It may seem contradictory to sit here and encourage you to spend time on social media while we read other articles that encourage us to “de-plug”. But this isn’t about creating time to like, comment, and share those cute baby pictures of your favorite second cousin’s niece. This is about YOU and your digital presence.
Pencil Yourself In is about setting aside a dedicated day and time to evaluate your digital footprint. Why? Because as a business owner, as an employee, as yourself, your name is out there on the internet. Good or bad, well that’s up to you. We’ve all been tagged in a picture or two before that we would have much rather no one ever saw. And you may think, “No, I can’t untag myself that would be rude”. Wrong. Untag yourself, it is your digital image and you can choose how it will represent you.
However, managing your digital presence is more than just “untagging” ourselves in pictures. Pencil Yourself In is a collection of tasks we can do to better our digital presence, get our name out there (in a good way), and ensure that possible connections, clients, employers, etc. know the right things about who you are when they come across your name on the internet.
Let’s dive right in…
EVALUATE + UPDATE
It is important that you have a solid profile picture. It may seem obvious, but an image that shows you in a “bad light” or doesn’t show your face at all is not doing you any justice.
Secondly, evaluate the skills on your profile. Too many skills or skills with similar names could actually hinder your credibility. If possible reduce them down to the top 15-20 that are critical to advancing your career. Don’t forget to endorse your connections and show that you recognize their skills. Better yet, write them a recommendation and don’t be afraid to request one from your peers.
CREATE A BUZZ
Show the world that you are a subject matter expert. Upload your own posts to share your expertise and opinions. This is a great thing to do at least once a month. Continue to like, comment and share post from others. Doing this on a weekly basis keeps your presence fresh and active.
Set aside a day or two days out of the month to create content that you can share. There are a number of great online tools that can help you schedule posts, which means you don’t have to be at your desk 24/7 managing your social media. Write it, schedule it, and done. Some of our top recommendations are:Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Hubspot.
MONITOR YOURSELF
Once a month Google your name and check out where you’ve been tagged to ensure that it is credible content you don’t mind others seeing. Set a calendar reminder so you don’t forget!
Google Alerts is an awesome tool for businesses. Set it up and receive an email anytime your name is mentioned on Google. This will keep you in the know of what buzz is being generated about you.
Dima said it best, “Update your online profiles periodically and continue to position yourself as an expert in your field. Remember, people want to do business with and buy from others that they perceive as experts.”
• • •
Our main focus has been LinkedIn, but their are advantages to managing your presence on other platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. From our list above, decide which steps you can take on each and determine where you can make the biggest impact. Having a clear and professional digital presence could lead to career advancements, increase in sales, new relationships/connections, etc. Your digital presence is just that—yours—so take the time to Pencil Yourself In and create a rock solid image.
Our discussion today was inspired by Dima Ghawi’s talk on “Your Digital Presence” at the Leadership & Lattes event presented in Baton Rouge on August 11, 2017. We encourage professionals in the local area to attend her series and get connected. We would love to see you there!
| [prev] | [next] |