I was giving a LinkedIn training session to some lovely people from the insurance world today and they asked me how to change the background image on your LinkedIn profile?
It is better if you use a photograph rather than a graphic if you are not skilled in PhotoShop.
Remember to only use images where you have permission/hold the copyright.
Back in 2012, Facebook's new 'Seen By' feature caused quite a stir - and quite rightly so.
Basically, this is a piece of grey text underneath any status update within a Facebook group. If you click on it, you can see which of the other group members have seen the post and which have not.
Now some might say that, if you're worried you're being stalked, this is a great way to check out who is taking a bit too much interest in your activities, whilst others will complain that it is an invasion of their privacy.
Certainly, it can - and has - caused difficulties when applied to the chat/message section because you can tell whether someone has seen your message but just not replied.
Post updated November 2017
The new rules from Pinterest say that if a site is used for commercial purposes, then it must be a business account, not a personal one.
When you come to transfer domain ownership for a .co.uk website, you suddenly realise the importance of buying and registering a .co.uk domain correctly in the name of the person who actually owns the business.
One of my clients had an issue with his website. He purchased the business and the website from the previous owner and has been paying for the domain's renewal for several years. However, when we took on the management of his SEO, a search in domaintools.com revealed that he did not actually own the domain. It was still registered with in the name of the previous owner's company.
There was the possibility that this company may go into liquidation. Who would own his website then?
With a .com domain, you can just go into the Who Is section in the dashboard where the domain is registered and make the alterations.
However, with a .co.uk website, it is not so simple. Nominet monitor and control all the information that relates to ownership of these domains.
Updated for 2017
Providing your registrar has an accredited TAG or is self-managed, they now have the ability to transfer domain names between registrants or to change the name or correct a spelling mistake.
If you're registrant does not have these accreditations, you have two options... and they both involve Nominet.
The previous owner has to log in to his Nominet account and start the transfer process to the new owner.
The new owner has to get the log in information for the previous owner's Nominet account and start the process for the transfer to himself.
This transfer will usually involve a charge of about £10.
Pinterest can be a great asset for any business. Why? Pinning, tagging and sharing beautiful images can give potential clients another platform where they can interact with you. Not only this, but your ideal customer could be browsing a certain tag or topic.
Pinterest isn't just about, "Take a look at this pretty picture!" It is a platform that can be used to grow followers of your brand or business.
This was the plea from a couple of the ladies on my Facebook training courses over the last few months.
They want a Facebook business page to promote their products and services.
And they want that to be kept completely separate from their personal profile.
However, they still want to be able to talk to and share photos with their family and grandchildren in other parts of the world.
So, what can be done?
Well, it's simple enough really - you only accept friend requests from family members. Then make sure that they are all grouped into the list for Family.
Then you lock down your profile so that only friends or family members can see anything.
Go To Settings in the drop down menu from the cog.
My body building client who performs under his real name wants to be sure that no fans can access his family photos and other info on his personal profile.
So, first of all, let's look at setting up your personal profile to ensure your privacy on Facebook.
Hover your mouse over the little arrow at the top right of the blue navigation bar and you will see the drop down menu that allows you to access your Settings.
Select Privacy from the left hand sidebar.
You can then click Edit on the right hand side of each of the individual sections to allow you to choose who you want to be able to connect with you - Public, Friends, Friends of Friends, etc. It will also allow you to decide who you want to be able access you via your registered email and who can tag you on Timeline and images.
Will they know if I disconnect or remove a connection on LinkedIn? When I first began on LinkedIn, I accepted some invitations from people that I did not know, who came from outside the UK.
Jo Curtis, Women In Business Networking Events in Essex
Sorry, guys, be aware there is a LinkedIn glitch and some people are unable to follow the instructions in this post. Fingers crossed that LinkedIn will resolve this issue soon.
If you've done a great job for someone, it's a good idea to ask them for a LinkedIn recommendation.
However, not everyone reads their messages on LinkedIn and these recommendation requests can stay pending for a while - unless you give a nudge.
In the 2017 version, LinkedIn have made it even harder than previously.
Go to your private message inbox.
Search for the name of the person you asked to give the recommendation.
In the messages that have passed between you, you will see the one that talks about the recommendation and includes a link.
Click that link and it will take you through to all your pending recommendation requests.
Every time you update your LinkedIn profile, a notification goes out in the newsfeed. Invariably it will tell all your friends that you have a new job and suggest that they congratulate you!
