LinkedIn Branding & Engagement Strategies with Renée Lindo

Welcome to the Savvy Social Podcast, the show that blends stories and strategies to help businesses create engaged and profitable online communities using the unique power of social media. And now, your host, Andréa Jones.

Hello. Hello everyone. I'm super excited to have Renée Lindo on the show today. She helped me improve my style, so those Instagram photos that you see with that super cute little blacktop. That's all. Renee, y'all. So I'm super excited to have her on the show to talk about LinkedIn. Uh, so we're just gonna dive in. I know, Renee, you started off on Instagram, so talk to me about Instagram, why you didn't see as much success on that platform, and kind of when you jumped over to LinkedIn.

Sure. So I was on Instagram when I started. Again, that's where everybody was, and that was all the excitement. And then I just realized, you know, I was putting up content, I was doing all the things that you were supposed to do. And after about a year, which was really too long, I'm like, wait, this is really, I'm not getting any traction.

(01:16)
Right? I didn't feel like the amount of effort I was putting in, I was really getting back what I expected. And when I really thought about it, I said, okay, where are my clients? Where are they going to be? And I, I knew that they were on LinkedIn, but I said, yeah, but they're, everybody's on Instagram, so they're gonna be here as well. But what I really, when I really thought about it more, I said, you know what, when my folks are on Instagram, I really feel that they are, they're on Instagram, just kind of scrolling, looking at pretty pictures. They are, they want to an escape. They want little inspiration, they wanna laugh, and that's it. But I, so they're not in the mindset of work. And so my idea client is a professional, professional woman, people or, or entrepreneurs who are building businesses, they're working.

(01:59)
And so I really said to reach that woman when she's thinking about work, when she's thinking about progressing her career, she's on LinkedIn. And when she's on LinkedIn and she's scrolling LinkedIn, she's thinking about what things do I need to do? How can I improve? What do, how do I move to that next level? And I said, and that's really where I needed to put my time in and spend my time and really get comfortable with that platform and get comfortable sharing content there. Not to say they're not on Instagram, but I need them to be in the mindset of, okay, I need to do this for my business. So I need to spend money, I need to invest in myself. I need to not just be entertained by pretty pictures. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, right? And so making that switch was huge.

Yeah. That, I mean, just the awareness of knowing that what's not working for you and what is working for you. I love to hear that.

(02:50)
And I also love to hear how deeply you understand your ideal clients. Yes. Um, I wanna talk, talk a little bit about this, because I think sometimes as business owners, we think very surface level. So, um, as a stylist, for instance, you know, thinking, I wanna help people with their style, um, and their fashion and maybe, you know, personal shopping for them, but it, the way that you speak about your ideal client is varied on a deeper level.

Absolutely.

So talk to me a little bit about, you know, the process of understanding your ideal client, because it's not just a casually personal shopping. There is a, an identity there, and there's a, there's a forward momentum.

Yes, absolutely. So yeah, I'm a personal stylist, but I'm not sure in content that's, uh, where this top with these pants and this blazer and this is an outfit, right?

(03:44)
It's much deeper than that because from my position where I see it, I see our style as a tool, and I see it as a way to help us to create the lives that we want. And so it's more than just wearing an outfit. It's about how does this make me feel? How do I, um, use my style to project my co my, my personal brand, right? So it's really much deeper than that. And so when I'm on LinkedIn, I'm talking, I'm not talking about outfits and where this today and where that, and mixing up, I'm talking about how can you use your style to progress your career? How can you use your style to show up as the person you want to show up? How can you use your style as a, to package your personal brand? Right? So it really is much deeper.

(04:27)
So I'm thinking about what is my ideal client? What is she struggling with? What would be helpful for her? Because she, as we just said, she's building her career, she's moving up, she wants to do those things. So how can her style, how can she use her style as a tool it is to help her to achieve those goals? That I think is really what, um, it separates. There are tons, you can go to TikTok Instagram and you see all kinds of outfits of the day and all of that, right? You can Google it, but it's really so much more than that. So, and I really want to emphasize to women and managers, that really is how we communicate. And so those are my conversations are much on a much deeper level with style.

