours. When everyone is trying to become someone who they think everyone will like, be yourself. Because, people enjoy talking to others, not spam advertisements or built-up personas.

    Set Realistic Expectations

    If you really want to shine, prepare to fail a lot and then rebound with double energy. Before talking to someone, realize that the person you are trying to connect with has some purpose. People cannot help you if you don’t really know what you want. These are the worst type of networkers — the people who only ask general questions without much substance. Come with a specific, concise question and you’ll find people are 10 times more likely to help you out.

    Leverage Social Media

    Whether it’s marketing or networking, avoiding social media is such a backlash. Ensure that your online profile is always up-to-date. Recruiters often use social media platforms to probe potential candidates, and even to check out your skills and experience.

    It’s an effective way to get to know important and reasonable contacts. Seek out like-minded or key contacts you would like to know better within your LinkedIn profile. Hit a conversation with them, and try setting up a meaningful meeting. When you have the opportunity to meet them in person, it will be easier to refer to the previous communications with them. Ensure that your online profile is always up-to-date. Recruiters often use social media platforms to probe potential candidates, and even to check out your skills and experience.

    Respond To Others’ Challenges

    There’s no better way to establish a business relationship than to contribute to the solution of your new contact’s pressing problem. When someone is facing a challenge, then just help them with something of value that addresses their issue.

    Be Approachable

    It’s a fact that people easily forget what you said and what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. So, when you’re approachable, people feel comfortable; and when they feel comfortable, new, and effective bonds are born. That’s why effective networking always starts with approachability.

    Skills That You Should Have for Networking

    Communication

    Communication is the act of exchanging information from one person to another. It involves speaking and empathizing with others to correctly receive the message that the other person is sending and responding accordingly. While networking, communication is essential in order to develop and maintain relationships with others.

    Active Listener

    Another important networking skill is active listening. To get people excited about your business and what you’re sharing with them, you need to listen to and understand their needs. Active listening involves maintaining eye contact, nodding your head to show you understand what they’re saying, and responding appropriately. Active listening also ensures you’re able to ask the right questions to keep a conversation moving forward.

    Social Skills

    These are the verbal and non-verbal skills that you use to interact with others. They include not only words but also body language, gestures, and personal appearance. It also includes friendliness, which conveys honesty and kindness. That, in turn, can create trust and understanding, which can build a strong foundation for a new relationship when you’re networking.

    Public Speaking Skills

    Public speaking skills can help you be more comfortable if you find yourself talking to a group of people, particularly at a networking event. Even when you’re just speaking with another person, one-on-one, public speaking skills can help you improve the way you articulate, helping the person you’re speaking with better understand you.

    Non-verbal Communication

    Nonverbal communication is extremely important for networking. It’s important to be aware of your own body language and any messages you may be sending to the person with whom you’re speaking. It’s also beneficial to be able to read the body language of the person with whom you’re speaking. This can tell you if you need to change the way you’re expressing your message or modify something else in your communication style.

    Interpersonal Skills

    These are often referred to as “people skills” and they impact the way you communicate and interact with others. They include a variety of skills, but particularly skills like attitude, communicating, and listening.

    Empathy

    Empathy refers to the ability to feel what another person is feeling. Empathy skills are very important for networking, as they make others feel that you understand and can relate to their emotions and experiences.

    Positivity

    A positive attitude is another important networking skill, as others are drawn to those with a friendly, positive demeanour. Positivity can help you develop a strong rapport with others quickly and, in general, help you to be more instantly likeable and memorable.

    Humour

    Humour is humanizing and helps people come together on common ground. When used appropriately, humour can draw people to you and eliminate tension, putting people immediately at ease. People with humour also tend to be more approachable.

    Focus

    Focus is also an important networking skill, as it enables you to give the person with whom you’re speaking your full attention. It will help you be an active listener and allow you to better establish a genuine connection.

    FAQs

    How can a business network be effective?

    10 Effective Business Networking Tips:

    • Choose the right venues. Not every group of people will be right for you.
    • Develop relationships.
    • Dress appropriately and professionally.
    • Be prepared.
    • Ask questions and listen.
    • Sit with people you don’t know.
    • Talk to people who are standing alone.
    • Move on – politely.

    What are the benefits of Networking?

    Some of the benefits of Networking are:

    • Shared Knowledge.
    • Opportunities.
    • Connections.
    • Increased confidence.
    • Raising your profile.

    What skills are required for networking?

    Important networking skills to have

    • Communication.
    • Active listening.
    • Social skills.
    • Public speaking skills.
    • Nonverbal communication.
    • Interpersonal skills.
    • Empathy.
    • Positivity.

  • List of Startups Founded by Flipkart Mafia

    As if phraseologies like ‘drug mafia’ or ‘movie mafia’ weren’t exciting the hipsters enough that even a legally run business had to be suffixed with this dreaded jargon ‘mafia’! Flipkart, we know, is the ‘don’ of online shopping in India (only figuratively we mean, don’t you worry!). But do you want to know why and how did this term, mostly associated with crime, got associated with one of the most cherished Indian startups?

    Interesting, isn’t it?

    This term was invented around 2007, to denote a set of former PayPal employees, who teamed up after quitting their jobs to ideate, fund, and found some of the leading tech companies of the world, such as Tesla, Inc., LinkedIn, SpaceX, YouTube, Uber, Airbnb, Yelp, etc., all of which eventually made huge fortunes.

