Author: themuse.com

Back in the day, etiquette rules were fairly simple. Always send a thank-you card. Don’t put your elbows on the table. Hold the door open for other people.

However, social networks have made matters much more complicated, and Emily Post isn’t much help when it comes to online etiquette. That’s why we’ve compiled the ultimate list of LinkedIn dos and don’ts. (Thank-you card not required.)

Do: Connect With People Right Away

It might be considered desperate or creepy to friend someone on Facebook right after you’ve met that person, but LinkedIn has completely different rules. I’ll chat with someone for 10 minutes at a conference, leave to attend a session, and request to connect with him or her as I walk away. The longer you wait after the meeting, the less likely people are to remember you. So don’t feel weird—send that request.

Don’t: Try to Connect With Someone When You’re Not on His or Her Profile

Say you’re scrolling through LinkedIn’s list of “People You May Know.” Underneath each person’s headshot and title, you’ll see a blue box that says “Connect.” Don’t click it—you won’t get a chance to customize your invitation. Similarly, if you’re looking at search results, you’ll see a blue connect box to the right of each person’s info. Using that button won’t allow you to make your request unique. The only way you can change the connection request is if you click “Connect” when you’re on someone’s profile.

Read More at themuse.com

Author: hbr.org

Do you dread going into the office Monday morning? Maybe a new boss has entered the equation, creating a rift between how you once felt and how you now feel. Perhaps your company has recently been acquired, changing the culture. Maybe you simply have outgrown your role and are bored to tears in your cubicle.

I have found that whether we enjoy our work often boils down to how our job fits with our sense of purpose. Where we work, the role we hold, our broader sense of purpose — all three are subject to change. Thus if we want to stay in the “sweet spot” among these three, we must not fear career transitions or even change itself; indeed, we must seek them out.

Having a sense of purpose in our life is critical to well-being. In fact, in a longitudinal study researchers found that people who demonstrate a sense of purpose in their lives have a 15% lower risk of death. Having a sense of purpose in our roles at work is equally important. And yet it’s not enough to find that sense of purpose once — you have to continually refind it as circumstances (and you) change.

Read More at hbr.org

Author: financialpost.com

By its bootstraps: How Netflix uses content to market content

Netflix is lavishing attention on the promotion of its exclusive properties using content marketing — unique material designed to stimulate buzz around such hit fare as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. The online television provider makes it look easy, really. Yet copycats take note: campaigns of Netflix’s complexity require effective partnerships with reputable media brands, the services of professional content creators, and research into results to make sure that marketing dollars are well-invested.

“Around the thought leadership of sponsored content, Netflix is at the top of the heap,” says Chad Pollitt, co-founder of Relevance, a digital magazine, agency and events company specializing in content strategy, and an adjunct professor of Internet marketing at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. “One thing they’re doing well is partnering with outlets, such as the New York Times, with strong brand equity. They’re not doing massive-scale content marketing campaigns on mommy blogger sites.”

Read More at financialpost.com

Author: Jeff Bullas

What Content Strategy Will Work For You? (With Examples)

There are so many contrasting views on content marketing and creation, that it is impossible to find your way out, unscathed and unaffected.

While some say ‘tis the year of video marketing, others insist email marketing was and is the best way forward. On top of that, there is an ever-going war on the length of written content – whether it should be customer friendly or SEO friendly, snack-sized or long form, and so on.

For someone who is not intimately involved with content marketing, selecting amongst the divergent routes may look especially daunting.

So here we are, with no-bullshit, bitterly honest reviews for a few content strategies (revolving around different content formats) that worked – or didn’t – for some companies.

No sports fan would be a stranger to SB Nation’s immersive game threads and biting news. The site boasts more than 80 million unique visitors and great content, on and off-season.

A while back, they introduced long-form content in addition to their usual news bytes and short commentaries. These included in-depth profiles, memoirs, essays and thought-provoking editorials.

Read More at jeffbullas.com