Michelle J Raymond

Business LinkedIn Trainer - B2B Marketers/Business Owners my LinkedIn G.R.O.W.T.H Masterclass & B2B Community Builder are your secret to growth. Company Page Expert. 2XLinkedIn Author.

Are you running your company’s LinkedIn strategy in-house and wondering how to improve your results? You know your audience is here, but the advice available can be confusing or unsuitable for your business.

👉 Why Most LinkedIn Advice Doesn’t Work for B2B
Most LinkedIn advice is too generic or focused on shortcuts that deliver little more than vanity metrics. Hacks and automation will not build trust or meaningful relationships and will not grow your business. 

👉 Build a Strategy That Fits YOUR Business
Whether you’re starting out looking for more engagement or ready to turn followers into business growth, I’ll design a strategy tailored to your goals, resources, and team. 

👉 What You’ll Get When We Work Together:
• Company Page Expertise: Turn your LinkedIn page into a community where your audience engages and your brand thrives.
• Profile Rewrites That Work: Showcase your team’s expertise and attract the right opportunities.
• Social Selling Training (G.R.O.W.T.H. Framework): Equip your team to build relationships, nurture trust, and sell without sounding salesy.

👉 Who I Work With
I partner with businesses globally that are driven to lead their industry. These businesses are open to new ideas, willing to invest time, and not looking for quick fixes. If that sounds like you, we’ll work well together.

👉 The Power of Two: Build Your Brand AND Your People
Your LinkedIn strategy should grow your business and empower your team. I focus on the Power of Two: building a strong company brand while helping your employees grow their personal brands. When these work together, you get exponential results.

👉 Here’s What Makes My Approach Stand Out:
• Tailored Solutions: Every business has different goals, resources, and challenges. I design strategies that fit your unique needs because one size never fits all.
• Ethical Expertise: I don’t rely on hacks, automation tools, or engagement pods. My approach is rooted in trust, relationship-building, and long-term success.
• Proven Results: With over two decades in B2B sales and social selling, I bring practical, actionable insights that drive real growth.

👉 Work With a Recognised LinkedIn Expert
• International LinkedIn speaker.
• 2 x Best Selling Author - Business Gold (Company Pages) and The LinkedIn Branding Book.
• Host of the Social Media for B2B Growth Podcast and cohost of The LinkedIn Branding Show.

Global LinkedIn Pages Expert - LinkedIn Strategist and Trainer - B2B Social Selling Consultant

Have you noticed you're no longer seeing posts from people you actually want to hear from? You're not imagining it, and this post is for you.  

B2B Marketers - LinkedIn changed how your Feed works, and here's what you need to know.

Backstory - LinkedIn Engineering team released a long technical blog about what and why. Because I'm a LinkedIn nerd, I've read it all, so you don't have to. You can thank me later. 

If you have been using LinkedIn for a long time, as I have, you probably viewed it as a professional networking platform. ie the "social" in social media was important to you. 

You connected with someone - you saw their posts. Simple. 

Going forward, things are different. 

The new AI doesn't just look at who you follow anymore.

⚠️ It reads what a post is actually about, then finds the right person to show it to. Whether they follow/connected with you or not.

The new feed learns in real time. 

Make good choices = good outcomes.
Lurk and take no action = LinkedIn controls your destiny. 

Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure book. (I loved those books).

Things to understand - 
1) Clarity and alignment are crucial - Pages, Profiles and Posts all need to be coherent. What topics do you want to be known for? The more specific, the better! 
2) Every action you take eg content, profile update, connection, comment etc creates context for LinkedIn to change your feed within a few minutes. It's up to you to stay on track. 
3) Topics - topics drive everything. Pick 1-3 topics and stick with them. 

The reality is, LinkedIn's new system rewards expertise that is easy to understand and consistently demonstrated.

You don't need to post more.

You need to show up with more clarity.

The algorithm didn't get harder. It got smarter.

And now, so have you. 😀

So this week, no more scattered activity. Get back to your Game Plan and focus. If you don't have one? We need to talk.

Company Page Led Growth ​> Scale with employee advocacy on LinkedIn. Work with me - Company Page Management, Page Admin Training. Employee LinkedIn Training. #Timfluencer

You heard AI cites LinkedIn, so you thought more posting more was the answer...I hate to break it to you, but what might be popular on LinkedIn doesn't make it true. 

I wrote this article to dispel some myths because they have been driving me crazy. 

NB - All my secret SEO how-tos for LinkedIn are reserved for my paying clients. I've had enough of the "inspired by" crew stealing my stuff 😀

Feel free to Book an Intro call b2bgrowthco.com

A recent study by Semrush analysed more than 230,000 AI prompts and looked at which websites are most frequently cited in AI answers. One result immed

Open article: Why LinkedIn Is Being Cited by AI (And What Marketers Are Getting Wrong) by Michelle J Raymond • 4 min read

Why LinkedIn Is Being Cited by AI (And What Marketers Are Getting Wrong)

The way LinkedIn determines which posts you see in your feed has changed significantly, and I think it's important that marketers understand. 