    Money talks – as they say – and it sort of yelped in this case because in just a few years half a dozen of those tech-preneurs became billionaires.

    Quite a story isn’t it?

    A similar thing happened with Amazon, where two ex-employees of the American eCommerce giant, Sachin, and Binny Bansal, dropped the company to found a new Indian eCommerce firm, Flipkart. Little did they know that this new company would be ushering in the new era of online marketplaces for the country, much like the companies founded by ex-Paypal employees.

    Destiny worked in similar ways even with Flipkart, whose ex-employees continued to form new businesses and startups. Therefore, when a bunch of former Flipkart-ians aka ‘Flipsters’ did the same, i.e., build bold tech startups by deploying their innovative ideas and investing their genius selves, they were called ‘Flipkart Mafia’.

    Yeah! And among these “mafias” some of them turned millionaires soon after if you are wondering!

    Why Flipkart?

    Flipkart has been a popular cradle to the latest bunch of over 200 startups because it looks for ‘audacity’ in its employees – entrepreneurial spirit and appropriate skill set that is in the words of its ex-COO of Flipkart-

    No wonder so many of its employees went on to become successful entrepreneurs, he adds. Apart from that, he also claims that Flipkart has a very open culture. One which weighs ideas above ranks. Also a deeply engineering technology driven outlook which searches for knack for problem solving as a major quality in its people. No doubt such an ambience bred quite a few notable founders & their inventive startups. Let’s take a look.

    Not all dreams come true but the Flipkart mafia has more than a few great ones.

    It is not us who are proclaiming it merely out of some ‘new India / startup India-themed optimism’, nor it is the published data from the Govt. of India, but the market, businesses, and direct customers and consumers, who have placed their faith in these tech startups founded, funded or supported by Flipkart mafia (Flipsters) that says so. The list is long, so we picked some of the most talked-about companies.

    Let’s look at the startups founded by Flipkart Mafia.

    Udaan
    Navi Technologies
    PhonePe
    Groww
    Vogo
    Cure.fit
    Suki
    Exotel
    Arzooo
    Hansel
    Parrhai
    Homefuly

    Udaan

    Founders: Amod Malviya, Sujeet Kumar, and Vaibhav Gupta

    Udaan Logo
    Udaan Logo

    Udaan was founded by ex-employees of Flipkart employees, Amod Malviya, Sujeet Kumar, Vaibhav Gupta, this startup perfectly fits its name ‘Udaan’. That is to say, Udaan gives wings to millions of entrepreneurs running India’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that are the blood and bone of the Indian economy.

    It is one of the largest Business-to-Business (B2B) e-commerce platforms connecting retailers, traders, wholesalers, manufacturers, importers etc. with the power of the internet.

    Udaan can be used by the businesses to:

    • Buy and sell on their own terms while the payments, security and logistics are handled by the company.
    • Grow and discover by accessing new regions and markets.
    • Connect in their own language with prospective buyers/sellers via a personalized real-time chat facility. Thus, it makes doing business easy, convenient and also efficient.

    Udaan hailed as a unicorn, has raised around $1.2 billion in just 5 years over the 6 rounds of funding that it received from 13 investors in total.

    Navi Technologies

    Founders: Sachin Bansal, Ankit Agarwal‎

    Navi Technologies Logo
    Navi Technologies Logo

    Navi Technologies is an emerging unicorn, which taps into the immense potential of the BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance) sector, having created a lending app that offers paperless personal/home loans to consumers with just a few clicks.

    Navi Technologies is founded by Flipkart founder, Sachin Bansal, conceptualized by him right after Walmart bought Flipkart in Dec 2018. Having raised $500+ million in 5 rounds of funding by 14 investors in just 2 years. It sure has vital investor confidence.

    PhonePe

    Founders: Sameer Nigam, Rahul Chari, and Burzin Engineer

    PhonePe Logo
    PhonePe Logo

    How can we not talk about this mobile payment app, which revolutionized digital payments for Indians?

    PhonePe took on Paytm, which simply wasn’t easy when ‘Paytm Karo jingle became synonymous with digital literacy.

    It was acquired by Flipkart within a year of existence. This says a lot about its acceptance as a one-stop solution for all kinds of transactions by all kinds of users i.e., individual as well as business users. And it sure is gaining popularity, revealing its growth figures, 25 Crore users leading with 40% share of all UPI transactions. It has raised over $1 billion investment so far, one but all from its parent Flipkart.

    Having the privilege to witness India’s growth story so closely Burzin Engineer, Rahul Chari, Sameer Nigam have certainly made something to be extremely proud of!

    Groww

    Founders: Lalit Keshre, Harsh Jain, Ishan Bansal and Neeraj Singh

    Groww Logo
    Groww Logo

    Investing is a futuristic goal, likewise, a startup in this sector in India is futuristic too. Out of a billion people, less than 1% invest in the share market. Sensing the need of you and me to invest in return rich stocks, mutual funds, gold, and more from the safety and convenience of our homes, this online venture was started by Harsh Jain, Ishan Bansal, Lalit Keshre, and Neeraj Singh.

    It has amassed 10+ million users already, and those who vouch for the platform claim that it makes investing simple and fun. What more can one ask for when it comes to managing our savings and finances!

