Stefanie Marrone Marketing | The Social Media Butterfly

12 Days of LinkedIn: Bad Elf Behavior Today I’m wearing a shirt that says Bad Elf, and it got me thinking about some of the “bad elf” behaviors I see on LinkedIn. Let’s break them down: 1. Mass Tagging: Tagging a bunch of people in your post or in the comments when they have nothing to do with the content? That’s not strategy - it’s spam. Don’t do it. 2. ALL CAPS: If you’re typing your name or your post in all caps, it’s the digital equivalent of shouting. Just don’t. 3. Hijacking Comments: This happens when someone posts something, and you jump into the comments to share something about yourself like your webinar, blog or resource. There’s a difference between contributing to the conversation and making it about yourself. Don’t take the focus away from them. 4. Ignoring LinkedIn Altogether: The “I don’t have time for LinkedIn” mindset is also bad elf behavior. LinkedIn works for you whether you’re active or not, because it’s one of the first things that shows up when someone Googles you. So be present and make sure your profile reflects who you are today. The takeaway? Be a good elf. Engage meaningfully, contribute thoughtfully and make LinkedIn work for you. What other bad elf behavior would you add to my list? #linkedintips #linkedinexpert #linkedinmarketing #linkedin

The 12 Days of LinkedIn continues! Today’s holiday look? ELF. Today’s tip? The LinkedIn Featured Section - one of the most overlooked yet powerful tools for building your brand, increasing visibility and driving business. Think of the Featured Section as the homepage of your LinkedIn profile. You can pin key posts to highlight your biggest wins, milestones or anything you want front and center like a blog post, podcast, newsletter or an award. The first 3 to 4 items on your Featured section get the most visibility, so make those count. And while there’s no limit to what you can feature, reorder your Featured posts strategically to keep the most important content at the top (pro tip: you’ll need to remove and re-add to reshuffle). The LinkedIn Featured section is easy, free(!) and highly effective. Simply go to any post of yours, click the three dots on the upper right hand side and hit “Add to Featured.” Done! Not using it yet? Now’s the time! Let me know how you use the Featured section in the comments below! #linkedintips #linkedinmarketing #linkedinstrategy #linkedinexpert

Let’s talk about LinkedIn headlines on the fourth day of LinkedIn. If you don’t customize yours, LinkedIn defaults to your current job title and company. Titles like “Attorney at X Firm” or “Marketing Coordinator” don’t show what makes you stand out. Your headline is your chance to showcase: 🎄 What you do 🎄 Why it matters 🎄 Who you help 🎄 What makes you unique Here’s how to make your LinkedIn headline stronger: 🎁 Be clear and specific 🎁 Keep it professional, not overly self-promotional 🎁 Avoid fluff and buzzwords 🎁 Highlight key activities, like hosting a podcast or writing a blog Your LinkedIn headline is one of the first things people notice. Use it to leave a lasting impression. What are your best practices for writing a great LinkedIn headline? Follow along for more tips during the 12 Days of LinkedIn! #linkedin #linkedintips #linkedinexpert #personalbranding #linkedinmarketing

12 Days of LinkedIn: Make it Easy to Connect With You Today’s tip is all about accessibility. Is your contact information easy to find on your LinkedIn profile? If not, you could be missing out on opportunities to connect, collaborate and grow your business. Here’s the thing: if someone isn’t already a first-degree connection, they can’t see your full contact info. And without LinkedIn Premium, it’s even harder for them to reach out to you. Here’s how to fix that: 1️⃣ Go to the Contact Info section at the top of your profile. Make sure your email address is correct. Add your phone number if you’re comfortable sharing it. 2️⃣ Use your LinkedIn cover photo as a tool. Add your email and phone number to your banner image. This is important for anyone in professional services. Don’t have a design team? No problem! Use a tool like Canva to create a professional banner that includes your contact details. By making it easier for people to reach you, you’re opening the door to more opportunities and visibility. Let me know what you think of this tip in the comments below! #linkedintips #linkedinexpert #linkedin #personalbranding

It’s the 12 Days of LinkedIn🎅🏼🎄where I’ll be providing tips on how to maximize LinkedIn to hike your brand, business and network. Today’s tip is about the power of commenting. One of the best ways to raise your visibility and build your brand on LinkedIn - especially if you’re not ready to start posting regularly - is by leaving thoughtful comments on others’ posts. When I was just starting out on LinkedIn, this strategy was instrumental for my success. I’d strategically comment on posts from people I admired, VIPs in my industry and those with large networks. This was highly effective because their followers and connections could potentially see my comments, giving me exposure beyond my immediate connections. Here’s how you can apply this: ✔️ Choose five people whose posts you’ll engage with each week. ✔️ Leave thoughtful, meaningful comments that add to the conversation - not just “Great post” or “Thanks for sharing.” ✔️ Avoid hijacking the post or making it about you. Instead, share insights or perspectives that align with your brand. The goal is to position yourself as someone interesting, someone worth following. Use this approach consistently, and you’ll notice the difference in how others perceive and engage with you. Want to test it out? Comment on this post! What do you think of this tip? Let me know, and stay tuned for more during the 12 Days of LinkedIn. #linkedin #linkedintips #linkedinexpert #personalbranding #linkedinmarketing

