What happens when your digital-first impression doesn't align with you in person ...

?The key to a powerful digital-first impression is consistency.

?I recently met with a Workplace Health and Safety Consultant. He had his own business.

A key area of focus for his role was to go to construction sites. He would speak to builders about conducting safety training for their team.

?He explained to me that he had tried reaching out to them on LinkedIn before meeting them in person, but he just wasn't getting a response.

?The first step I did with him was an audit and I found the following:

• His profile headshot was very professional. He was in a suit and tie and looked very polished.
• The text in his profile was very formal and didn't align with his voice in person.

?These two things alone meant there was a disconnect between him online and him in person.

?He shared with me that when we went on site, he wore a polo shirt and jeans. Not a suit and tie. People were learning about him online before they were (or in this case deciding not to), meeting him in person.

There is no “right” or “wrong” digital first impression. A good digital first impression will align with how you are in person. The transition from online to in-person will be smooth and consistent.

As well as aligning your online presence with your personal presence it is also important that you are aligned across platforms.

?This includes making sure that any platform you are on is consistent, not the same, but consistent, as each channel has a different purpose.

?When you are reviewing consistency across different platforms, things to consider include:

• Are the visual aspects consistent? This includes what colors you are using, fonts, logos, and images. This sounds simple but can have a very big impact!
• Is your brand voice consistent? Some businesses will have a brand voice guideline that includes words that they use, and words that they don't use. For example, they may refer to their customers, as customers, not clients.?
• Are you communicating a consistent message? I was recently speaking with someone who specialised in leadership development. They had a particular interest in work/life balance and shared content and tips on how to achieve this on LinkedIn. The thing was that a quick look at their personal Facebook page (which was very easy to find) showed them complaining about working long hours. This was very disconnected from the message that was being shared across other platforms.
• Is there consistency between what you say about yourself and what others say about you??Social proof is important, but if your brand is quiet and conscientious and your recommendations talk about you being outgoing, there is a disconnect!

?Action Steps:

?Review your current online footprint and reflect on the following questions:

• ?What does your digital first impression currently say about you?
• Do the visual elements of your online presence match you in person?
• Does the written copy align with who you are and how you present in person?
• Is there alignment across all the social media platforms?
• And most importantly, if your ideal client found you online today, are you 100% happy with what they find?

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