I was honored to be featured, and the article even began with one of my favorite”interactiveAmy-isms,” something I share during all of my presentations and client meetings; “There is no such thing as a blind date anymore and there is no such thing as a blind meeting. Before anyone meets you, they research you online. LinkedIn is one of the first things that come up when they search for your name.” (Side note: Do I put quotes around my own soundbite?! What an exciting question to have, but really – does anyone know the answer?) Now that we know people are looking for you, let’s talk about how you can prepare your profile in a way that benefits you (for search) and others (so they can learn more about you.)
Digital Footprints – Step Yours Up!
Now more than ever it is important to put your best foot forward when you meet someone, and nowadays you need to put your best “digital footprint” forward. Your digital footprint is the mark you’ve left on the internet – what does yours say about you?
Have you ever done Google search for your own name? What comes up first is what others will see first.
Is that first impression you want to make?
For me, it used to be my 5k race time, and that is not what I wanted people to see first. Unless you run for a living or you are a competitive runner, my 5k race time from years ago is not overly interesting (or fast!) and it is not the first thing I want someone to know about me, I’d prefer they learned about my social media consulting business or my involvement in Social Media Club Chicago. They might accidentally stumble upon the London-based body builder with whom I share a name, and again – not what I want people to see!
So how did I change that?
I harnessed the power of LinkedIn, oh yeah, I drank their Kool-Aid, and then I shared what I know with others, since having more complete profiles really benefits everybody. Because LinkedIn such a powerful engine, the site naturally ranks highly in search, so use that to your advantage! LinkedIn is a living and breathing resume so make sure its the best possible reflection of your work experience to date, and where you want to go next – even if you are not actively job seeking.
If you were on a blind date, you’d probably comb your hair and put on a snazzy outfit before leaving the house,
why not do the same on LinkedIn as well!
The more content-rich information you are able to provide in your profile, the more appealing you’ll look to search engines and to future employers/clients/and business partners! How’s that for an incentive to fill out your profile more completely? Having a profile with complete and accurate information also allows someone to get to know more about you, and decide if you are a person they’d like to business with. Learning about someone in advance of a meeting is a first step in building rapport too, if you find that you’ve attended the same University or know people in common its a great ice-breaker!
I know what you are thinking: “Do I really need to include a picture in my profile?”
YES!
If you have ever had a blind business meeting, you’ll be extra appreciative the next time you see a complete profile with a picture in a future LinkedIn search! Earlier in my career I sold adverting in the Yellow Pages, and had many first-time meetings with business owners in public places, and I had no idea who I was looking for. It was much easier when I could say, “I’ll be the one carrying a phone book!” I can’t say that anymore (thankfully!) but I do come prepared, and I will look you up before we meet. So be nice to the person you are about to meet for the first time, and please post a picture on your profile! It really takes away a lot of the anxiety when meeting someone for the first time if you know what the person looks like in advance.
If you have any questions, or if your LinkedIn profile needs revamping, please contact me about how to amplify your online. (See why that’s my tag line?) Now that I’ve shared my LinkedIn tips with you, please share your LinkedIn success stories and tips with me! And of course, let’s link in!
Ok! I’m now video blogging! Welcome to interactiveAmy’s YouTube Channel!
Finally, I can share snippets of cool Chicago events, meet and greets with fun friends and interactiveAmy adventures with you in a way that’s as high energy as I am…videos of me!
And now… The First Official interactiveAmy Video Blog (aka Vlog) Post!
So, how’d I do on the first installment of my video blog? Do you have a request for a topic you’d like me to address? Please let me know, I love Q & A!
I love social media, I love live music, and I also love Chicago… so what happens when all three collide?
<drumroll, please!>
InteractiveAmy is an official sponsor of the North Coast Music Festival to be held in Chicago’s Union Park on September 3rd-5th! I know what I’ll be doing for Labor Day weekend, rocking out!
Not only am I a festival sponsor, but I will also be working on their social media and press outreach, and will play an instrumental role in the success of the inaugural North Coast Fest! I am so excited!! And you should be too, because there are so many ways for you to get involved, read on for more info and please become a fan on Facebook and follow @NorthCoastFest on twitter to stay up to date on all of the announcements leading up to the fest!
With three full days of live music on 4 stages, there is a lot of news to keep up with! We will be announcing more additions to the already awesome line up, plans for an official North Coast Festival Tweet Up and much more!
So far, North Coast Fest inaugural lineup includes: Chemical Brothers (Live) | Nas & Damian Marley | Umphrey’s McGee | Disco Biscuits | Moby (DJ Set) | Pretty Lights | Benny Benassi | Paul Van Dyk
Cold War Kids | De La Soul | Mayer Hawthorne & the County | Jay Electronica | Boys Noize | Flying Lotus | Benga | Jakob Dylan & Three Legs | Laidback Luke | Future Rock | Dirty Dozen Brass Band | Green Velvet (Live) Phantogram | Van Ghost | Two Fresh | Paul Kalkbrenner | Orchard Lounge | The Uglysuit | Loyal Divide …plus more to be added!!!
Are you in a band? Are you a DJ? Do you know someone who is looking for their big break on a main stage?
If so, tell your friends about “Toast of the Coast!” One Midwest based Band and DJ will win a spot on the lineup of the inaugural North Coast music Festival, and bragging rights to last a lifetime.
Contest Details:
Artist Submission – Between July 19th and July 23rd, artists can upload 2 tracks to the North Coast Festival Website.
Voting – Between July 24th and August 14th, each e-mail address will be allotted one vote per day, so encourage supporters to vote early and often!
The Decision – On August 15th, the votes will be tallied and North Coast Music Festival organizers will choose 10 Finalists out of the Top 20 Vote-Getters. These finalists will play a private show for organizers and their guests at a yet-to-be-disclosed location. Wow us, and you’ll be one of two winners.
We’ll pick 1 Band and 1 DJ to join the main stages for a 45-minute set. How awesome is that? Please help spread the word and get your favorite acts on the North Coast Festival Stage!
If your business would like to reach over 25,000 festival goers
I’d love to talk to you about festival sponsorship! There are many ways to get your name out there, so let’s think outside of the box! This is a perfect opportunity for Chicago based businesses to share the spot light with headline grabbing musicians! Food, merchant and artisan vendors, we have room for you too!
Music Lovers & Concert Go-ers
You can save by purchasing your tickets early! Right now, early birds can benefit by snagging a three day pass for only $75, and you can also purchase single day tickets ~ 3 Days, 35+ bands, for $35/day. As if that wasn’t enough, a portion of all ticket sales will go to support Urban Initiatives, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that runs a health and education soccer program in fourteen Chicago Public Schools and continues to grow.
Are you planning on going to North Coast Music Festival?
Tell me what bands you are most excited to see & why and what you love most about attending festivals in Chicago Park District and you can have a chance to win tickets!
See you at
And, stay tuned for more information about Summer’s Last Stand!