    Flipsters
    The Flipkart Mafia – Flipsters

    Vogo

    Founders: Sanchit Mittal, Anand Ayyadurai

    Vogo Logo
    Vogo Logo

    Rent, ride and return are what Vogo says. Whether you are new to the city, or you don’t want the headache of owning an automobile, or even you are on a short vacation wanting to explore the city without getting stuck in mindless traffic – worry not because Vego will rent you a bike from the word go. All you need to know is how to ride a two-wheeler.

    It has seen over $180 million in funding from 21 investors. This dockless rental service is the brainchild of Anand Ayyadurai, Balakrishnan Padmanabhan and Sanchit Mittal. Technology has clearly inspired some great ideas to kick start.

    Cure.fit

    Founders: Mukesh Bansal, Ankit Nagori

    Cure.fit Logo
    Cure.fit Logo

    Fitness is something that fires the imagination of youth as much as money, fame and love because one naturally flows from the other. A fit body houses a fit mind, is an adage as old and as true as science itself. Yet, the importance of good health can never be overstressed.

    Cure.fit takes this into consideration and has designed multiple fitness programs for each type of customer – the dance lover, Yoga enthusiast, meditative type or the diet freak. Online classes as well as physical fitness centres. They have it all.

    No wonder it picked up like rage among millennials who have no time or opportunity for health tips from multiple sources but need one wise website to do that for them. Quite a generation shift eh?

    Ankit Nagori, Mukesh Bansal are responsible for pushing this shift further. Going by the number of investors showing interest in this venture (32) and the number of acquisitions it has already made (8), this company looks pretty healthy and why not!

    Suki

    Founders: Punit Soni

    Suki Logo
    Suki Logo

    Suki isn’t a Chinese app or a China-based company. Our very own ex-Flipkart members Punit Soni, Anshu Sharma and Karthik Rajan visualized this next-gen AI-powered, voice-enabled digital assistant for doctors. It is headquartered in California, US.

    Suki aims to assist healthcare workers in their routine tasks, such as dictating notes, retrieving information, and other mundane admin tasks. Now, doctors could focus on managing diseases, not files.

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    Startup mafia denotes the startup team which is involved in many startups as founders or investors. And Paytm mafia is one such prominent names in India.
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    Exotel

    Founders: Shivakumar Ganesan, Ishwar Sridharan, and Siddharth Ramesh

    Exotel Logo
    Exotel Logo

    Exotel was founded in 2011, by Shivakumar Ganesan, Ishwar Sridharan, and Siddharth Ramesh. Exotel is a cloud telephony platform that empowers small and medium-scale companies to carry on with their usual work seamlessly.

    The company was formed by Shivakumar Ganesan, as an offshoot of his previous company, Roopit. While working on Roopit, Shivakumar discovered that he would be needing an automated call center solution to streamline their work processes. This eventually emerged as a standalone company that goes by the name Exotel.

    Among the founders of Exotel, Shivakumar Ganesan was initially with Flipkart, where he worked as the Vice President – Products and Technology.

    Arzooo

    Founders: Khushnud Khan, Rishi Raj Rathore

    Arzooo Logo
    Arzooo Logo

    Arzooo is a retail tech platform that works on a B2B business model. It was founded by Khushnud Khan, Rishi Raj Rathore in October 2018.

    Arzooo is known as the fastest-growing tech retail company that is empowering the physical retail business to embrace digital ways. The brand boasts of being connected with 100+, powering 5000+ stores with its business operating in 10+ cities to date.

    Both the founders of the platform were ex-employees of the retail giant, Flipkart, making Arzooo a classic example of a company formed by Flipkart mafias. Khushnud Khan, was an Associate Director, Retail and worked for 3 years in the firm whereas Rathore worked in the Product Management department and served Flipkart for 2 years.

    Hansel

    Founders: Mudit Krishna Mathur, Parminder Singh, Varun Ramamurthy Dinakar

    Hansel.io Logo
    Hansel.io Logo

    Hansel.io was founded in 2016 by Mudit Krishna Mathur, Parminder Singh, and Varun Ramamurthy Dinakar. Hansel is built as a B2B enterprise software that resolves the runtime issues of the mobile apps, thereby removing the need to update them frequently.

    Hansel derives its name from the famous folklore “Hansel and Gretel.” According to Varun, one of the co-founders of the company, they have named it Hansel because it is quite similar to the story of the novel where two children were left to die in the woods but Hansel founds their way back, bringing him and Gretel to safety He says that Hansel, their company, is to bring the mobile apps, Gretels, safely back home.

    All of the co-founders trace their way back to Flipkart, where they work at some point in their lives. Varun worked in the Digital and Mobile department of Flipkart, Parminder Singh worked in the iOS team and Mudit was a developer of the Mobile team in the company.

    Hansel was acquired by Netcore Cloud on November 24, 2020.

    Parrhai

    Founders: Anshu Gupta, Prashant Anand, Akash Chandra

    Parrhai is an ed-tech startup founded by Anshu Gupta, Prashant Anand, Akash Chandra. Here, Anshu Gupta, one of the co-founders of the company, was an ex-employee of Flipkart, where he went on to work for 2 years 10 months and resigned as a Product Manager of the company.

    Parrhai is an ed-tech company with a difference. Where most other similar companies focus on offering classroom-like sessions, which includes pre-recorded classes, live classes, and other course-related modules, Parrhai aims to demystify key concepts and change their lesson plan dynamically to ease the learning process. Therefore, the platform plays the role of a model teacher leveraging the power of AI to do it!