It's a pretty full-on technical document, which I've done my best to simplify. 

What's most important to understand is that the Feed aims to determine which topics you are most likely to spend time on and engage with. 

Notice I said what TOPICS and not what people?

If you don't feed the beast the right info, you get a feed that is a waste of time and not enjoyable. 

Every action, almost in real time, adjusts what is shown in your personalised feed. 

Good actions > take you closer to where you want to be.
No actions > LinkedIn guesses (good luck with that).

This change explains why you don't see posts from people you like as much anymore - it's all about the topics. 

Do you like the change?

PS I save all the secret how-to stuff for my paying clients so that the "inspired by crew" don't steal it 😀

Big news. LinkedIn’s engineering team just released information on their new Feed system. Consider this your Dorothy moment, where we get to pull back

Open article: LinkedIn’s New Feed Explained: What B2B Marketers Need to Understand by Michelle J Raymond • 4 min read

LinkedIn’s New Feed Explained: What B2B Marketers Need to Understand

Tim Tam Tip - one thing I love as much as Tim Tams, is digging into Company Pages to figure out what’s holding back their success.

You’d be surprised what a fresh set of eyes, that isn’t too close to the action, can discover. 

Your Page should make it obvious -

What you do.

Who you do it for.

What makes you different.

When you eat, sleep and live the brand you make a lot of assumptions about how clear things are to strangers.

If your Page isn’t hitting your KPIs, rather than blame LinkedIn and the algorithm why not take back control send me a DM and we can set up a time to chat?

We can talk about how my Page Audit & Strategy can transform your Page results and free you up to focus on what matters in your business 😃

Happy Friday!

No alternative text description for this image

I can’t do a LinkedIn Audit & Strategy for your B2B in 30 seconds, for free, like an LLM. Nor do I ever want to.

To give you a B2B tailored LinkedIn strategy that will be effective for your business will take me time.

It will also take -

My 20+ years of B2B selling experience in my career.

My 10 years of social selling experience on LinkedIn.

My six years of Company Page focus and employee LinkedIn training.

It takes me time to ask the right questions to get to the right answers.

I takes me time researching what’s working and what’s not on LinkedIn.

I love the time it takes to experiment and do things others aren’t doing so your brand will stand out. 

It will take my experience combined with yours to come up with the solution you can implement sustainably over the long term.

When my clients work with me they go forward with confidence.

Not crossing their fingers and hoping ChatGPT is pointing them in the right direction when their gut tells them otherwise. 

Good things come to those who wait 😃

PS If you want to take time to ensure your business isn’t wasting time and money on an ineffective strategy you know where to find me.

🎉Tim Tam Tip - Company Pages AREN'T a waste of time! 
For years, I've been saying this, and now I have the data to back it up, thanks to the team at Dreamdata.

Turns out their research confirms something I’ve known in my gut for a long time 👉Your LinkedIn Company Page is a buying signal.

Here’s what they found:
• 9.4% of MQL journeys include a Company Page impression
• 15% of SQL stage journeys include a Company Page impression
• 17.9% of closed deals include a Company Page view

That’s nearly 1 in 5 deals where someone checked out the Company Page.

But wait, it gets even better than that (yes, really).

The average time from the first Company Page impression to a won deal is just 90 days.

As I've always shared in Page Admin training with clients, B2B buyers are looking beyond relationships with any one human. Especially on big deals that take time.  

This suggests buyers are visiting your Company Page during the evaluation phase.

They’re checking:
• Credibility
• Expertise
• Whether your company feels like the right partner

Combine this with Semrush research into AI citations, showing that Company Pages are more likely to be cited by Perplexity, and it's been a pretty great week for me on the Company Page front. 

Time to celebrate with a Tim Tam or two. 🎉

2026 - The Year B2B discovered new ways Company Pages contribute beyond the home feed. 

PS This photo was taken in 2024, when Liliane Abboud and I visited the Dreamdata office in Copenhagen, met the team and traded Tim Tams for Danish butter cookies. 😀

If you want access to the full report, head to their company page or website to find the details.

Firstly - this one is a long one. But it's also as long as it needs to be, so you are up to date with the latest research and how to interpret it. 

Secondly - things change quickly. New research will come. Often, research conflicts with each other, so take it all with a grain of salt.

Thirdly - the answer is always to get back to marketing fundamentals. 

Fourthly (is that a word?) - if you want to optimise your B2B's LinkedIn presence for AI citation, I can help. 

Fifthly - I love that the research backs what I've always said - your Company Pages is important for things beyond just impressions. Go the Power of Two.

