Social media has become a way of life. From how we communicate with family to how we inform business colleagues and clients of our professional endeavors, we’re constantly connected.
Now more than ever, business has made the jump to strong online collaboration and communication. This only increases the importance to build your own professional online “brand” now and start connecting with others!
So what is the best way to utilize your professional social media?
The lines between personal and professional brand can seem a little blurry – but it’s OKAY to be human. It’s important to stay true to your values and what you’re passionate about, and, oftentimes, that can better help you reach your target audience of professionals.
Here is how you can better use your professional social media:
Update your LinkedIn Bio:
LinkedIn is the most popular way for professionals and businesses to connect – if you’re not utilizing it (or not doing more than liking posts), you’re missing out! Let your colleagues and other connections get to know who you are as an individual and your professional skills by making an eye-catching bio! Be sure that all of your work information and skills are up to date as well.
Passionate Posts:
Stay true to your values and post on what you truly are passionate about. If you focus on keeping ALL things strictly professional you may lose your personal creativity in the midst. However, keep politics off professional social media – it is often polarizing to your audience. Be yourself!
Create Your Own Content:
Sharing other’s content is an easy way to stay connected with others in your network, but it isn’t as engaging as creating your own posts! Being more HUMAN through social media and engaging with your network on a more personal level will yield much more interaction with your network. You could post about:
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- The values your employer holds that matter to you
- A funny picture at work and the story behind it
- How your job is impacted by the current market (bull or bear)
- Your favorite professional projects
- Favorite things about your mentor(s) that have positively impacted your career
Connect, Connect, Connect!
Start reaching out to business professionals and work colleagues within your profession! You obviously want your professional brand to reach a certain audience and the best way to do that is by making sure your target audience is connected with you!
It’s also great to build a community with peers that can discuss similar experiences within your industry. If you have clients, vendors or partners, be sure to always follow their business’ page to stay up-to-date on exciting news within their companies.
Post with Purpose:
Whether It’s to give others a better look at you as a person through showing your hobbies or what you do on job – make sure your posts have a purpose and are relevant to those following you. Be sure to hashtag your post with relevant tags to reach a larger audience!
For some more tips on how to elevate your professional social media check out some other great blogs below!
For more on stepping up your LinkedIn game: https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-secret-to-building-a-linkedin-profile-that-gets-results
For building your overall online brand: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomward/2018/05/31/how-to-build-your-personal-brand-online/#40ecbb8f66ef