    Homefuly

    Founders: Vinay Indresh and Arnab Saharoy

    Homefuly Logo
    Homefuly Logo

    Vinay Indresh and Arnab Saharoy were classmates at NIT Warangal and founded Homefuly in January 2016. Vinay was an ex-Flipkart employee whereas Arnab worked at Myntra from where they resigned and set up their own company. Homefuly was modelled on a marketplace model where the brand connects with the best vendors and the best designers to promise world-class outputs.

    Now you might be thinking is that all?

    The answer is no. There is over 200 startup business that is launched by the ex-employees of Flipkart, Flipkart mafia, and many more to come!

    Here are some more companies by ex-Flipkart employees that are worth mentioning –

    xto10x technologies: Yes, helping companies, basically startups, scale their operations from 1-10 is no simple business. Binny Bansal has co-founded this one knowing it fully well with personal experience

    Playment: An AI startup for businesses to help machine learning engineers build datasets for training

    Runnr: A B2B platform offering hyper-local logistics service, now acquired by Zomato.

    GrabOnRent: Yeah! Just grab on rent any furniture, appliance etc. out of thousands to choose from in multiple categories. Currently operating in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, you sure wish this company comes knocking on your door soon.

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    Conclusion

    A story alone cannot make you think out of the box, but this article here, can make you dare to dream, it can further make you believe that the world does not come to an end if you start with serving in a particular company. Furthermore, it will also remove that little/large amount of doubts or the fears of failure that usually stop you from taking starting your own company.

    Inspirations are always helpful, regardless of whether they come right at the beginning or in the midway of our journey, they always tend to gear us up making the outcome far more pleasing than if it was otherwise. When it comes to entrepreneurial ventures, motivations in the form of the stories of the ‘firsts’, who took the risky road and with their passion and dedication, made history out of it, are ever so rejuvenating.

    The stories here, of the ‘Flipkart mafias’, who put to use their learning, management skills, and insights to start out with their unique ventures will certainly be added boost to the budding entrepreneurs and quite interesting a piece overall. Wish you all the best for your brainchild in its creation!

    FAQs

    Was Flipkart inspired by Amazon?

    Flipkart, the e-commerce giant of India is founded by two ex-Amazonians Sachin and Binny Bansal. Amazon was the inspiration behind the inception of Flipkart, which initially began as a bookstore.

    How many startups are there in India currently?

    India has around 50k startups going by the latest govt stats. Out of these, nearly 10% are tech-based startups making India the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world.

    Why do most startups fail?

    Approximately only 10% of startups succeed while 90% fail in general. Why do they fail is a matter of in-depth research. Few arresting reasons would be fund crunch, lack of product/market research and an unviable business model.

    Why was Flipkart sold?

    Apart from Walmart’s $16B lucrative deal which they couldn’t turn down, why did the founders decide to sell it, is open to assumptions and theories?

    How soon can a company reach unicorn status?

    There’s no absolute number but on average Indian companies/startups are reaching this status much sooner than a decade or two earlier.

  • Best Ways to Build Network During Covid Times

    The article is contributed by Anupama Soni-Founder of Open Door Communications.

    Face-to-face networking is on pause, relationship building is not. My love for stories makes me a natural net worker. I thrive on people’s energy and this is one thing that keeps me going. I love my daily interactions with my colleagues, clients and peers and you can imagine how difficult it is to go through my day in its absence. Do you find yourself struggling in this prolonged isolation like I did? Luckily, I found that it doesn’t have to be difficult at all. If you’re a people’s person or in a people-facing business/profession, here are a few things I’ve discovered that may hopefully help you too.

    Make goodwill calls not sales calls

    The collective pain has also raised the empathy bar, every communication you do today will have an impact. Let me use a personal example here to show you what I mean. I have a taken a Home Loan and I pay monthly EMIs towards it. A while ago I got a call from one of the company executive who thanked me for making payments on time and also mentioned that the interest rate I pay to their company is on the higher side compared to some other banks. She suggested, I should consider enquiring in the market for a better rate for myself at my convenience. Pleasantly surprised, I asked her if her company and superiors are aware of this call and suggestion, to which she said it was their management’s idea to educate their clients. Now it is a different matter if I transfer my loan to another bank at a later stage or not, but I do not think I will forget this gesture.

    Use LinkedIn well

    I can’t stress this enough. We must all update it thoroughly. I recently saw a very nicely formatted ad by a client that said “We are building enviable LinkedIn for our clients”. I thought it was a smart idea and since I am a communication expert and I found I had some spare time on hand these days, I decided to do it for myself. I can’t really put down in figures but I have seen a spike in new contacts, and I even managed to get a new project for the company solely by networking here.

    Jump onto the Webinar bandwagon

    I know the whole world is tired of hearing about webinars, FB and Insta Lives but there is no right or wrong in this time. It will help you connect with your customers and lots of relevant people. Some you will continue to stay in touch with long after! Trust me on this and thank me later. I have a buzzing new entrepreneur group and some are slowly becoming a part of my social group too. Not only that, I’m learning new things as well. For example, we partnered with a company in the NFT space, learning how it works and educating the media and people through various activities have been fun and the Metaverse world is really the future.

    Approach new contacts

    We often find our comfort in people we know even if we have brilliant bunch of contacts waiting to be approached, that in my opinion is the biggest networking mistake people make. We wouldn’t be exposed to new, will not have out of the box ideas and continue to get validation of our own thoughts if we sit in our comfort circle, drastically limiting our leanings. If you genuinely admire someones work, reach-out to them with a thoughtful note and ask for the advice if you are seeking one, most people are receptive! Let the silent not dampen the spirit.