Yes. And I think, you know, knowing that is so powerful because it helps you make the decision to go over to LinkedIn.

Yes.

But then it also helps you use that platform as a tool. So let's talk about, you know, setting up your LinkedIn account. You've moved over there March, 2020, right?

Yes. Yeah, that's right. Right, right. Before, before, before that thing happened.

Yep. The thing,

Yeah, the thing happened and then there I was.

Yeah. So what was it like in the beginning, you know, setting up your LinkedIn account? What were you feeling as you were kind of exploring this new platform?

So I had a, I had LinkedIn before, but I really wasn't active, right. It was just kind of there. And I went all in. Like, I, I listened to all the quote unquote gurus. I did free webinars, free classes, I spent a lot of time on LinkedIn seeing what other people were doing, how they were communicating, what type of content people were sharing. And so I just, I went all in.

(06:07)
Any, any type of event or trainings that was happening, podcasts I would list, I would listen to a ton to really get my skill and my confidence up. And then, you know, I, I know and you optimizing your, your bio, what's important. So I spent time doing that. And that's the thing to all of the tools that LinkedIn gives us, I'm really, I really try to jump on them as soon as I can. So create a mode is on, so that allows me to put a video as my intro, right. So people can see and feel and hear me speak. So, you know, so all of those things that LinkedIn gives us, the tools I should say that LinkedIn gives us, I really track, optimize and use to my advantage.

Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yes. Okay. So I wanna talk about this video because some of our listeners feel a little bit hesitant on video.

(06:56)
Um, do you have a tip for, you know, showing up confidently on video?

Okay. So the first thing, if you are in business, and I know it's scary, you really just have to, how else will people know that you exist? Right? So that's the, that's the mindset I have. If you're not visible, if you don't talk about your business, if you don't, and you know, some, what could help maybe is to reframe and not think of it as I'm selling my business, or I'm promoting myself mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but think about the value that you are going to be able to offer this person. If you remain quiet and shy, then all of the great skills and all of the, your passions that you have that you want to share at the world, you are preventing these other people from accessing. Right? So that can be a reframe to say, really, I'm being selfish if I don't share this.

(07:43)
So when I'm talking and sharing and being visible, you know, I, I know that there is a woman who will maybe be struggling with this same challenge, and I'm going to provide a solution for her. Hmm. Right? So I encourage you, any business owner, to reframe that. It's not about you take yourself out of it and focus on the person that you're going to help with, that your business helps. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And in terms of video specifically, she, like, you're talking to a friend. Yeah. Right?

Yep. Yep. Very, very, uh, approachable. And, and it really is, like, I know for me, when I was deciding to hire Renee, y'all, I looked at her social media and I said, this is the person that I wanna work with because I feel comfortable and welcomed, and I feel like she's going to understand me and my business and how I wanna show up.

(08:33)
And so, yeah, the the video really helped me personally when I hired you. So I love that.

Thank you. Video is, you know, it, it makes that jump, that know, like and trust. It just shortens the time, right? Okay. You can write and write and write, but people really, especially in a digital age, people really want to know who is this person. Uh, yes, they may see what you write, but they want to see you, they want to hear you. It's that connection, right. And we talk, we hear about it all the time. Know, like, and trust, video really shortens that time. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> to encourage you just take the plunge and just do a record. Just put your phone in front of you and record something. Right. And then just keep doing it over and over and then share it one day.

Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Now, would you say, since March 2020 to now, um, talk to me about the progress you've made on LinkedIn. Have you, um, noticed any improvements in, in, in the way that you produce content?

Oh yeah, sure. Absolutely. So LinkedIn is my favorite platform now, and that's my main platform. I'm on Instagram as well, but I, so I'm LinkedIn first, and then it goes up to the others. But absolutely, my confidence is, is much in, much higher. Um, and I, I believe that because I'm sharing content and I am engaging in content, and I am networking and speaking to people, my skill and my expertise, I'm unknown. People will know me. People know that. Like I'm the go-to person. I am the, you know, if they have questions, right, they'll refer, they'll reach out to me. So for sure, my confidence is there and the people I've met, the network I've made and continue to build is definitely much stronger than it was when I started.

