Written by: Phumla Malishe and Thuli Nkosi
Profiling yourself on social media networks maybe quite daunting, but it really is easier than you think. It is important to do a social media audit so as to make the right impression for future employers, as they do not only look at CVs. For that reason, your presence online is important too. Even as people search for you, the results that come up have to be a true representation of you as a brand. This is important as you become a representation of the company, therefore your digital presence matters.
From images to comments and blog posts, this collective first impression can make or break your online reputation.
These are the steps that you can take to find out who you are in the digital space. Firstly, a LinkedIn profile is vital if you are looking for prospective employment. You would then need to ask yourself if you have a LinkedIn profile. Want one, but not certain how to get started? Here are a few pointers;
1. Listing your work history is a very important requirement, however it has to be creative. It should sound quirky.
2. Be descriptive in what you do. Instead of just being a marketer, you could describe yourself as the voice of the people as you are the one that gives their thoughts a chance to be heard.
3. Share snippets of information. As with any other social networking site, LinkedIn also requires engagement. You do not merely set up your profile and never check in. Posting interesting facts about your industry or having discussions on topics centred on the industry.
4. Ultimately, create a worthy profile. One that will have people interested in the person that you are and the work you do.
The following tips apply to all social media platforms.
1. Check your privacy settings. You must ensure your profile is ready for potential employers/ clients to see.
2. Search yourself. See what results come up when you search yourself. Bear in mind that images also come up and you should be sure that the images do not convey the wrong perception. If you do find something that may damage your reputation, you should find ways to remove that.
3. If you have a personal blog, do revise it. The blog will show up in the search results and you will not want anything damning you may have posted to be read.
4. Delete any accounts that are inactive or that you may have abandoned. Again, if it may be damning, it is probably best to get rid of it.
5. Think before you post. You may be comfortable posting tweets and Facebook updates in your personal capacity, but if you are representing a company, it is best to keep those to a minimum. Better yet, have two separate accounts for personal and professional posts.
Now that it has been made easy, we hope that you get started on your social media audit soon. Also remember it is not supposed to be difficult or tedious to manage. It still has to be fun just remember to remain professional.
For more tips, check out these links:
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/cleaning-your-digital-footprint/
Featured Image courtesy of Huffingtonpost.com