And then.....and then.... and no and then... (this one's for Susie Steed and anyone else who loves a good dated movie reference. 🤣)

In my previous article, I explored how marketers can increase their chances of being cited in AI answers using LinkedIn. "Why LinkedIn Is Being Cited 

Open article: LinkedIn and AI Citations: What the Latest Research Really Means for B2B Marketers by Michelle J Raymond • 5 min read

LinkedIn and AI Citations: What the Latest Research Really Means for B2B Marketers

Is it time to put some love back into your LinkedIn Company Page? Let's look at the pros and cons of internal management vs outsourcing. 

Working with clients and their Pages over the last 6 years, I've seen both ways be successful. Like everything, there isn't a one-size-fits-all. 

I'm writing this now because there is a lot going on in marketing. 

Headcounts and budgets are being slashed. 
Platforms are delivering less and less organic reach. 
Marketers are being asked to become experts across more and more. 

If you're struggling and your LinkedIn Page growth is on your KPI's but way down your list of fun things to do....this one's for you 😀

If you’re part of a B2B marketing team or business leader responsible for your brand’s LinkedIn Company Page, this question has probably crossed your 

Open article: Outsourcing LinkedIn Company Page Management vs Managing Internally: What’s Right for Your B2B Team? by Michelle J Raymond • 4 min read

Outsourcing LinkedIn Company Page Management vs Managing Internally: What’s Right for Your B2B Team?

⚠️You can't just dump content on your social team at the last minute and expect it to perform. This is one of the great insights from Melissa Dawson, Senior Corporate Social Media at WD, about what it takes for high-performing corporate social.

Melissa has helped transform WD's corporate social presence, growing their audience by 30% and driving 83M+ impressions.

This has been through a combination of organic and paid, company page and employee advocacy.  

Thanks, Melissa Dawson, for sharing your practical hands-on experience with the podcast listeners.
 
If you want more out of LinkedIn for your business, this episode is for you! 

Let's all just agree, no last-minute dumping, you want something posted on the social team going forward 🤣

High-performing corporate social on LinkedIn is not about going viral. It is not about one big post, and it is definitely not about being handed a fin

Open article: Why Most Corporate B2B LinkedIn Strategies Underperform by Michelle J Raymond • 5 min read

Why Most Corporate B2B LinkedIn Strategies Underperform

Enragement gets engagement. But on its own? That’s just performative noise we don’t need.

The LinkedIn posts that really land combine two things:
Enragement + empathy.

✋ Enragement stops the scroll.
 💘 Empathy makes the message feel true for the people you want to reach.

That’s the difference between a post people react to, and a post people recognise themselves in.

I love working with Patricia Romboletti to share her important messages on LinkedIn for those in career transition.

It takes courage to share a strong point of view.
It takes heart to take a stand for others.

700+ likes
  65 comments
  41 reposts
 (and counting).

Because when people feel like someone is speaking up for them…
They don’t just react.
They rally.

So if you want engagement, sure enragement helps.

But if you want real impact, make sure people know exactly who you’re standing up for.

That's the kind of LinkedIn I wish for more of. How about you?

PS Time for a Tim Tam to celebrate this message resonating far and wide.

Michelle J Raymond with a giant Tim Tam box. 

Slack channel. Drop your post. Everyone go like and comment.
Is that employee advocacy? Or just an engagement pod with payroll?

I saw this called out recently as “bad marketing”.

The idea being that your audience should decide if the content is good, not your coworkers. And I get that to a degree. 

If the only people engaging are your team, what does that actually say?

But I think it's more nuanced than this.

Organic reach is getting more difficult. I believe LinkedIn is a team sport and
teams should support each other.

So the issue for me isn’t the coordination.

It's intent.

There’s a difference between amplifying good ideas and ticking a box because you feel like you have to.

One builds credibility, and the other just looks busy.

So a simple test: If your employee advocacy program disappeared tomorrow… would anyone outside your company notice?

This has been fun for me to ponder. Penny for your thoughts.

I saw a LinkedIn post recently that stopped me mid-scroll. It called out a company for asking employees to drop their posts into Slack, so the team co

Open article: Is Employee Advocacy Just an Engagement Pod With a Company Logo? by Michelle J Raymond • 5 min read

Is Employee Advocacy Just an Engagement Pod With a Company Logo?

Fun things you find amongst your 41,000+ photos on your phone. This was used in a LinkedIn post July 2021.

Back then my business had a completely different name.

I hadn’t done the rebrand (or should I say brand) and set up branding guidelines. 

Before I had professional photos (that one I took in the garden and removed the background)

Before I had another 5 years of learning and experience.

But the message is till the same - B2B buyers are online - your teams need to be too.

‼️More important - have fun and just post.