(10:11)
And it happens over time, right? And it comes with being consistent, right? You have to show up, you have to continually be there and speak about how you serve, understand the pain points, understand that you are struggling with share your solution. And it LinkedIn's a little bit different from Instagram or a lot where it's not sell, sell, sell. Instagram, you can, can get away with posting your whatever you're trying to sell and move on. But LinkedIn, it really is not like that, at least not how I see it and how I use it. It's really more about what value and help and people want to learn and people, so you're a resource, right? So position yourself as a resource. People want to learn from you, what tips can you have, and then you can reach me this way. Then if you need more help, you can reach out to me that way.

(10:56)
But over the two, is it two years? 20 where we three years?

Mm-hmm. <affirmative>

Definitely a much, much stronger presence. You know, companies reach out to me, people re reach out to me from all over the world, which is quite fun to do things and new projects.

Yeah. Oh, I love that. That's exciting. Exciting. I wanna get super nosy about, so things that you said, because yes, um, I love your approach to LinkedIn. I like how excited you are to use it as a platform. Um, so I wanna start first with the content. So how much time do you think you spend, um, let's say every week on creating your, your LinkedIn content?

So I spend time on LinkedIn, right? So that's something that I'm really trying to improve on this year, is to really set some good boundaries and have a content creation day and then spin it off.

(11:47)
Because really I could spend two or three hours at a time, creating the content and then, uh, writing up the what I want to write or creating the video, writing it up, and then kind of waiting around to engage. And I'm like, you know, that's just ups a lot of time, right? So I really think, uh, another strategy that I'm wa that I am implementing this year is to have my content day, create my content, plan it out, and so that it's much easier to engage that way.

Yeah. Okay.

But I, but I, I am really strong on, when I say strong, I mean I really want to have quality content and not just post some stuff just to post.

So how many times a week are you posting right now?

Um, you know, it varies. And I don't have a regular cadence. Sometimes I'll say at maybe at least three to four times, sometimes five times.

(12:43)
And, and it really depends. It kind of depends on what is happening around I, so I'll, I'll have my plan for the content, but depending on what happens in the world, what art articles I get on my Google alerts, what, what things, yeah. Just whatever's happening in it, I I try to really be on it, give my, give my perspective link to the article, um, or give my, my feeling on something and ask for a response. So I really try. So I'll have a plan, but even if something is hot and it's on, I want to be sure that I'm a part of that conversation as well. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>? Yeah. That take maybe three to four times regular, consistently.

Okay. That's pretty good. That's actually really good. Um, so I'm curious then, how do you decide, you know, when to do a video, when to share an article?

(13:35)
Um, cause I think a lot of people get stuck in that decision fatigue. So I'm, I I, I'm curious about your own process.

How do I decide? So I'll start, I start with video because I'm thinking of reels, right? So, and I really want to use my content across my platforms. That's the only I tried to repurpose, but it, I'm repurposing it. I'm not just copy and pasting because I find the platforms are quite different, what I would see on Instagram. Sometimes it, I, I'll put a similar thing on LinkedIn, but other times not if I'm posting it with the same video. So I may do a real, and I show how to wear an outfit from office to evening or whatever the situation may be. I'll say one thing on IG, but when I go to LinkedIn, I'll talk about your meetings that you're going to your personal brand or how to show yourself up, right?

(14:25)
So I make it, I make it specific for the audience that I'm reaching on LinkedIn, where on IG I may just talk about the going out part of it. Yeah. Something a little bit lighter. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> maybe. But I really do try to make the content specific for that platform and have the, the language that applies there. Uh, so how do I determine, so I try to do video because I just find that that's where everybody likes video. And they can, can, and my, with my business it's visual. People want to see before and after, they wanna see how, how to do an outfit. So I try to do video and then it just, it, it, it really depends on what I have. If I have video, then I'm gonna share that. If I have, um, maybe a, so when I talk about repurposing, sometimes if I, if I have a text, I'm like, oh, how can I make this different?