    There is nothing wrong or right here, we all are learning and people are more open to new ways of communication, so use it.

    Go beyond business and build a close network

    There is no right or wrong way to build a close network. Start with a large group, pay attention and proceed with care, and like they say – you will find your niche. I was a member of over eight WhatsApp social groups (people took permission before adding me) and I observed long enough to see the ones that made sense to me. I continued with only two. One has to be clear of the purpose a group will serve. My friend introduced me to a women’s networking group when I initially started my business. I joined hesitantly because I was wary of catfights and silent wars. This group however has changed my perception; women in this group are extremely helpful, laud you on your success, lift your spirit up and are forever ready for celebration.

    My Instagram was strictly for my pictures and my thoughts. I have a slightly wry sense of humor and I am very mindful of that especially in the workplace but, since Instagram is my space, I experimented and to my surprise I have people coming and appreciating my stories and saying how they wait for new posts from me. It has become my happy place. I have observed how my personality has evolved and I no longer feel that I need validation.

    So, while you do some of these don’t get lost in the virtual world. Divide your time sensibly. Get that sunshine and exercise. Use free platforms, be responsible, pay attention and proceed with care. Happy Networking!

  • Why is LinkedIn Profile Valuable ? | Importance of A LinkedIn Profile

    LinkedIn was found in 2003 by Reid Hoffman. Established in Mountain View, California, LinkedIn is presently settled in Sunnyvale, California, with 33 worldwide workplaces in Omaha, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., São Paulo, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Graz, Milan, Paris, Munich, Madrid, Stockholm, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Australia, Canada, India, and Dubai.

    In May 2020, the organization had around 20,500 employees.

    This stage is a professional social networking platform for proficient systems administration and permits job searchers to post their CVs and bosses to post positions.

    As of June 2021, LinkedIn has 756 million enrolled individuals from 200 nations and territories.

    How is LinkedIn relevant today?
    Why you should definitely have a LinkedIn Profile?
    Conclusion
    FAQs

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    How is LinkedIn relevant today?

    LinkedIn is a social networking site for professional reasons. Essentially, through LinkedIn you can tell the work world about yourself in a somewhat detailed way.

    Along these lines, an elegantly composed LinkedIn profile comes into the image.

    LinkedIn Top Companies 2021
    LinkedIn Top Companies 2021
    Why is LinkedIn profile important?

    Here are top 7 reasons why you should definitely have a LinkedIn profile!

    Why you should definitely have a LinkedIn Profile?

    1) Gain openness to Hiring Managers and Recruiters

    93% of selection representatives use LinkedIn to research and enroll up-and-comers.

    LinkedIn permits you to have an online individual brand that settles on you noticeable to key chiefs and selection representatives.

    This implies when your name is placed into a web index like Google, you have an online individual brand and you are showing up in list items.

    It’s thus you need to ensure you treat your LinkedIn profile along these lines to your CV and you guarantee what is on the profile is selling you in the most ideal manner conceivable.

    2) You can take advantage of its amazing position board

    As a task searcher, you can look through its vigorous occupation board and even apply to occupations through the systems administration stage.

    Search occupations by catchphrases and area. Regardless of whether you’re not effectively looking for new business, you can set occupation cautions dependent on your professional advantages to routinely get email updates and stay insider savvy.

    With LinkedIn’s exceptional record, you can get much more data about employment opportunities.

    Send direct messages to selection representatives and employing directors, perceive how you contrast with different candidates through bits of knowledge, and even increase moment admittance to compensation experiences.

    3) Follow Companies

    LinkedIn is a splendid device for exploring associations and individuals that work at them. You can utilize this to target individuals inside your organization that work for associations that you truly need to work for.

    4) It can help rank your name on Google

    Odds are, that when you apply to a task, one of the principal things a business or HR supervisor will do is Google your name.

    In any event, messaging another customer could bring about a Google clear of your name.

    Ranking on Google’s first page can be troublesome, however, LinkedIn is a notable and incredible organization and Google is into it.

    Therefore, it’s ordinarily simpler to get your LinkedIn page to rank on Google versus your custom-made site or online portfolio.

    On the off chance that your LinkedIn profile is the principal thing a planned manager will see, then, at that point possibly it’s an ideal opportunity to get one or then again alter your current one to stand apart among the group.

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    5) You can acquire social confirmation for your abilities and past work.

    Allow others to suggest and support you for your abilities and past work. At the point when others suggest or embrace you, any individual who sees your profile can see these and it shows you have different specialists backing up your cases to have certain abilities.

    This is extremely amazing in making associations. You can construct your believability through the supports and tributes that LinkedIn permits your contacts to leave on your profile.

    6) You can construct your professional image

    Like organizations assemble their brands, you should fabricate your expert image on the web. How would you stand apart from others in your industry? What makes you attractive? For what reason would it be advisable for someone to pay you six figures?

    Individual sites are extraordinary for this, however, they frequently accompany additional expenses and a long time of building and finessing.

    LinkedIn is a basic method to put your name on the expert guide. Transfer an expert profile picture and compose an amazing rundown that underscores your qualities and features your character.

    At the point when selection representatives, bosses, colleagues, and directors examine your profile, they ought to have the option to acquire a solid comprehension of what your identity is and what abilities you bring to the table.