You never know where you’ll be in 5 years if you just get started. 😃

PS It’s more fun to watch if you play with sound. Dare you not to smile.

Is B2B marketing serving customers…or dashboards? 🤔

You know I've been on a mission on the podcast to get us back to marketing fundamentals and focus on customers. 

After reading Moni Oloyede's Substack and enjoying her content I knew she was exactly the right person to help us get back to "good marketing".

Together we challenge the metrics-first mindset that dominates marketing that is causing the drift away from customers. 

From MQL obsession to marketing attribution and misunderstood buyer behaviour, this conversation questions what we’ve prioritised and what it’s costing us.

If you’re responsible for LinkedIn strategy, demand generation, brand or pipeline this episode will make you think differently.

Are you a marketer that's been caught in the tug of war between dashboards and what you know you works?

Marketing was never meant to be a reporting function and yet, for many B2B teams, that is exactly what it has become. If you're measured on followers,

Open article: Has B2B Marketing Lost Its Way? Rethinking MQLs, Attribution and Customer Focus by Michelle J Raymond • 4 min read

Has B2B Marketing Lost Its Way? Rethinking MQLs, Attribution and Customer Focus

If you remember 90s work motivational posters, you’ve probably survived more than a few “this changes everything” moments in marketing.

Websites were the future.
Then SEO.
Then social.
Then inbound.
Then growth hacks.
Now AI.

LinkedIn is no different.

Every year, there’s a new feature, a new format, a new “secret” to visibility.

But here's the thing -

✅Visibility doesn’t replace positioning.
✅Features don’t replace clarity.
✅Activity doesn’t replace strategy.

LinkedIn hasn’t changed the marketing fundamentals.

It still rewards brands that understand:
 • Who they’re for
 • What problem do they solve
 • Why they’re different
 • How they build brand recognition over time

The real advantage on LinkedIn isn’t chasing every update.

It’s knowing which ones support your strategy and ignoring the rest.

Confused which is which? That's what I'm here for. 

I work with marketers to give them confidence in their LinkedIn strategies. 

Question: Which of these images would you put up in your office as a reminder to always stick to marketing fundamentals? 😂

90s Social Media Workplace Inspo

It's a huge ditto from me Moni Oloyede! Know Thy Customer should be the number one commandment of every marketing strategy, which then informs your business's LinkedIn strategy. 

Everything else is a distraction or means you aren't building on a solid foundation. 

I loved recording this podcast episode because it was all about getting back to the fundamentals of good marketing.

I really enjoy Moni's content because she makes me think. Unafraid to go against the popular opinion. (Check her featured section for the YT video on marketing attribution being a scam for some more fun 😀)

Check out the full episode on Social Media for B2B Growth Podcast.

Where is the line between employee advocacy and engagement pod? 
Something I try and answer is this week's podcast, after a post today caught my attention (I'd share it, but I got blocked - yes really)

Blue Corner - A company shares its smart marketing strategy of dropping the link in a Slack channel and encouraging the team to swarm the post. The goal is to increase reach. 

Red Corner - Someone calling this out as practically an engagement pod, and that they should let the real audience determine the quality of the content. This is just artificial inflation. 

I can see both sides to this argument. 

On the one hand, I absolutely encourage teams to work together. Scaling your brand with employee advocacy is literally in my headline. 

On the other hand, I take the point that this actually stops the person from learning what does/doesn't resonate with their audience. 

Penny for your thoughts to help me work through this one...

When a company drops a post link in Slack and asks the whole team to go like it, that's...

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

✅Want to optimize your time & LinkedIn results? I help the self-employed, corporate teams, and executives to get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn™ pie. 😎 HOW I’M DIFFERENT: I'm an experienced marketer who “gets” LinkedIn. 📌 FOLLOW me for LinkedIn strategy tips ⬇ READY NOW? mellermarketing.com | brenda@mellermarketing.com (I recommend you maximize these 4 lines, which is a 🔑 key to your ABOUT)

I created Meller Marketing as a side hustle almost 10 years ago. Today, Meller Marketing is a Michigan-based, woman-owned business specializing in LinkedIn guidance & marketing strategy. 

My services include:
✅ 1:1 Executive Coaching + LinkedIn "Power Hours" mellermarketing.com/1-to-1-linkedin-coaching
✅ Team Training focused on Social Selling: mellermarketing.com/team
✅ Public Speaking / Conference Keynotes / Workshop Presenter: mellermarketing.com/presenter
✅ Online Programs / Small Group Coaching: mellermarketing.com/learn
✅ Marketing Membership & Learning Community: mellermarketing.com/join

LOOKING FOR A LINKEDIN COACH?
I help people 1:1 with LinkedIn. PRO TIP: look up your LinkedIn SSI or “Social Selling Index,” mellermarketing.com/mylinkedinssi ✅ (50 is average; my score= 79 as of Jan '26)

CORPORATE MARKETING LEADER
Prior to becoming self-employed, I enjoyed a successful 20+ year career in corporate marketing, working in higher ed, marketing services, contact centers, retail, and advertising (agencies). I've always had a knack for marketing, beginning in high school (DECA). I love sharing marketing tips & strategies with my clients and followers. One day, the universe nudged me forward.

