MARCO ISLAND, FL — The baking industry is based on relationships, making social media a critical platform for companies and professionals to connect. But in a post-pandemic world, creating an engaging profile will look a little different.
The new focal point? Your own personality, according to consumer behavior expert Shawna Suckow.
In her social media workshop today, presented during the BEMA Convention: Workforce Edition, Suckow explained how the current climate has made LinkedIn a more important tool than ever before — and how to make it most effective.
Years of tumultuous political and cultural change have created a shift, not just in who people are but also how they buy. That means, in order to keep up, brands must change how they sell and market.
“We are far more casual and humanized than ever before,” Suckow said. “It’s like this filter has been removed, and we can relate better to other people, including clients and customers, on a more authentic level. What this all boils down to is traditional professionalism is gone.”
In the business world, LinkedIn usually provides the first impression of someone and the company they represent. Suckow says the point of your profile is to make yourself humanized, likeable and memorable — not uber-professional.
“Sales is not about starting a conversation by trying to sell,” Suckow said. “When you start a conversation as a human being and to truly connect with someone, they’ll want to stay. It starts to build a relationship where they trust you a bit more. A LinkedIn profile does that in your absence.”
During her presentation, Suckow shared tips to personalizing your profile and connecting with potential customers in a new, relationship-driven way. Here are the top three.
