RU marketing professor helps area business people get LinkedIn

Radford University College of Business and Economics Professor Gary Schirr participated last week in LinkedIn's first ever workshop designed to offer tips to entrepreneurs and small business users on how to most effectively use the professional networking website.

Schirr, a social media specialist and associate marketing professor at RU, participated in the June 27 workshop as part of a three-person panel that discussed branding in front of a live audience.

Schirr, who recently was on Global CMO Magazine's "50 Marketing Leaders Over 50" list, also led a breakout workshop on branding using LinkedIn "that drew the maximum 50 attendees and seemed to generate a lot of enthusiasm and ideas," Schirr said.

The event was the first in a series of "LinkedInLive" workshops to be sponsored by LinkedIn, aimed at startups, small and medium sized businesses. LinkedIn hosted the event in conjunction with the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council.

The sold-out event attracted 150 participants.

Schirr teaches professional sales and social media marketing at RU. In 2011, he was recognized by Social Media Marketing Magazine as one "who gets it" and is rated No. 3 on the magazine's list of 100 top marketing professors on Twitter.

Learn more about Radford University at www.radford.edu.