(15:13)
So I make a carousel from that, right? So I really try to use, do different things with my LinkedIn. And we talk about content. I really look at it more as documenting and not creating, right? And what I mean by that is, as I am working through my day or working with a client or doing different things, I try or I hear a, a, a question or a pain point, I'll make note of that so that when it's time to talk about something or share something, I have ideas of what people are struggling with. I have ideas of, you know, what they're struggling with. And then I have my answer. So like, it's easier for me to post it as opposed to the sitting down and they, okay, I need to create content. Right? What are you pulling for? So if I'm documenting, if I'm doing a brand shoot, I'll try to take some pictures.

(15:57)
I'll talk about this client and how, um, how we took her through her, her shoot. If I'm doing a, a closet, I'll show what the behind, what that looks like when you work with me. So I'm just showing different parts of my business, different parts of, of Yeah. How you can work with me so people really get a good feel and idea of what it is I do and how they can see themselves, uh, working with me if there's something that they need.

Yes. See, that's magical. I love the documenting, not creating. I hope y'all are taking notes as you're listening and watching this because the documenting, not creating will actually help you create more content.

Absolutely. Yes.

You're not kind of building something from scratch. You're simply using social media as a mirror and showing accurately what's going on within your day, which I love. I love that. Absolutely. I love that.

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think things people are complaining about, right? So it shows that you have a solution, which I think is, is also powerful.

Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. It's so powerful. So powerful. Um, alright, we're gonna take a quick break. When we come back, I have a few more follow-up questions about video, but then I also wanna talk about the results that you've seen cuz you've seen some really powerful results on LinkedIn. So we'll get to that after the break.

(17:16)
[Ad break] Hey friends, are you looking to level up your LinkedIn game in 2023? If you are, I wanna invite you to my free yes. Free LinkedIn challenge happening this January. The LinkedIn Jumpstart challenge is your fast pass to some pro-level LinkedIn skills. In just five days. You'll be able to take your profile, completely revitalize it, go from meth to amazing, and create some authority building content that will convert your followers into sales and new business. And no, we are not using some sleazy DM strategies here. I'm talking to you, the guy from Minnesota who went and tried to sell me solar panels. Dude, we're not even in the same country. We're not being that guy. So if you're ready to really take your authority to the next level using LinkedIn, join us today. You can find the link at onlinedrea.com/linkedin. I'll see you there. Bye for now. [Ad break]

All right. And we are back. Uh, I love your perspective on video and I wanna talk a little bit more about this video creation process and how you're documenting. Um, you know, you talked about if you hear a question, you write it down and you talk about how you kind of, you know, showcase your client's closets or maybe some, some outfits that you're putting together. Um, talk me through kind of your thought process as you're doing this. Are you filming little clips and then you edit them later? Or do you, do you use a specific app to film these?

Uh, so I use my iPhone. My iPhone is what I use. And if I'm working so recently, so when I work on clients virtual closet, I just do a screen record of the closet screen record the pieces that we're, that I'm putting together. And I put that as a real and share that.

(19:20)
And then when I make it as one piece, and I'm able to share that on LinkedIn as well. If I am doing behind the scenes of maybe a branding shoot, I'll do small, you know, quick pictures, little videos, and also put that together as well. And, you know, do maybe a, a voiceover of what the day is, what this client was looking for, what her brand is and why we chose these outfits. So, you know, it's just really just capturing what we do day to day. I encourage it to not make it, make it be this huge task. Just turn your phone on and, and put on your camera, put it on a tripod and just have it capture some of the things that you're doing or screen record your, your screen. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and I use, I use my iPhone. I'll use InShot to maybe put few things in.

(20:06)
Uh, yeah. And I edit in inside reels. Usually I'm not, I heard TikTok is a, TikTok is a good editor. I edit in reels and use it all over.

Okay. Got it. Interesting. I love hearing the pro, I love getting nosy about these things and hearing the process cuz everyone does it a little bit differently, but the outcome is still the same, right? You're still using LinkedIn as a total grower business.

Yes.

Um, okay. I wanna talk a little bit about the time that you spend networking on LinkedIn. Cuz you mentioned that, you know, you, you create your content, you, you put it out there and then you make sure to go back and answer the comments and then you also scroll through your feed and kind of look around at what other people are doing. Um, so talk to me about how much time you spend on, on that and, and what that process is like for you.

