4 Ways to Optimize Your Personal, Online Brand

We talk so much about the presence of a company online from a paid, organic, and social perspective, but what about YOU? I think it’s often easy to forget that we have our own profiles and presence online that we need to manage depending on what our personal and professional goals and aspirations are. This is especially true in today’s climate when there seem to be polarizing views on certain news topics. So what do you need to pay attention to and do to nail your personal, online presence?

1. Claim all your social media profiles: If you are a professional, without exception, please claim and build out your LinkedIn profile at the very least. Be sure to include a good, professional looking head shot. Employers and business professionals are very heavily using LinkedIn to screen candidates and learn about their peers, and you shouldn’t miss this opportunity. If you are looking for a new opportunity, include a link to your LinkedIn profile on your resume. Then you have other channels to consider if you don’t have them yet like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube.
2. Content: What is the purpose of each channel you have? Will Facebook be just personal, will you try and tap a particular audience with Instagram, what is your purpose for Twitter? I generally keep Facebook pretty personal, but I also keep it mostly neutral in order to not offend or make a big statement as professional contacts of mine have made their way to my profile as a friend. Instagram is very powerful to use with pictures and tapping into hashtags. It’s a great way to connect with brands, industries, and people with similar interests as you. I use Twitter for mostly professional reasons to connect with people and businesses in my industry and share news and events that are also industry related. Regardless of the medium you are using, be cognisant of how private your profile is and who is following you.
3. Build Your Community: Follow others and others will follow you! Get out there and connect with long lost co-workers and business associates…you know…on LinkedIn, find people, companies, and groups that resonate with your Twitter and Instagram target. You will find people will start to follow you back. This is also true as you test out and use different hashtags with Instagram and Twitter. Also, share content relevant to the people or industries you want to connect with. It will help you look like a knowledgeable person in the industry and build your following!
4. Create Your Own Site or Blog: This is another step you can take in order to position yourself as an industry professional to the audience you want to reach. Start writing about relevant topics, getting on LinkedIn and creating content. This will just add on to your following and credibility if done the right way.

If you want to learn more about advancing yourself professionally, especially if you are local to us, check out pdxMindShare: Portland’s career-focused organization dedicated to connecting and growing professionals through networking and education. We offer monthly events with great speakers, resources, events, and job opportunities. Also, if you have a job opening you’d like to hire for, you can post it on our site!