LINKEDIN RESOURCES: mellermarketing.com/checklists
For Self Employed / Small Businesses
✅ LinkedIn for Course Creators / Speakers / Podcasters 
✅ Book Marketing on LinkedIn
✅ 15 LinkedIn Profile Tips for Coaches & Consultants
✅ LinkedIn Company Page Tips / Company Page Creation Guide

Connect with Me:
✅ Click "MORE" or "..." Select “Personalize Invite” or “Connect” and “Add a Note”
✅ Tell me your favorite pie 🥧 in your note
❌ Don't use automation. It's icky & violates LinkedIn's Terms of Service

I don’t work for nor am I in any way associated with the company LinkedIn or Microsoft. I'm just a fan of LinkedIn™. 

What Drives Me: helping you get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie, my family, my dog Pepper 🐾 & enjoying delicious pies when travelling.🥧 Also, I love jigsaw puzzles. 🧩

GOALS: learn how to play chess♟️, teach yoga 🧘‍♀️, amd make dollar-bill origami 💵

PRO TIP: Your ABOUT section has a 2,600 character limit. This is 2,577 characters.

Brenda Meller 🥧

Nobody: 
Me in 2026: "No more free for free." 😎

This means I'm no longer offering:
❌ Free webinars, open to the general public
❌ Free educational masterclasses, open to the general public
❌ Free office hours, open to the general public
❌ Free access to ME, live: where I openly share my knowledge, insights, and teachings to help you grow your business via 1:1 or small group access to me

The good news? I'm making myself increasingly available to:

🤩 Members of Marketing with Meller

🤩 Students in my signature program, The Recipe for Social Selling by Brenda Meller

🤩 Clients who pay for my services, including the Self-Employed, Executives, and Corporate Teams

Why?

Because when you're self-employed, you only get paid when you get paid. 

And when you PAY? You PAY ATTENTION. 

I've done the free stuff for YEARS. 

I've grown my email list to 5K+ subscribers, my LinkedIn following to 71,082 followers. 

I don't need "more impressions" or "more exposure" because quite frankly, I can't buy Pepper food with "impressions" or "exposure." 

And the results so far?

🥧 I had my second best JANUARY (total gross revenue) since starting MellerMarketing.com full time in 2018.

🥧 I celebrated my "BEST EVER" February (total gross revenue) for my business. 

🥧 It feels a bit like late 2019, early 2020, prior to the pandemic, when I chose to niche down LinkedIn. My business growth accelerated and I was super excited for the coming year. You know. Before Covid. 🤦‍♀️

Who else is Enthusiastically Self-Employed and joining me on this bandwagon of #NoMoreFreeForFree ? Comment below and let me know. 

PS: no, I don't have a coffee mug with that message. Yet! ☕

PPS: this post was written by me, not by AI.

Brenda Meller

Join Me for “Slice of The Recipe” | Marketing & LinkedIn Coach for the Self-Employed, Corporate Teams & Execs 🥧Experienced Marketer Who GETS LinkedIn 🥧 Speaker | SLICE Event March 18: mellermarketing.com/recipe-slice

20yo me would have NEVER posted pics at the salon while getting color, and fresh faced.  

51yo me uses it for LinkedIn content. 🤣

Age is a gift denied to many. Embrace it. 

Comment below if you agree. 

PS: technically this is a “work-related” post because I’m getting STAGE READY for a handful of conferences and events coming up. If you’re on my VIP email list, check your inbox for details. 

Or join it now at https://lnkd.in/gvP6973z

PPS LADIES: occasionally post “fresh faced” photos to engage with your audience AND to make yourself look even more fabulous when your hair and makeup is done. 🤣🤣🤣

“I’m so glad I attended today.” said by every woman who attended today’s Inforum Troy event held at Chief Financial Credit Union 

(Okay maybe not EVERY woman… only the ones I chatted with on their way out of the room 😊)

Today’s talk was LinkedIn-focused (of course!) but I decided to lead a talk on “Mastering the Art of Capturing Event Photos on Your Phone to Build Authority on LinkedIn.”🤳

Title was AI-assisted. As were my slides. Thanks Kendra Corman for the tip.  

Content was all me. 

Well not ALL me. It was pretty interactive with about 30 amazing women in the room.  