    7) It helps you gain insight into the industry news

    LinkedIn Insights and News
    LinkedIn Insights and News

    Like other person-to-person communication locales, LinkedIn totals a course of events when you sign in. There, you’ll discover news refreshes from your associations, your gatherings, and your organization. It’s both fun and insightful to watch industry patterns and reports.

    Conclusion

    This list cannot emphasize enough on the benefits of having a LinkedIn profile. A LinkedIn profile can do wonders in helping you land your dream job. This is your chance to create a LinkedIn profile if you do not have one and utilize it effectively to gain professional heights.

    FAQs

    What is a LinkedIn profile?

    LinkedIn profile is a professional account for you to manage your own, personal brand. Through LinkedIn profile, you can let others know who you are and what you do by displaying a general history of your professional experiences and achievements.

    What are the information on LinkedIn profile?

    You can share personal and professional information through LinkedIn profile like:

    • Summary of your Professional Profile
    • Contact Details
    • Educational Details
    • Work Experience
    • Skills and Expertise
    • Licenses & Certifications

    Is LinkedIn worth joining?

    Yes, creating a LinkedIn profile is quite valuable in the current professionally competitive world.

  • What Are The Best Ways To Do Personal Branding?

    Often big companies and celebrities are seen with their own personal brands. It’s “personal branding” and it refers mostly to establishing and promoting what you stand for. If it’s your personal brand then it has to be sure the unique combination of skills and experiences that enhances it even more. There has to be the best way to do personal branding so that your work promotes your brand.

    What is Personal Branding?
    What Could A Brand Be Nowadays Like?
    Best Ways To Personal Branding To Break Through A Crowded Space
    Why Personal Branding Matters?
    Personal Branding – FAQs

    What is Personal Branding?

    Personal Branding is a way of establishing and promoting what you actually stand for, who you are, the values you embrace, and the way in which you express those values. Because, if it’s your personal brand then it has to be sure the unique combination of skills and experiences that enhances it even more. This type of effective branding can make you different from other professionals in your sector.

    Apple challenged the world to “Think Different.” Nike encouraged people, regardless of age, gender, or physical fitness level, to “Just Do It.” Dunkin’ Donuts persuaded busy professionals that “America Runs on Dunkin’.”

    If we do a quick search to observe how individuals around the world are actually using new tools to craft personal brands. And, so we can see that is what attracts countless people to their websites and big social media profiles.

    Now, it’s crystal clear that the biggest tactic is to know exactly where to spend your time to get the results you’ve been chasing for.

    Personal Brand
    Personal Brand

    Why Personal Branding Matters?

    Some people dismiss the whole process of branding themselves, as being time-consuming, or not that efficient. When it comes to building a personal brand, you have to devote time and energy to personal branding. Your personal brand should highlight your strengths, establish a reputation, build trust among employees, and communicate the unique attributes that you bring to your current industry.

    “More than half of employers won’t hire potential candidates without some sort of online presence today.” – CARRIER BUILDERS

    Whatever your age or professional achievements maybe, someone is always screening you online. What they observe can have major implications for your professional and well being. So, if you aren’t properly managing your online reputation, then you are actively losing out on upcoming business opportunities. Never lose out on an interview because that’s something you can control- like your personal brand.

    Someone is always screening you online.
    Someone is always screening you online.

    What Could A Brand Be Nowadays Like?

    If someone asks you about a popular brand, then it’s obvious that you are going to say a popular brand like Apple, Samsung, or McDonald. A brand can be anything nowadays, so even as an individual, you have a personal brand.

    What’s your personal brand going to be like or you have a brand that exists online and offline both, but isn’t performing that well. Fortunately, there are a lot of best tools and resources that might help you with the whole process of personal branding. While the specific unavoidable circumstances and goals vary person-to-person. But, the overall concepts and processes are still relevant to everyone.

    How to build your Personal Brand?

    The idea of personal branding makes most people uncomfortable due to a lot of hard-work involved both online and offline. But, if you don’t take control of your personal brand online, then you are obviously going to miss out on opportunities and let others control your narrative.

    Building a personal brand might sound like a challenging task, and it is for sure, but there are incremental steps you can take to build credibility in your field. Below there are personal branding tips that are going to help you create an authentic personal brand- and catalyze your career in the process.

    Best Ways To Personal Branding To Break Through A Crowded Space

    1. Find Your Niche

    The basic step to build a personal brand is to make it one that truly reflects your personal and professional identity. Pick something specific that you can do better than 90% of the world. Or, it can go like:

    • In which areas do I perform better?
    • What motivates me?
    • What characteristics others have that complimented me on?
    • Which role seems to drain my energy?
    • Which projects can I spend hours on without feeling nauseous or overwhelmed?

    These questions can definitely give you a great deal of help because that’s what describes the different facets of your personality.

    The niche selection process is really important! You don’t want to spend all the time and energy necessary to link your brand to a niche that’s not growing.

    2. Inject Your Personality Into Your Personal Brand

    Always think about what you are actually known for because the personal brand is more than the reflection of you are today. This method is what you personally bring to the table. It’s about you and ‘your ideas’ which will help you differentiate you from everyone else who is from your field.

    Personal Branding Strategy
    Personal Branding Strategy

    It’s good understanding your already existing skill-set and competencies but it will be best if you assess your strengths and weaknesses timely as they relate to your industry and career. By doing this, you’re going to unleash the latent skills and traits that make you unique.

