Creating an online presence through branding yourself online isn’t as
difficult as you may think. Hardly an overnight process, but worth the effort,
personal branding ensures that you’re well represented online, and ultimately
that you are in control of your online
reputation.
Keywords:
Use a free keyword research tool to look into keywords to use when representing
yourself online. Google your name and other keywords to see what results they
currently yield. Your name and/or brand name will be very important keywords.
Image:
Use the same picture or image logo throughout. This makes you instantly
identifiable, especially between social media platforms. Tag yourself in photos
online, and generally make yourself seen.
Name:
Like your image, keep your name consistent. Make sure that the spelling and
punctuation are always identical, not only to make you recognisable with
humans, but also the search engine spiders. Do a few searches for your name to see
what your Google
CV looks like. If your name is already extremely popular (or is riddled
with negativity) you may want to consider an alternative. Read this post on how
to claim
back your Google CV for more information.
Enthusiasm:
Be enthusiastic online, without being annoying – the more active you are the better
your web visibility. Always be willing to share information which would be of
use to your audience – information which they would associate with you and your
branding.
Form
Relationships: Remember, online you’re likely just a
stranger to most. Creating relationships can take time, so befriend people
naturally, rather than going on a massive ‘friendship campaign’. Always be
polite online – you wouldn’t want a potential employer overlooking you due to a
heated debate you had online many years ago.
Professionalism:
Chances are you’re moulding your personal identity to increase your business portfolio or to find
work. If so, remember to include your professional information across all
you profiles (with your CV if possible), and clearly explain what you do and what
your expertise is.
Identify
Yourself Online
Before you get stared, it’s probably a good idea to
create an online interaction guide for your identity, if you don’t already have
one. This document will determine how you operate online (list of keywords etc.), how you communicate with others and
how you carry yourself online overall.
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