Absolutely. So, uh, comments are content, right? So I believe that, you know, there's a post that's interesting to me or the people who I am trying to target. I'm in that post as well and I'm in the comments. Uh, I just posted there, I just did a comment recently and I had like, I have like 70 something reactions to my comment. So, you know, I'm going to go through those 70 people now, see who they are and try to, you know, either reach out to them, connect something, right? So we were, it was, I forget what the topic was, but your comments are important. So I comment, I check people, comment on my posts and I always respond. So, you know, I try to give myself just an hour in the morning, which where I go over quite frequently. I try to do an hour in the morning, hour in the evening of posts and en engage.

(21:40)
Uh, but engaging is huge. It is, you, you really need engage on other people's posts. And what I do as well, uh, and I'm, I should do it like right after, I'm a little bit behind now, but I had a post that did, did well. Well, for me, I think I had like 50 to six or something comments and I've responded to the comments. So now, or what I should have done soon afterwards, still kind of reach out to these people who commented, send them a message, Hey, thank you for commenting or whatever, you know, I see that you, you thought we swear or that way. I'd love to end it to my network. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I do video, reach out my things on LinkedIn, they're video. So when I'm reaching out to someone, LinkedIn has option. You can do video and these are my, I guess my first connections.

(22:24)
You can only do video with, with the other, with the people who are too envelope. I still do that message. And then when they respond, it's a video. Hi. It's so great having in my network, thank you for engaging what have you. People love that you get, always get responses. I love the video. So you're using your phone for this, for the video? Yes. Yeah, video. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. And when I do connection request, I never just click the button. I always send a message. So it's, so I spend time on LinkedIn, but I feel that I'm, I get from that, right? It's not just, these are people who I am deliberate about adding to my network. I'm not just connecting to people. It's people who are either in a position where I would like a way into their, in their organization. Because I also want to get into corporate, do more corporate work.

(23:13)
So I work with, work with employee resource groups, all of that. So I'm looking for people who are working in big organizations who may be with the e r g people in hr, people in career, and you know, so all different types of roles. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> leadership, women in leadership, and I'm really networking, trying to add to my, to my network.

Yeah. Okay. So I love these video messages. I, um, I'm a huge fan of audio myself. I'll, I'll do like an audio message, but I haven't tried video yet and I may need to to try it. Yes. As inspired by you.

Try video, try video. People love it. They're like, oh, because we, we get so many bots, right? Yeah. I, I can go through my DM and you have all kinds of, hi sir. And you know, all kinds of nonsense <laugh>. And so when people get a message and it's a video, clearly you're talking to them, you talk, you say their name, you're like, wow, this is amazing.

(24:06)
Thank you so much. Great to meet you. How can we help? Or how can we work? You know? So you get all kinds of, again, the video shortens that time in, in building that relationship.

Yeah. So would you say the main way that you expand your network on LinkedIn is through this commenting strategy? Are there any other ways that you kind of add more people to your, to your network?

Something I've started doing is hashtags. I never really used, I used hashtags on my post, but I never really used hashtag strategy to find people. And you know, a few months ago I was like, well, I'm seeing this. It's the same. People say people, I really want to meet more people. So I thought of, so I said I'm gonna use hashtags. And so, you know, have some hashtags that I usually post with women in business, women in leadership, personal brand, return to the office, you know, different things that I post on.

(24:54)
So I'll start those hashtags, kind of look at the content on there. And again, comment on those people, comment on their posts to meet new people. Right? And I, and I, I was missing out because there's so many other people that are not in my feed. But under the hashtag you find different folks.

Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I love that strategy. That's one that we teach in the School as well. Uh, in the Savvy Social School, which is, you know, to expand your network. Yeah. You kind of have to be proactive at going out, finding new people, starting new conversations, um, and kind of joining in to some of the conversations that are already happening. Um, so this one comment that you got 70, um, 70 likes on, was that from the hashtag strategy?

No, that was a post. Um, some woman I think posted something about these women who were at the over 40 or 50 and they were winning.

