Take a moment and think about where you are in your life right now. Do you have a life calling you to want to pursue? Are you plateauing in your career? Do you wish for something more to help you succeed but are not sure what it takes? A distinguished online presence could help.
With social media showing no signs of slowing down or going away anytime soon, you have an opportunity to utilize those channels to grow your online presence. With a polished and consistent online presence, you could see an increase in opportunities—both personally and professionally. The following are some tips you can use to do just that.
Tip 1: Brand Yourself
If you’re looking for career success but haven’t found what you’re looking for yet, perhaps it’s time to take a step back and build a personal brand. Why is a personal brand so important? By building a brand, you create an image of yourself to illustrate what makes you special. Identifying what makes you unique and working from that angle can sometimes open the door for new opportunities in your life that might otherwise have passed on.
Sarah Ware Kline, Co-Founder, and CEO of the influencer marketing agency, Markerly, says there is a right way to effectively brand yourself. Professional agencies brand companies for a living, and you can get inspired by putting yourself in their shoes and by pondering how you would advertise yourself. Learn how to embrace your own value, see your distinguishing qualities, network with other professionals to build relationships, and create digital content to acquire opportunities.
Be confident in who you are and that will be what makes you unique and marketable. To practice, write your elevator pitch. This is a tool to recognize who you are and what your goals are. Then you will know what your brand is and how to promote that both online and in person.
Tip 2: Be Active on LinkedIn & other Social Media
Once you have determined your personal brand, you need to use it. Wayne Breitbarth, a LinkedIn speaker, and consultant say’s that it is crucial to be active with your brand on LinkedIn. This particular social network can create new professional opportunities if you know how to use it correctly. It’s a tool to visually differentiate yourself from other experts in your field by demonstrating your specific specialties and strategically connecting with like-minded professionals. There are many tools that most LinkedIn users aren’t aware of that can help move you to the front of the pack. So, build your profile and your resume on LinkedIn. Make sure to always be updating it.
Social media is no stranger to us. It is used everywhere and for everything. With different social media platforms, you can build your brand image even more in-depth. Having consistent content on all your social media platforms will better allow people in your life, both professionally and personally to know who you are and what you are about. Using numerous platforms is also a great opportunity for networking and building relationships. It’s also important when it comes to the professional reputation that you are monitoring your social media. You don’t want there to be anything that would look poorly on your brand image. Always be wise about what you are posting on your social media.
Tip 3: Create Digital Content and Have a Content Strategy
With your personal brand made, a solid LinkedIn profile, along with consistent social media to back you up, go the extra mile and create digital content to push your success even further. Creating digital content has many positive effects. Having content for other professionals to see, such as a website, blog, video, podcast, etc., increases their awareness of who you are and what you can do. This also includes building an email list to send your content to. This content shows what you’re passionate about and will help you be seen as a leader in your field.
As you’re creating your digital content, it is important to have a solid content strategy driving your efforts. Figure out who your target audience is and write specifically for them. This is also a great place to experiment with different advertising or influencer marketing. Pay attention to your competition and see what they are doing on their online platforms. Then use that information to continue building your brand and your content. When your content impacts, educates or entertains people, they are more likely to share it with their own network—increasing the overall visibility of your brand.
TIP 4: LEARN
The path to becoming a digital influencer doesn’t have to be a difficult one. By investing in ongoing learning, you can stay sharp and up to date on best practices to elevate your brand and your content. There is always more to learn and more ways to grow. Focus on the progress you are making but always continue to find ways to grow your brand and your platform in whatever field you are in.
This blog was originally published on March 15, 2016. It has been updated to reflect current information.