Creating a professional online presence is essential for anyone who works in a virtual team. Whether you are looking for a new job, collaborating with colleagues, or engaging with clients, your online profile can make or break your reputation. In this article, you will learn how to showcase your skills, personality, and credibility in six simple steps.
The first step is to decide which online platforms you want to use to build your professional presence. Depending on your industry, goals, and audience, you may choose different sites and tools. For example, you may want to have a LinkedIn profile to network with other professionals, a personal website to showcase your portfolio, a blog to share your insights, or a social media account to interact with your community. Whatever platforms you choose, make sure they are relevant, consistent, and updated.
In 2008, I started, Ann's Running Commentary, a blog about the mental side of running. I used Facebook to promote it and to build a community of other runners. My audience was specifically marathon and Ironman athletes. My community grew quickly because of the timing and because my blog fit a need. When Twitter came along I added it and grew an even bigger audience. Since then, I have added Instagram, LinkedIn, & and TikTok. On LinkedIn, I began by sharing my blog with executive athletes. Again, my community grew. In 2016, I started a business and my audience came along for the ride. They watched me grow and they supported me. Even though I no longer wrote exclusively about running, I continued to talk about the mental side of life.
The next step is to optimize your profiles on each platform. This means filling out all the relevant information, using keywords that match your skills and interests, and adding a professional photo and headline. Your profiles should highlight your achievements, qualifications, and value proposition. They should also reflect your personal brand and voice. Avoid using generic or vague statements, and instead focus on what makes you unique and valuable.
New contacts and potential customers will often refer to your LinkedIn profile for a quick overview of who you are, what you do and why they should work with or connect with you. Unfortunately, in my experience, most people only update their LinkedIn profile when they get promoted or change job. This means there are thousands of misleading, out of date profiles, missing loads of new business opportunities. Don’t miss a single new business opportunity. Make sure you and your team optimise and update your LinkedIn profiles at least once a year. You can add new qualifications, new products, new services and all the ways only you can help new clients.
The mistake many people make when optimizing their profile is not thinking of their personality as a brand. What are your core values? What do you stand for? What is the common theme that brings it all together? Once you understand this you can create a short statement that encompasses who you are and what you do.
The third step is to create quality content that showcases your expertise, knowledge, and personality. Content can be anything from articles, videos, podcasts, webinars, ebooks, or infographics. The key is to provide value to your audience, solve their problems, answer their questions, or inspire them. Content should also be engaging, informative, and original. Avoid plagiarism, spam, or self-promotion. Instead, aim to educate, entertain, or persuade your audience.
The fourth step is to build your network of contacts, connections, and followers. Networking is crucial for finding opportunities, learning from others, and establishing your credibility. You can network online by joining groups, forums, or communities related to your industry, niche, or interests. You can also reach out to people you admire, respect, or want to collaborate with. When networking, be respectful, authentic, and helpful. Don't just ask for favors or pitch your services. Instead, offer value, feedback, or support.
When I started my business, I had recently injured my back and found that I couldn't run anymore. This meant that I was less involved in the community of runners I had created over the years. I still saw them at social events and I still spoke to them online but I didn't see them at races or training and I felt out of the loop. That meant I needed to work on a new network. I started with in-person networking events and eventually found BNI. BNI helped me grow my business faster than I could have imagined. But more importantly, it reminded me of the importance of community. I started writing about the mental side of life again. I wrote about the mental side of business. Eventually I came back to running and my community was still there.
The fifth step is to engage with your audience on a regular basis. Engagement means interacting with your followers, fans, clients, or prospects. You can engage online by responding to comments, messages, or emails, asking questions, sharing opinions, or giving recommendations. Engagement helps you build trust, loyalty, and rapport with your audience. It also helps you gain insights, feedback, and referrals. When engaging, be polite, positive, and professional. Don't ignore, argue, or offend your audience.
One of the most powerful examples of engagement came early in my experience with social media. I became a part of a community of runners on the Daily Mile. We would post and talk about our running. We would cheer each other on. Eventually, only a few months after it started, we created a meetup at the Boston Marathon. It was amazing to see all of these virtual friends come together in real life. It's been 13 years since that meetup and the Daily Mile has not been around for at least 10 years and yet, most of us are still connected. As a matter of fact, some of us work on business projects together. I believe in the power of personal branding and community building. I have seen it work.
The final step is to monitor and improve your online presence over time. Monitoring means tracking and measuring your online performance, reputation, and impact. You can monitor online by using tools, analytics, or surveys to collect data, feedback, or testimonials. Monitoring helps you identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It also helps you set goals, adjust strategies, and celebrate achievements. When improving, be proactive, flexible, and open to learning. Don't be complacent, resistant, or defensive.
I believe in numbers and analytics but I believe more in people and relationships. Soon after I started my business I started a charity for suicide prevention to run hand in hand with my business. I have written about it often on social media and the communities I have built in running and business have stepped up to support me in so many ways. This year 6 of the people I met on Daily Mile will be running the Marine Corps Marathon to raise money for my charity. People have donated, volunteered, and found publicity opportunities for me. Those are the things I measure and I value most. Numbers are great but people are better.