(25:48)
They won awards. And I said, oh, this is fantastic because we don't, we don't, we don't die after 40. There's so much life in women after 40 and 50. And you know, I went through a talk and I mean, there was so much engagement around that comment because really we've see, I see lots on LinkedIn, right? People, women over 40 are, you know, either they're losing their jobs or they're not people, marketers don't market to women over 40 as much anymore. They're, and I'm like, you know, no, there's something not right here. We're still li vibrant and lively and have so much to add. And that's a part of something that I'm feeling strongly on. So I speak about that and I add to that conversation because it also leads into the work that I do. Women who have Right. Changed, you know, we go through different seasons in life and what does that look like?

(26:35)
How can we use our style as we age to show up vibrant and vivid and bold and feeling fabulous. Right? So all of all of of that really ties in.

Yes. Oh, I love this strategy. I love, love, love it. And I know that, you know, as you've been doing this, you've seen some good success on LinkedIn. Yes. You've got booked on podcasts, you're speaking on panels and virtual summits. You get clients from LinkedIn. So tell me, what's your favorite, um, success story from all of this kind of energy that you're putting into LinkedIn?

Well, what was great for me was to be on, cause one of my goals is still, so my word for 2020 threes expansion. And one of my goals is to expand my impact. And one of those ways is to be on national morning TV in Canada. Right. With one of the morning shows, right?

I see it for you. Put out there. So, period.

Thank you. So I said, you know, I need to be visible. I need to be out there, I need to be talking about it. And I was on TV in Jamaica twice, right? So I'm from Jamaica, and so a producer from, um, JB the TV j the radio station, two separate producers, two separate times. So like something that I was doing and call me, wanted me to be on. And so I appeared virtually twice on that. Yes, yes, yes. So I am putting it out there. I'd love to be in studio in Canada somewhere, or the, in North America, just from, again, a bigger stage. Right. Bigger impact, uh, to really help women to tap into the power of their style. So that's in the universe.

It's out there. I see it for you. And, and there's so much, um, so much possibility with LinkedIn. You're, you're basically showing what you can do virtually. Um, so that you can get that, that gig. Oh, I'm excited for you. It's recorded now.

That's exactly, thank you. That's exactly it, right? Because I said, okay, it's one thing to want to be on tv, but how am I going to get there? Right? They would need to see me do something. And all this time that I'm putting stuff out, I'm also getting more experience. I am getting more comfortable being in front of folks and being comfortable on video. So all of that, all of this is preparing me for that big day.

Yes. Oh, I love to hear. I love to be, y'all heard it here first. <laugh>, we will be the first part. We'll be bring this from the archives when it happens.

There you go, you go <laugh>.

So for those people who are listening, who also wanna hire you, because y'all, I will say this, Renee is fabulous if you need, especially whether you're an entrepreneur or you work, uh, from home or you work in an office space, um, lever leveling up your style is such a great, um, way to build your confidence and to really give you that, um, that edge over your competitors. So Renee, for those people who are like, I want more of Renee, I wanna get in your world, I know you have a free offer. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Yeah. So I have the five steps to leveling up your style. This really a quick and easy tool that when you use it, it really gives you some suggestions on five simple things that you can do to show up better, nicer for yourself. Right?

(29:53)
Cause that's what it's about. It's not about following trends and looking like your friend or somebody else. It's really about tuning into who you are and how you want to share yourself with the world. It's our biggest communication tool. And so I help you with a few tips on how to leverage them.

Yes. And I'll put that link in the show notes. Y'all can find those at onlinedrea.com slash 237. And I'll also put all of Renee's links. Go check her out on LinkedIn. You gotta follow her on LinkedIn to get all of the goodness <laugh>.

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

Renee, thank you so much for joining us on the show today. This was such a fantastic conversation.

Oh, thank you for having me. I love sharing my LinkedIn strategy. I think it's, it's something that more people should really lean into cuz there's, this is where the money is. I call LinkedIn my money platform, right? Yeah. The decision makers are here.

The money platform. What a great way to end. I love that. Renee, thank you so much. And thank you dear listener for tuning into another episode of the podcast. I'll see you next week with another fabulous episode and I'll see you on the internet in the meantime. Bye for now.