Including 
Lisa Vitale-Hess 
Olga Kovtun 
Sherry Yagiela, MBA, PMP 
Kris Liebau, ACC, CMQ/OE, CQE 
Jen Todd, MSOD 
Bethany Corne 
Leigh Moss, Moss Law PLC 
Michelle Gilbert, ACC, CPC 
Autumn Colombo 
Dee Pineau 
Dr. Emily Jacobs 
And more. 

Did you attend? Share your key takeaway. 

Didn’t attend? Tell me which photo you found the most intriguing.  And why.  

PS: take the pics. Post them right away when you get in your car. Before you leave the event. You can always add in tags later. Editing is OK.  I DO IT ALL THE TIME. 🤣🤣🤣

I don't know who needs to hear this, but if you think they're gonna "pitch-slap" you if you accept their invitation, you're right. Ignore their invite. I said what I said.

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world." In other words, celebrate women EVERYDAY, not just on #IWD26. Here are a few ideas:

🤩 When hosting an event, make sure you have a mix of women and men as speakers. #MANels are soooo yesterday.... (Right, Bobbie Carlton?) . 

And if you can't find women speakers, check out Innovation Women which literally has a directory of women speakers, in nearly every topic imaginable.


🤩 When including quotes in your presentations and trainings, use a blend of quotes from men and quotes from women. Since the quote above is by Mahatma Ghandi, a man, I'd balance this by featuring a quote by a woman. 

For example, 

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
 ~ Oprah Winfrey

Need more help with quotes from powerful, inspirational women? Check with Diane Darling, CGSP -- she has a book of these quotes. I'm hoping she will share the link here.


🤩 When adding to your board, make sure you have a representative number of women. John Espirian posted today to share his audience percentages (men vs. women). 

You can do this with your products & services, too. Check with the people in marketing. They know your audience demographics. 

If your audience is mainly women, you should have at LEAST 50% of your board as women. If not more. Don't make this awkward by only having a token woman on your board. 😲

📸: Captured at Junior Leadership Macomb, Inc. in summer 2025 at Extra Credit Union (such an amazing, inspirational room, don't you think??)

PRO TIP: save this post for later reference, or send it in a DM to someone who may find this helpful.

🥧 New rule: it’s OK to share batches of event photos from different events in one post on the weekends. Tell the others. 🤣🤣🤣

Oh and also it’s pi day, March 14. 3.14 🥧 
(for those who have DMd today, Thanks for the lovely pi day greetings.)

And now, onto the PHOTOS!!! 

📸: today at National Speakers Association - Michigan at Washtenaw Community College featuring a workshop by Alan Berg, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow ⬅️ who is an amazing speaker and brilliant sales strategist. 

🥧 photo sent to me by Bill Indik
🎤 President Dr. Leatrice R. Brooks LP
🎤 President-Elect Robin Shear (and Kristie Stocker was there, too!)
🎤 Morning keynote by Alan Berg, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow (I took 5 pages of notes on his talk on "Get Booked, Stay Booked - Winning Clients and Finding Your Niche"
🎤 Lauren Lavé Hall and Gayle Dopp

📸: On a Saturday in February at the NSA Michigan speaker competition held at The AWWC (Amour Women Work Community) hosted by Canetha Amour-Porter

🎤 NSA Michigan Director of Virtual Programing Lorrena Black 
🎤 NSA Michigan Secretary Kris Liebau, ACC, CMQ/OE, CQE
🎤 Julianne H. Phillips, Ph.D., ACC
🎤 Deane Vallejo
🎤 Kimika Garrett, MS, SHRM-SCP, Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt
🎤 Kevandre Thompson
🎤 Tracie Hightower 

Tags added. Unless I missed anyone... 😎 ⬇️⬇️⬇️

🤩🎤 Diversity drives innovation: your organization / conference / event will thrive when you have a mix of men and women speakers. I'd like to suggest you check out Innovation Women, an amazing organization created by Bobbie Carlton 

IW brings together women speakers from across the world, with diverse categories of thought leadership. 

Need a speaker for your "Finance" panel / conference?

"AI? Tech?"
"DEI?"
"Leadership"
"Innovation"
"Marketing?"

There's probably an Innovation Women member (or two, or ten) who is an experienced speaker. 

I'm hoping Bobbie will reply below with the link where organizations can search for speakers.

I'd also like to invite the women featured here to comment below, tell us:
🎤 The name of your signature speech
🎤 A link where we can book you
🎤 BONUS: tell us where you're speaking NEXT (and tag in the conference or organization)

My name is Brenda Meller, and I believe in diversity of thought and diversity of expertise. Not just on #IWD2026 (International Women's Day 2026), but every day throughout the year. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

022726--As seen on Speaker Friend Fridays - Innovation Wom

🛑Full disclosure - I'm short on time (because I'm getting more and more PAID clients these days!) so I used AI to help write this. Looking to sharpen your social selling skills or build more authority on LinkedIn? KEEP READING. 