Life lessons often come from unexpected places. Here are a few that have stuck with me: ✔️ Everything is figureoutable. Even when things feel overwhelming or bleak, they tend to work themselves out in time. ✔️ Things aren’t what bring joy - people and experiences do. Prioritize those. (This is why you’ll find me at a Dave Matthews Band concert pretty often!). ✔️ You’ll always be your toughest critic. Instead of doubting yourself, take the leap. You might surprise yourself. ✔️ Some critics will root for your failure because it justifies their own inaction. Don’t let that stop you. Smiling at strangers is a surprisingly simple way to brighten your day (and theirs). Which one of these resonates most with you and which others would you add? #bestadvice #motivation #professionaldevelopment

As December begins, I’m struck by how quickly the year has flown by. We’re coming off the long Thanksgiving weekend, and suddenly it’s a sprint to the finish line - work deadlines, holiday events and everything in between. Personally I already feel stretched thin. This time of year has a way of stirring up all kinds of emotions. Maybe you’re excited about the holidays (or maybe not). Maybe you’re reflecting on the goals you didn’t quite reach. I’ve certainly had moments where I thought, I wish I had done more. But then I remind myself to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Think about where you were a year ago, and recognize how much you’ve grown and accomplished, even if it doesn’t all look like you planned. I also want to remind you (and myself) that it’s okay to slow down. And to give ourselves a break. If your calendar feels overwhelming, it’s perfectly fine to say no to some things. For me, a quiet night at home, curled up on the couch with my dogs can feel like the best reset. We don’t have to be “on” all the time. Let’s use this final month of the year to give ourselves grace and celebrate what we’ve done, let go of what we haven’t and approach the new year with kindness toward ourselves. For me, this mindset of grace is something I’m taking into 2024. How about you? What’s one thing you want to carry forward into the new year? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! #bestadvice #personaldevelopment #motivation #kindness

Coming back from a long weekend can feel overwhelming and stressful. Here are some tips on how to ease back into what is likely to be a very busy week: ✔️ Prioritize: Focus on the most important tasks first; everything else can wait. ✔️ Be realistic: Your work isn’t going anywhere, so don’t try to tackle it all at once. ✔️ Remember, you’re not alone: Everyone’s juggling the same post-weekend chaos, so give yourself (and others) grace. ✔️ Be kind to yourself: It’s a busy week for everyone - take it one step at a time. We’ve got this! 🙌🏻 Let me know when the comments below your tips on how to manage your work after time off. #WorkLifeBalance #motivation #bestadvice #MindsetMatters #professionaldevelopment

Thanksgiving week in the U.S. is here, and it’s a great time to step back, reflect and catch up - both personally and professionally. It’s the season for gratitude, family and friends, not the time to push hard on business development or marketing efforts. Why? Your clients and prospects are likely distracted, out of the office or focused on wrapping up before spending time with their own families. Anything you send now might get lost in the shuffle - or worse, come off as pushy. If it’s something urgent or requested, of course, go ahead. Especially if it’s for a client overseas who is not celebrating Thanksgiving. But if it’s a follow-up, proposal or anything that can wait, consider holding off until the post-holiday chaos settles. If you do need to send something, keep it thoughtful and light. A simple note of thanks or a check-in to share your appreciation for their partnership can go a long way. And whatever you do, avoid sending things first thing next Monday - everyone’s inbox will already be overflowing. Timing matters to truly stand out and be impactful. Do you approach business development differently during Thanksgiving week, or do you prefer to wait until after the holiday? #personalbranding #legalmarketing #businessdevelopment #marketingstrategy

It doesn’t matter how great you are at what you do if nobody knows about it. This is why visibility is your responsibility. If you don’t put yourself out there, someone else will. Like your competitors and peers. Most of us work in saturated markets. The difference between being good and great is often the time you make to market yourself so you are top of mind to clients and referrals. Take ownership of your visibility to get ahead in your field. There are so many marketing tactics you can utilize to be more visible. Do things that you like to do that have real ROI and put you in front of the right people such as: Go to conferences. Speak at conferences. Write articles. Create a blog. Post on LinkedIn. Invest in public relations. Start a video series or podcast. Appear as a guest on podcasts. Get involved with a trade association. Strategically network. Think of marketing as one of the best investments you can make in yourself. What are you going to do to be more visible in front of the people who can hire you, refer work to you and open doors for you? Let me know in the comments! #professionaldevelopment #legalmarketing #personalbranding #linkedintips #bestadvice