Are you “LinkedIn”?

Each social media platform has its benefits and use, where one may be more suited for a particular brand than another. LinkedIn is a platform geared towards professionals with over 600 million members, in over 200 countries; it is a platform professionals need to be on.

LinkedIn has evolved over the years from just being a space for connecting employers with potential employees to a space for companies to grow their customer bases, generate product and service ideas, and gain valuable feedback from the people they want most to hear from: potential clients.

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Here are 7 benefits of using LinkedIn:

1. Gain exposure to Hiring Managers and Recruiters
2. Demonstrate your knowledge, credibility and leadership expertise
3. Use LinkedIn as a research tool
4. LinkedIn has a great job board
5. You can gain social proof for your skills and talents
6. Follow Companies
7. Join LinkedIn Groups

As you can see, there are many benefits of having a LinkedIn account. Being in the digital online world that we live in, building your brand and showcasing who you are is more important now than it ever has been before. Competition is fierce and ever growing; if you haven’t joined LinkedIn, now is the time!

New to LinkedIn? Check out this guide to help showcase yourself and your brand! Need to polish up your profile? View these steps to a better LinkedIn profile!

What has been your experience with using LinkedIn? Have you or your brand benefited from it?

Twitter: Let’s get #LinkedIn! 7 Benefits of using LinkedIn! #connecting #networking https://bit.ly/3kbkBiR

Facebook: Are you “LinkedIn”? Check out the 7 Benefits of using LinkedIn!

Facebook Post (Image designed using Canva)

References:

Fleming, J. (2020, Feb 20). 20 steps to a better LinkedIn profile in 2020. https://business.linkedin.com/en-uk/marketing-solutions/blog/posts/content-marketing/2017/17-steps-to-a-better-LinkedIn-profile-in-2017

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Omoth, T. (n.d.). 10 Ways to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out (2020 Guide) https://ca.topresume.com/career-advice/10-ways-to-create-a-winning-linkedin-profile

Rycraft, S. (2018, May 24). 7 Benefits of using LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-benefits-using-linkedin-sarah-rycraft#:~:text=LinkedIn%20gives%20you%20the%20ability,your%20industry%20and%20highlights%20your

Scott, S. (2019, Nov 7). Four Advantages of Using LinkedIn. https://www.walsworth.com/blog/four-advantages-using-linkedin

Free Social Media Design Software at Your Fingertips!

Social media can be overwhelming as it is and learning the various platforms available to us. Some of us may be more creative than others and who struggle in the area of design. It can be overwhelming trying to create your own social media designs, if you have never tapped into your creative side. I stumbled across Cava.com a few years ago and let me just say, I am so happy I did! First, Canva is FREE! Secondly, no matter your design skill level, Canva is easy to use and will provide you with the tools needed to create professional-quality designs. Try it out; you will be happy you did!

Coming up with creative ideas can be easier for some than others. For me, using Canva was the starting point to exploring my creative side. With thousands of templates available at your fingertips, there is something for everyone, regardless of the type of business or service you provide. Not only does Canva provide professional looking social media templates, it also provides a space to create designs for events, marketing materials, prints, and videos.

Feel like customizing the size of your own social media template? You can! Need a graph created to display a visual for your followers? You can! Looking to create your own personal brand board as a visual? You can do that too! Your options are endless.

One of my favourite things is reading quotes on the social media pages I follow. They tend to inspire me. You can pick some of your favourite quotes or create your own and use a Canva template to create the look you want then share on your social media page.

Here are some sample Canva templates to inspire you & your favourite quotes:

Below are just a few templates that are available to you, which you can use to customize your design using Canva:

Canva Twitter Header Template

Your Twitter posts don’t need to be just in text format! Get creative using one of Canva’s templates to promote upcoming events or tips & tools you have to offer your followers. Your options are endless!

Canva Twitter Post Template

Take your selfies to a whole new level by using one of many Instagram Post & Story templates!

Canva Instagram Post & Story Templates

Those that like using Facebook Ads, Canva has so many awesome templates to use to create an eye catching, professional, stunning ad!

Canva Facebook Ad & Post Templates

Infographics are a great way to provide a clear visualization of the information, data, or knowledge you want to present.

Canva Infographic Template

I have used Canva for a few years now and created some of my own social media designs that I wanted to share with you below. You can use Canva for both your personal and professional creative needs!

I hope you find Canva as useful and fun as I do! Once you get your feet wet in Canva it will be your go to for all your social media creative needs.

What is your go to for creating professional looking social media posts?

Happy Canvaing!

Twitter Post: Tap into your creative side today for FREE! #freedesigns https://bit.ly/2H3l1c8

Facebook Post: Looking to tap into your creative side? Create professional looking designs for FREE! Get started today! https://bit.ly/2H3l1c8

References:

Canva.com https://www.canva.com/

O’Rourke, K (2020). Personal Canva designs.

Furry Friends Are Getting Social Too!

Let’s Paws for a Minute…

Social media doesn’t just connect and bring people together from around the world, but it also brings our furry friends & family together as well! As I continue to make my way though the various social media platforms, I am always drawn to anything to do with animals. I became a huge pet lover from a young age. My parents would take in stray cats and mend their wounds when needed and we would ensure we did what we could to make them safe & comfortable.

When I was in my 30’s I thought it was time to expand my furry family to include dogs! I remember searching for weeks on various websites and Kijiji wondering what type of breed would be for me. Well I ended up with a Border Collie, Marley. Fast forward years later, then came my little Shih Tzu, Max! By having access to social media platforms at our fingertips, I can’t help but “like” and “follow” Facebook pages that have to do with animals. 🙂

Meet Max & Marley…my furry kids!

