Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
LinkedIn and the Top 100 UK Accountants
As a great fan of LinkedIn and statistics, I thought I would do a rough and ready analysis of the usage of LinkedIn by employees of the top accountancy firms in the UK. I concentrated on the top 96 as listed in an article published by Accountancy Age as the figures for the Big 4 were extraordinary with numbers reaching 70,000 members on LinkedIn for Deloittes.
For the remaining 96 I looked at the percentage of employees of each firm who are on LinkedIn. In broad terms the results are as follows:
In addition, as number of firms had 2 profiles and therefore it was difficult to assess if there was any double counting going on.
If branding is important in the financial services sector then each company will require a Social Media Policy and Strategy which makes it clear what is appropriate for each employee to post on a platform such as LinkedIn.
For the remaining 96 I looked at the percentage of employees of each firm who are on LinkedIn. In broad terms the results are as follows:
- For firms with 5,001-10,000 employees 25% were members of LinkedIn
- For firms with 1,001-5,000 23%
- For firms with 501-1,000 18%
- For firms with 201-500 27%
- For firms with 51-200 25%
- For firms with 11-50 35%
In addition, as number of firms had 2 profiles and therefore it was difficult to assess if there was any double counting going on.
If branding is important in the financial services sector then each company will require a Social Media Policy and Strategy which makes it clear what is appropriate for each employee to post on a platform such as LinkedIn.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Face the fear
As we approach December, it is a good time to review how the year has panned out. Are you on target financially or has the continuing difficult economic situation meant that you did not attain the figures you predcted at the beginning of the year? All economic sectors are feeling the pinch. We have to adapt to a lower growth environment.
Analysing your figures will give insight into whch activities have been most profitable and where costs might be better controlled in the future. Small adjustments to price, costs, adding new products and services, and revisiting old customers will hopefully make 2011 a more profitable year.
Analysing your figures will give insight into whch activities have been most profitable and where costs might be better controlled in the future. Small adjustments to price, costs, adding new products and services, and revisiting old customers will hopefully make 2011 a more profitable year.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
LinkedIn - a new era?
Are we seeing the real commercialisation of the LinkedIn platform? With the introduction of the Careers and Products/Services tabs on Company pages, LinkedIn now provides the perfect place for companies to showcase their wares. A step up from being coy about 'selling' - businesses can present detailed information on their products including images and links to specific websites.
Additionally, you will start to notice even more advertising on a wide range of pages. To the right hand side of connections and at the bottom of most pages. The companies advertising are no strangers to our screens but the flickering images are a departure from the usually calm LinkedIn screens.
Keeping up to date with social media platforms is a crucial part of our role as business advisers. Helping businesses make the right decisions balancing risk and return is one of our specialities. We build strategies and train our clients in the most appropriate use of LinkedIn and other social media sites as part of their overall marketing plan.
Additionally, you will start to notice even more advertising on a wide range of pages. To the right hand side of connections and at the bottom of most pages. The companies advertising are no strangers to our screens but the flickering images are a departure from the usually calm LinkedIn screens.
Keeping up to date with social media platforms is a crucial part of our role as business advisers. Helping businesses make the right decisions balancing risk and return is one of our specialities. We build strategies and train our clients in the most appropriate use of LinkedIn and other social media sites as part of their overall marketing plan.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Corporate Control
At Alterra, we meet businesses of all sizes who are keen to embrace social media. But very often they don't have a conherent stratgy.
When platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are essentially public spaces, how does a company monitor what is written about them, posted, forwarded and regurgitated around the internet?
For business to business on-line networking the fastest growing website is LinkedIn with over 80 million users worldwide. Nearly 1 million members are located within 10 miles of the centre of London. There are an increasing number of 'private' groups set up by companies so that intra-corporate discussions can be held.
Yet I still see incomplete profiles with no photographs and inconsistant employee lists on the Company pages of LinkedIn.
Well you might say that it is not that important:; but consider this scenario - I meet a senior manager at a conference and type his name into Google. If that person is active on the internet his LinkedIn profile will appear high up in the Google ranking. If I click through I will see his Profile and a further click and I am on the Company's LinkedIn page. So three steps to an unattractive message would worry me.
Worse still are the updates which are totally inappropriate for the platform. How does a company control this in this free publishing space?
Our series of strategy posts will be coming out soon - watch this space!
When platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are essentially public spaces, how does a company monitor what is written about them, posted, forwarded and regurgitated around the internet?
For business to business on-line networking the fastest growing website is LinkedIn with over 80 million users worldwide. Nearly 1 million members are located within 10 miles of the centre of London. There are an increasing number of 'private' groups set up by companies so that intra-corporate discussions can be held.
Yet I still see incomplete profiles with no photographs and inconsistant employee lists on the Company pages of LinkedIn.
Well you might say that it is not that important:; but consider this scenario - I meet a senior manager at a conference and type his name into Google. If that person is active on the internet his LinkedIn profile will appear high up in the Google ranking. If I click through I will see his Profile and a further click and I am on the Company's LinkedIn page. So three steps to an unattractive message would worry me.
Worse still are the updates which are totally inappropriate for the platform. How does a company control this in this free publishing space?
Our series of strategy posts will be coming out soon - watch this space!
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