    3. Define Your Audience

    Determining who you’re trying to reach is the crucial step. Is it an individual in particular? Recruiters? Entrepreneurs? Is it another industry thought leaders? The sooner you define your audience, the easier it will be to craft the brand.

    For instance, if your goal is to reach out to recruiters, then you have to start with updating the Linkedin profile. Why? It’s so because 87% of recruiters use Linkedin to find high-quality candidates and 92% of recruiters use social media as their basis.

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    4. Create Your Personal Brand Identity

    The design of your website should be impeccable because that’s what people go back and look at. Websites are the only one that tells everything real fast and what they notice should be unique. One thing to be noticed should be that they each have custom sites, beautiful photographs, and even their logo are eye-catching.

    And for a shock why am I emphasizing the design and logo? Because according to one academic study, 94 percent of the first impressions were only based on design, and it only takes 50 milliseconds for that split-seconds actual decisions to get made.

    There are some crowdsources which might help you with special tools to make logos and design. Professional designs are often what separates the ‘real’ experts from everyone else in the market.

    A small piece of advice here would be that start small (in terms of funds) with a logo to establish that working relationship with a designer you like because when it comes to redesigning the website, it’s going to be worth their weight in gold.

    5. Grow Your Online Presence

    One of the most important aspects of personal branding is about making sure your online presence is a lot engaging to hire managers, co-workers, and employees. In the era of digitalization it’s important you realize that your story should match all platforms. Beware of separating your personal social media by adjusting the privacy settings, so that potential employees don’t stumble upon any information that could harm your opportunities of landing a job. Linkedin, Twitter, and many social media tools are of great help to define your brand if you manage these key points effectively:

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    • Focus on key industrial skills because recruiters search for the roles they’re trying to fit in.
    • Quantify your accomplishments
    • Complete your profile with a professional photo
    • Highlight and build upon your industry expertise
    • Incorporate your personal brand in your bio and for the feed use hashtags

    6. Ask For Informational Interviews

    When there’s a list of companies you have always aspired to work for and leaders you admire from the industry, always consider reaching out to these professionals to ask for an informational interview. When you meet these high-profile individuals, then ask them specific questions that help you garner new insights about your field, for instance:

    • How do you see your industry evolving?
    • How did you break into the idea of industrializing your brand?
    • How do you stay up-to-date with the upcoming trends in the industry?
    • How are you going to transform your brand all over again?
    • Are there any trade or professional associations, I should join?

    Informational Interviews like this not only adds to your knowledge but also help you to envision the ideal candidate to build a personal brand in the industry.

    7. Embrace And Enhance Your Networking

    It is so very important to network regularly and effectively to grow your professional circle. Connect with industry thought leaders and your peers from formal to informal networking events. Because it’s the whole of a chain, the more connections you make – the more value you provide to your interactions – the more is your personal brand is going to be recognized.

    At these events, don’t be shy to fellow attendees to reschedule a meeting again for an informational interview or a casual meet. And if by chance, you weren’t able to attend the event, then just reach out via email and spark a conversation there.

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    8. Seek Out Mentors And Thought-Leaders

    First of all, there’s no such thing as a “self-made” successful person, and that too in a field like branding yourselves. They had had help from someone, somewhere, at some time in their life. You are obviously in the need of other big names from the industries to recognize your brand and ‘you as an expert’. According to a survey, 80% of CEOs in one study said they had a mentor by their side to help them early in their careers.

    Even Tiger Woods, the most successful golfer of all time, has worked with a swing coach for almost his entire career. Almost all successful entrepreneurs have had mentors, to help them and they surely became the recognized experts, they are today.

    In the process of becoming the recognized expert in your industry isn’t an overnight proposition to be made. It’s obviously going to take a lot of hard work and effort to reach the top. As the digital era changes transform, so does your career evolves, and as a result, your personal brand will shine like a star. You, surely, have to invest the time, money, and work to slowly break through a crowded industry.

    And in the whole process, Never ever forget to reinvent your personal brand as you grow.

    Personal Branding – FAQs

    What is personal branding?

    Personal Branding is a way of establishing and promoting what you actually stand for, who you are, the values you embrace, and the way in which you express those values.

    What are the three keys to personal branding?

    Authenticity
    Consistency
    Harmonic

    What is the strategy for personal branding?

    A personal branding strategy is a plan to take your reputation and career from relative obscurity to high visibility. It describes where you stand today and what level of visibility you want to achieve in the future.

    How do you build a powerful personal brand?

    8 Tips for Developing Your Personal Brand

    1. Find Your Niche
    2. Inject Your Personality Into Your Personal Brand
    3. Define Your Audience
    4. Create Your Brand Identity
    5. Grow Your Online Presence
    6. Ask For Informational Interviews
    7. Embrace And Enhance Your Networking
    8. Seek Out Mentors And Thought-Leaders

  • How to develop your skills with the help LinkedIn Learning

    What if I told you that with a yearly/monthly subscription you’ll be able to successfully develop your skills and also get job offers simultaneously? Yes! It’s time to make that a reality with the help of LinkedIn Learning where you can access an entire learning library of content and learn new creative skills.

    Not only that, LinkedIn Learning offers you job recommendations after you complete your courses in your LinkedIn profile. And also helps you enhance your learning experience through the means of video courses that come along with transcripts, exercises files and assessments. It then gives you feedback to your preferred course, while allowing you to view and download videos offline.