My spring calendar is full of exciting educational events specifically curated to help you grow.

JOIN ME AT A CONFERENCE

UPLIFT LIVE: This is a big one—it’s my first international speaking gig! Wish me luck as I head to Birmingham, UK (not Birmingham, Michigan) on 26 March, 2026 to join Dave Harland, Nicole Osborne, Mic Adam, John Espirian, Guy Strijbosch, Heather Murray, Tony Restell, Phill Agnew, and other global LinkedIn leaders.

MCEEA SPRING MIXER: Are you a career professional in Michigan? Join us in Ann Arbor on April 9-10. Hosted by the Michigan Career Educator & Employer Alliance (MCEEA) , we’ll be doing a hands-on workshop on the "LinkedIn PIE" method for students and alumni. Thanks to Bill Stec and Angela Shelby for inviting me! 


CTI WOMEN'S PROGRAM: Calling all women in automotive! On May 19, we’re heading to the Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi, MI to tackle "Driving Tomorrow's Connections" and how to master your LinkedIn presence. Thanks to Sylvia Zenzinger and Manuela Lettmann for inviting me! 

WHAT ELSE IS ON THE CALENDAR?

April 23: Small Business Marketing Summit. This half-day virtual event is special because every single speaker is a Marketing with Meller member! Come get practical tips from Lori Jo Vest 🏁 , Judi Radice Hays , Dr. UMUT ASLAN , Tom Wells , Sue Griffey, DrPH, BSN , LORI VAJDA , Linda Brubaker, PhD , Elaine Belson LCSW 🧠, and more (TBA). Registration opens soon!

March 12: build your authority at Inforum Troy / Chief Financial Credit Union. Join me to master the art of capturing event photos on your phone to build your professional brand on LinkedIn. Speaker: Me!

March 17: Member Spotlight Interview featuring MwM member Carrie Saunders. (members-only event)

The Recipe Group Coaching: We have some great topics coming up for members, including tagging strategies (March 6) , Canva banner updates (April 9) , and mastering voice messages (April 17). (members-only event)

I'll add in specific event links later (if I have time left after the paid client work. Because, you know, "no more free for free...").

#LinkedInTips #SocialSelling #Networking #Inforum #UpliftLive #MCEEA #BrendaMeller #SmallBusiness

Check Out These Educational Events with me, Brenda Meller

How do YOU compare? Look at the chart below, find your follower count level, and look at REACH for your recent posts. This is (IMHO) useful industry benchmark, from the team at Shield (can't tag them here).

Check out this and SAVE this for future reference. 
And TAG someone in who might find this useful. 

FYI - you can find your post reach by going to your activity feed section. 

Impressions = the same thing as reach. 

And remember: compare yourself to yourself and not to everyone else. If you get stuck with that, DM me. I have resources to help you use LinkedIn more effectively if you're self-employed, an executive, or leading a sales team. 🥧🤩

Inspired by an invitation to follow a page today from someone I'm not connected with yet, I decided to update this video for 2026. 

FIND THIS HELPFUL?
✅ Comment below and say "Wow Brenda. Great LinkedIn strategy advice, as always."
✅ SHARE this for future reference. Especially if you're self-employed or work in sales.
✅ SEND this post in a DM to the person responsible for your company page.

Want to keep learning from me? Check out The Recipe for Social Selling by Brenda Meller, my signature program where I teach you the essential ingredients for LinkedIn success. Includes small group coaching and 1:1 personalized guidance. 😎🥧

View newsletter: The Meller Marketing Minute

Watch this video to see how to find and review your newest LinkedIn Company Page followers and what to do after someone follows your page. I walk thro

Open article: How to View Your Company Page Followers (and what to do NEXT) to grow your business by Brenda Meller • 1 min read

How to View Your Company Page Followers (and what to do NEXT) to grow your business

🎤😎 Fun fact: I had a "learning experience" locating this video today. I was digging around on my laptop, in my online drive, etc. etc. and then remembered: I can just download it from my website. 🤦‍♀️

It reminded me of an expression: everything is "figuroutable" and I can't recall who said it (comment below if you know). 

And there's always more than one route to the solution. I *might* say: there's more than one way to slice a pie! 🥧

The video reinforces what makes me different as a speaker for YOUR events: I have fun, and the audience has fun while learning actionable LinkedIn strategy tips from me. 

SEE FOR YOURSELF!

🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧

My name is Brenda Meller (71,184 followers) and I'm a marketer and experienced national -- and soon *international* speaker -- who GETS LinkedIn. If you follow me here on LinkedIn or book me to speak at your conference or event, I'll help you and your audience get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

⬇️ SAVE this video for later, so you remember me when you're looking for speakers. 