A few months ago while on Facebook, I stumbled across a page called “Woof Woof”. From that day forward, I new if I needed a good smile or laugh, I could count on this site to provide it!

A page that gives you all the “feels”

Look at those cute, adorable, loving faces below which acts are their Facebook page banner.

Woof Woof Facebook page

The site is located in the United Kingdom and is an entertainment social publishing company. They provide a space for their viewers to have all those “feels” when it comes to our furry friends & family. With 9,864,345 Facebook, 762,000 Instagram, $132,000+ Twitter followers; not to mention their YouTube Channel with 115,000 subscribers!

They must be doing something right to have that many followers? Let’s take a look at their Facebook page.

Forbes.com discusses 10 Steps to Create a Facebook Page that Gets “Likes”. Below are some of the steps Woof Woof’s page as taken to make it a great page:

• Username – “Woof Woof” is cute, inviting and sets the stage for what the page is going to be about – animals!
• Detailed “About” section – here they give key details of what to expect from their page and where they come from. They stated where they are from and what they are about in a short but concise detail.
• Attractive/attention grabbing cover photo – how can you not love their banner! It displays many different breeds and it definitely grabs my attention.
• Profile photo – is simple, clean and not busy
• Interactive & engaging – they allow followers to share their pictures and videos and provide a positive vibe for all.
• Likes – no problem getting likes based on the the cute, adorable content that is shared. I can’t count how many “likes” I have given!!

Sometimes, there can been so much negativity being displayed on social media, so to have a site that gives you all the “feels”, it really can turn your day around. There is nothing like the unconditional love furry friends can provide to us.

Need a little daily dose of pawsitivity in your day? Check out this cute video from Woof Woof’s YouTube Channel! Adorable Dogs Welcoming Their Owners Home – Compilation.

Woof Woof TV video compilation

Having trouble mastering your Facebook page? Check out this guide provided by Buffer.com on How to Create the Perfect Facebook Page for Your Business: The Complete A to Z Guide.

What is your go-to Facebook page that provides you with positive energy?

Twitter: Feeling #pawsitivevibes today? https://bit.ly/305TWfg

Facebook: Get your daily dose of Pawsitivity here!

Woof Woof
Credit: https://instagram.com/danehygoldens/

References:

https://www.facebook.com/WoofWoofTV/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6JezeQkGUyJMKIjIvv5YOA https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2013/01/18/10-steps-to-create-a-facebook-page-that-gets-likes/#6bec384d1a34

Kerri O’Rourke’s personal dog photos taken by her

Back to the Future [2040]

When growing up saving for my future was not priority. Why would I want to start saving at 20? I got all the time in the world to save; I can worry about that later. I want to enjoy any little bit of money I have; I worked hard for it, so I am going to enjoy it; going to shop till I drop!

Fast forward 20 years; I have gone into panic mode realizing I’m a single 41 year-old woman, barely any savings (just starting) and thinking I will never be able to retire; Ugh, I am going to be working forever!

Essentially, I could have done both, have fun and be an adult thinking towards my future needs. It would have been less stressful and more beneficial to me now; here I go playing catch up…or can I?

I am about to turn 42 in a few days (yeah…happy birthday to me!) and as I get older, I have been reflecting on my life and what I should have done differently. One thing that always comes to top of mind is I should have invested in myself financially at an earlier age. I was able to but didn’t.

Let us look at “Suzy the Saver”:

Suzy the Saver – 20 years-old – Enrolled in a 2-year Administrative Program. Works part-time while attending school. Lives with parents as college is in her hometown. Lives rent free. Works approximately 16 hrs per week. Monthly income (minimum wage $14) $896 gross per month.

Suzy, at the age of 20, started saving $100 per month into her RRSP and continued to do so for 40 years. The approximate market value of her RRSP at age 60 would be $248,458. You will see in the chart below that Suzy would have received $9,600 in tax savings; she put in a total of $48,000 costing her $38,400; average rate of return 7%.

Now we have “Lilly the Later Saver”:

Lilly the Late Saver – 40 years old, works full-time 38.5 hours per week. Annual salary $42,000. Single with no children. No savings but starting to save $300 per month for the next 20 years.

Lilly, at the age of 40, started saving $300 per month into her RRSP and continued to do so for 20 years. The approximate market value of her RRSP at age 60 would be $153,064. You will see in the chart below that Lilly would have received $14,400 in tax savings; she put in a total of $72,000 costing her $57,600; average rate of return 7%.

In the chart below, it shows that at age 60, even though Lilly has put in triple the amount per month than Suzy, at 60 years old, Suzy will have about $100,000 more than Lilly.

You will see from the above examples that consistency over a longer period is key. Think of planting a seed. Over time the plant grows larger and larger. Things take time to grow and that includes investments.

The sooner you start saving and investing in yourself, the better end-result. Suzy will have more money by the age of 60, even though Lilly saved 3 times more a month than her. Reason, time was on Suzy’s side and she had 40 years to do so; Lilly only had 20 years to save and had to play catch-up. But Lilly still couldn’t catch up because she didn’t have time on her side.

Just remember, it is never too late to start your retirement savings fund. You will have more than you did when you weren’t saving!

What tips do you have that could help others in their journey to save for retirement?

Source: Calculations generated by NaviPlan software. For illustrative purposes only.

Twitter: Stepping “back to the future” [2040] #retireonyourowntermshttps://bit.ly/3cfH4Z2

Facebook: What does retirement look like to you?

Let’s take a look!