    LinkedIn Learning Logo
    LinkedIn Learning Logo

    LinkedIn Learning – About

    LinkedIn Learning is an American based website that bridges the gap between the career you want and the skill you require. It mainly offers video courses taught by industry experts in creative, software and business skills. LinkedIn Learning is a subsidiary of LinkedIn which was founded by Lynda Weinman in the year of 1995. Formally known as Lynda.com, it was acquired by LinkedIn for $1.5 billion in 2015.

    LinkedIn learning helps professionals learn with their own pace from the library that contains more than 12,000 creative, technology and business courses on any given subject.  

    The ambitious e-learning portal tailors to:

    • Individuals that are looking for job opportunities
    • Businesses looking to keep training their employees and
    • Educational institutions exploring E-learning courses.

    These courses can be selected by employees as well as recommended by employers or their HR managers who can then use LinkedIn’s analytics to monitor the employee’s progress.

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    Starting with LinkedIn learning:

    These tips are for the beginners to want to start out with learning new skills through this platform. In LinkedIn Learning the first thing someone should do is registration followed by picking out your interests.

    • According to the field of your interest the platform provides you 3 options/categories to choose from these include: Business, Creative and Technology. Business for example will include customer service, accounting, etc.
    • Then it guides the subscriber to the trending list and to the top liked and suggested videos (to give you an insight to the video that have better quality and content).
    LinkedIn Learning caters to youngsters seeking for a job while developing their skills.
    LinkedIn Learning caters to youngsters seeking for a job while developing their skills.

    There are also have 3 ways through which you can filter out the course that people want to watch:

    • By Subject: To gain experience with a specific skill, this is the way to go. If you can pick a topic for example business then that would be HR, Finance and pick courses based on it.
    • Software: No matter your occupation there’s a solid chance that you need to know your way around several types of software.
    • Learning paths: Instead of having to look for random courses in a given field, you can simply pick your path and get a structured learning experience. learning courses offers course such as Online marketing foundations; SEO foundation; Google Analytics; Content marketing foundation; Lead generation foundation and growth hacking.

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    The Cost/Price of LinkedIn Learning

    LinkedIn learning offers different versions of premium from which you can you can buy to cater to different types of business people. All of these paid services give the professional’s unlimited access to everything in LinkedIn learning. The premium costs $29.99 per month or $2239.88 per year which is the preferred level meant for job seekers and applicants. While the professional can also cancel during the first month and not pay anything, since it is free to try for the first month. However, after the free month, people can start paying if they want to stay onboard and continue learning from these courses.

    Benefits of LinkedIn Learning:

    Benefits of LinkedIn Learning
    Benefits of LinkedIn Learning

    The company emphasis on education and learning as it goes hand in hand with the company’s primary role where people maintain their professional profiles publicly and look for jobs. While the LinkedIn Learning is just broadened platform that offers you to build on your professional skills.

    • This education platform is available only for the LinkedIn Premium subscribers who look like they will get more than 50 new courses every week available in various languages.
    • LinkedIn learning now has 14,000 enterprise customers, 17 million enterprise users and 12,000 high fidelity courses.
    • Video based tutorials are produced in house in their California studios.
    • There also a possibility of customizing your own content by making your own or from your organization.
    • The analytics will also inform them of their progress with the knowledge they gained or even the level of engagement and more.
    • ·It also provides higher education facilities by special, verified profile pages to universities and colleges. Hence encouraging youngsters to get started on building their profiles.
    • This platform can be further used for connecting those young students into alumni job finding networks for the recruitment business.
    • These materials (PDF files and other related documents) can also be downloaded to watch offline.
    • The videos made on this platform are understandable and the teachers are business executives and other professional from different industries. They also provide you a certificate right after you finish the course.

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    LinkedIn Learning is powerful even if you’re not seeking for jobs

    The platform is not just a job search booster, it is also a career booster for any professional who wants to stand out and advance their career faster. It can also help a professional get a raise or promotions with the completion of their LinkedIn Learning course. Doing all these course work can also help develop ones resume by mentioning it under the “skills” section. Example: Basics of Java Programming- LinkedIn Learning course completed on April 2020. During the times of the COVID pandemic people can make use of their time by self-educating themselves on various subjects by doing online courses with the help LinkedIn Learning.

    Competitors of LinkedIn Learning:

    • Udemy: Udemy is a platform where you can create online video course and earn money by teaching people around the world. This platform helps people learn new skills and advance their careers by sharing your knowledge. It also helps businesses up skill their employees with virtual training.
    • Skillshare: Skillshare provides learning for the world’s most innovative companies. This platform gives business solution to maximize the creativity, engagement and develop the entire workforce. With skillshare for teams you can empower and inspire your teams with on demand classes, in person events, customized learning paths and world class teachers. There’s on demand classes, hands-on workshops and events.
    • Coursera: This platforms helps build your skills with courses, certificate and degrees online from various world class universities and companies. You can learn the latest skill like business analytics, Python, Graphic design and more. It helps people who are interested for a career in fields like IT, AI and cloud engineering with the help of coursera.

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    Future of LinkedIn Learning

    LinkedIn Learning now has more 17 million users and is among the top ten vendors providing such services. It has also recently introduced LinkedIn Learning Pro which is a big competitor for other Learning Experience Platforms such as Degreed, Coursera, Skillshare, etc. It has the potential to conquer the corporate learning market because of the quality of their videos. The Learning Pro edition helps you create your own pathways or even customize combination of courses by putting in different content from their site.