📩 SEND this video to a friend / connection who is on the lookout for amazing speakers. 

ps: I need to update with videos from some newer events. If you book me for your event, I may add you in and promote your business / organization in my marketing and LinkedIn posts! 🎉🎉🎉

"If I train my employees on LinkedIn, won't they just use it to find a new job?" 🤔 This is the TOP question I get from CEOs and sales leaders. My answer is always a firm NO.

My training focuses exclusively on Social Selling and Brand Building. I teach your team how to: 

✅ Optimize their profiles to represent your company (instead of copying/pasting from their resume -- huge mistake!)
 
✅ Build a network of decision-makers and prospects (and then HOW to interact with them strategically)

✅ Share expertise that positions your brand as a go-to expert (and someone they'd like to get to know better, instead of run away from...)

I'm a big believer that confident and empowered teams can be your most powerful marketing asset. (Well, second to me... but you knew that) 🤣🤣🤣

Want a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie for YOUR company in 2026 and beyond? Let's chat. DM me to get started. Or visit the link below. 

https://lnkd.in/dRyNwHm3

#LinkedInStrategy #SocialSelling #SalesEnablement #MellerMarketing

📺: Tv's "Moira Rose" (acrtress Catherine O'Hara, rip) from the series 'Schitt's Creek'

PS: this post was partially written by AI, but then I made a bunch of changes. A few em-dashes may have been eliminated in this process, to make room for my personality. ☠️ 🤣🤣🤣

🚨 Featured #LinkedInQuestion 🚨: When I enter my company LinkedIn page to view the post and I click on “Repost” it has me reposting as my company, not myself. How do I get around that?

ANSWER: watch this video for a demonstration on how to "Repost with your thoughts" from your page to your profile, if you're the admin of your page. 

https://lnkd.in/gM3wRCBP

Open video: Repost from LinkedIn Page to Profile (Desktop + Mobile) on youtu.be

Repost from LinkedIn Page to Profile (Desktop + Mobile)

🚨 Featured #LinkedInQuestion 🚨: does LinkedIn still offer one year of free LinkedIn Premium for U.S. military veterans? 

ANSWER: maybe.

It appears that they are making changes to their veteran premium program, according to their website. 

The top of the page now reads, "Our Program Is In Transition."

My advice? Visit the page, read the instructions, and see if you can get the 1-year free access, if you're a US Veteran who isn't currently in a LinkedIn premium membership.

It's a one-time benefit, and the duration is one year.

I'll share this post link with a few of my colleagues who also specialize in LinkedIn, and ask if they have any additional insights. 

And for those actively serving or who are veterans:

THANK YOU for your service. 😊🥧

🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧

My name is Brenda Meller (71,065 followers) and I'm a marketer who GETS LinkedIn. If you follow me here on LinkedIn and read my posts, I'll help you get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. True story. 

Oh, and please COMMENT BELOW if you have any insights on this premium benefit and SAVE this post for later. I'll post updates here.

THEM: Let's schedule a coffee chat to "get to know each other!"
YOU: (indicate how your respond below, assuming you are protecting your time for discovery calls with prospective clients and paid client work, and you no longer do these type of calls)

PS for overachievers: share your response to these inquires below ⤵️⤵️⤵️

SELF-EMPLOYED: be sure to SAVE this post for future reference. A time will come in your business when you will no longer do "get to know you calls" because focusing your time is what's needed to grow your revenue. And you'll want to refer to this post again. 

🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧

My name is Brenda Meller (71,124 followers) and I'm a marketer who GETS LinkedIn and I regularly decline "get to know you" call requests because my business is growing in 2026. 

Join my VIP email list for more LinkedIn strategy tips for the self-employed, including 10 LinkedIn items TO DO to find more paid clients this week, which does NOT include "get to know you" call requests...  https://lnkd.in/ecJaSYc

How do you respond to requests for "get to know you" calls, if you no longer do these type of calls?

I'm offering my Recipe "Program Tour" one more time in March. Because you know me -- I'm a huge advocate of Social Selling here on LinkedIn. 

And my love of pie has become part of my personal brand. 

So 3 years ago, I created a program called "The Recipe for Social Selling on LinkedIn" in which I teach my signature process -- the same process I use today. 

Check out the details below. And DM me with any questions. 

🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧

My name is Brenda Meller (71,108 followers) and I'm a marketer who GETS LinkedIn. If you follow me here on LinkedIn, I'll help you get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Not sure if this date works for you? "SAVE" this post for later.

View event: [PROGRAM TOUR] A Slice of The Recipe: "Meet Your Coach" & Program Tour

[PROGRAM TOUR] A Slice of The Recipe: "Meet Your Coach" & Program Tour

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The Battle

Michelle J Raymond

Brenda Meller 🥧

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The Battle

Michelle J Raymond

Brenda Meller 🥧

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Michelle J Raymond's LinkedIn Performance

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Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMichelle J Raymond's LinkedIn Performance