How to get Started on Linkedin with Rob Balasabas and Brian Schulman - Highlight Video

LinkedIn is fast becoming one of the biggest platforms to get more business bookings for your short stay accommodation business. I reached out to Rob and Brian, who are two of the best that I know at LinkedIn and how to get more interactions, connections and getting more people aware of your business. We did a live video interview in the hospitality community Facebook group and we went over many things including how to get started, how to do video and we shared some really good tips that not only that you can do on LinkedIn but you can also take over to Facebook and to Instagram and any other channel that you're using to promote your short stay accommodation business. Please watch this video, but most importantly, take action. There is a link at the end to a free course Rob and Brian are currently running that you can take part in. If you want to find out more, please send me an email, marketer.co.uk, and I'll send you on the link. Or you can reach out to Rob or Brian directly on LinkedIn and they'll be able to give you more information. What I would love then, Brian, seeing that you've been on it for so long, if just give us a little overview of exactly what LinkedIn right now from your experience, please.

LinkedIn, like I said, is typically been known just as you shared Mark, as a CV and a place to look for a job. Right. And most people in the scheme of that number, I shared 655 million people still think of it that way. The thing is, it's really changed significantly in just the last two years and the reason for that is because of what is known as LinkedIn video. LinkedIn video changed the game of what this place, place has been known as. Right. It is now a place to engage.

Okay then, so in layman's terms then, for a hospitality owner, short stay accommodation owner, we've obviously got properties, whether it's rental, whether it's a hotel or a guest house and we could be scattered all over the world. Now, Rob, I'm going to hand this question off to you very quickly. What could be, in your opinion, a great way for somebody like we've got. I asked people to rate their skill level. We're getting a lot of ones and a lot of zeros. So I think the best way to be right, scale it back. Where's the best place to start? If you were to go onto LinkedIn right now and you were to sort of promote your hospitality business, your short stay accommodation business, what do you think would be a great place to get started?

I think to take a step back and the first thing I think that we need to really address is the question of are my customers on LinkedIn? Right? Like we, you know, as a hospitality owner, like hospitality business owner, short stay accommodations owner, you're like, okay, well my customers are on Facebook. They're definitely on Google, they're doing Google searches and all these things. But on LinkedIn there's lots of business being talked about, right? And there's a lot of business travelers is that there is a big opportunity there for you to tap into, promote yourself, but also partner up with key people that are on LinkedIn that are running these things. I know, Mark, you're going to ask me for one thing. There's a couple of really easy things that you can just like create within, you know, like today, right? Create a company page. By creating a company page, then your company is now on LinkedIn. You know, you want to optimize that with your city, the name of your city, and then go from there, right? The next thing, once you've done your, you know, optimize your profiles, then you want to start creating content. It's just like, Mark, like how you talk about, you know, local marketing, right? So you want to create content around your city. Talk about the different landmarks, the different places for people to see when they're there. Create like videos, right? So 30, 60 second videos of like the, you know, the restaurants down the street, you know, all those things quickly.

Circle back on that because that is a really powerful tool and I guess that's what something that most people don't think about when it comes to LinkedIn is to attract more business bookings. In this shoulder season as we're talking about, then you got to be doing a little things outside the box. And this is a, this is a great way of doing it. By networking with other businesses, maybe in your local or county level, what you're able to do is to indirectly promote you via promoting them. Now you never know the circles that these people walk in. They may be going to those breakfast meeting, networking meetings or they may have a that's coming in or they may know business owners that come in that visit their coffee or their coffee shop on a regular basis and they might just have an opportune conversation where it says I'm coming in the local place or the place that I normally stay has let me down. Do you recommend anywhere? And if you've taken that time out now in these slower seasons to link up and network with these businesses, these local businesses, then you never know what may Come Pauline, sorry, has just done this now. Pauline Boost, the academy member has said. So if I were to add my cottage is on my profile, personal Prof. How does that work when I don't live there? Also with the local business, is it better to do that from a business specific profile? So what she's basically meaning is Pauline doesn't live where her rental property is, she lives away from it. Now, would you recommend doing the sort of the business networking in and around where the rental property is. How are you doing it from a business specific profile? That's basically where Pauline's getting at, I guess. Brian, we'll jump in with you. Seeing that Rob took the last one. You've got any feedback on that, on how Pauline or anybody could crack that sort of question?

I think there is the most important, important part is, and this I think happens a lot, right with, with owners of properties where they don't physically live in the area that the property is. And that's okay. I think the more information and insight you're able to provide as, as Rob was sharing, the better, right. Because you're able to inform those potential guests of everything happening around that. Now what I would say is in terms of, right. And relationships kind of taking on what Rob said is while you're thinking about those business owners, the restaurants, locals, et cetera, all of those people that are surrounding area locally, you should be connecting on LinkedIn with all of them, right? And you should be as Rob shared, collaborating, partnering with them, right. Where maybe they're posting about, about the ability to, to have access to that location at a specific time, right. Where it brings you two together and it's like, hey, you know, Pauline's got this great place and it's a quick, quick kind of image, a couple videos, what have you of the location and then the partner, right. Also in that video is showing what's around, highlighting their restaurant and what you can have on the menu. And maybe the end of it wraps up with, you know, you can reach Pauline here to book stay, you can reach Joe here to reserve a reservation at this restaurant, you know, whatever it may be. And that's a great way for people to come together.

Brian, I'm just going to circle back to yourself very quickly now. You spoke about LinkedIn and video being the game changer now for a lot of people in this group, I know that picking up the phone, flipping the phone on themselves, talking into it is very daunting. Now you've obviously gone through this process, being on it 16 years, you've gone through all this, and now you're obviously very confident on camera, but could you just sort of pass through some simple little tactics and tips of how to just get started?

Mark, I'm really glad that you asked the question because I have to tell everyone. So LinkedIn video is just two years old, and when I started, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I had never put the phone in front of me like this and stared at myself and said anything. So I just want you to know, one, you're not alone. Two, it's all about just thinking about having a conversation with. So when you pull up your phone, there's some tips that I always share with people. One is, you know, make sure that you stare at the little dot on your phone, okay? Because that's where you connect with your audience. That's where your eyes connect with them. Smile. Before you hit record a smile, you have your own voice, your own unique smile, your own laugh. Use those. No more than 60 seconds. You can really say a lot in 60 seconds. But just remember, you're just having a conversation with somebody.

Me.

Just be you. And know that when you share your message and you're you, it always comes across.