Personal branding on social media, when done right, can help you stand proud and apart from your peers.
This technique can help you attract exciting new opportunities, take control of your online reputation, gain professional responsibility and, last but not least, advance your career.
Personal branding on social media can even help you promote your own business…when you’re ready.
How to Use Social Media to Improve Your Personal Brand
• Add a professional up-to-date photo to your social media profiles: Use the same photo across different platforms to ensure consistency.
• Delete any content you wouldn’t want potential employers to see…at least the public content. You can always maintain a private profile for things you don’t want employers or clients to see.
• Let your personality shine through in your social media posts. Write the way you speak. Be authentic. Discuss things that matter to you. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.
• Share interesting and relevant news stories from your industry on social media. Join industry groups on social media platforms. Respond to questions and comments and engage with your followers.
• Make new contacts as often as you can, especially on LinkedIn. Identify people in your field you want to connect with. Send a certain number of invites each week with a short personal message. Make a habit of this, and your network will grow.
• Use cross-platform tools like Hootsuite to make your life easier. Schedule your posts in advance. Share posts across multiple platforms all from one place. Those platforms, of course, can include Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or even YouTube.
• Post consistently. Do this, and people will know when to expect new content from you.
• Keep your social media posts positive and engaging. After all, no likes a negative ninny or a downer.
