7 Steps to Build Your Social Media Brand

Photo from socialmediatoday.com

We are supposed to be the digital generation. Facebook, texting, Twitter, and Instagram are a big part of our social lives. Our iPhones have a seat at every meal with us and can by found without fail on our bedside table- maybe even slumbering in our hands after some late-night Facebooking.

Social media is so integrated into our daily habits that I think we forget how to use it purposefully. For better or worse, we have come to the point where you are outwardly defined by your appearance on social media– especially in the professional world. Your online presence can tank your reputation or boost your professional street cred.

Putting some solid thought into your personal brand online can reap sweet rewards. It could help you land a job in your desired field, build a broader professional network, or boost credibility in your current position. Even if you don’t consider yourself a social media maven, it’s not hard to put your best foot forward on social media.

Seven Steps to Build Your Social Media Brand

Step 1: Clean up your current profiles.

Delete any pictures, posts, or tweets that you would be ashamed to see on the cover of the New York Times. No employer wants to see that junk. And for heaven’s sake, please proofread your LinkedIn profile.

Step 2: Set a vision and purpose for your personal online brand

What skill set are you building? What are your career goals? What is your niche? What are your hobbies and interests that make you unique?

Don’t just focus on professional skills and goals, but also your personal goals. Think about who you like to follow on social media… these people typically have pretty cool lives outside of work that they post about!

Step 3: Write down some themes that guide your vision

This will help give you some parameters for your types of posts. Ask yourself how you want to be known. Examples: Adventurous, artsy, tech-savvy, classy, thoughtful.

Step 4: Research who the opinion leaders are that align with your vision and then become friends with them

If you want to build a reputation for being tech savvy, follow on Twitter and like the Pages of leaders in your field who are tech savvy. Join LinkedIn groups. Attend events or conferences that they attend. Show some love and repost their stuff.

Caveat: There is a line here. Don’t be a creepy stalker! And please do not bombard them with emails and direct messages if you haven’t established a rapport. Only Facebook friend or LinkedIn request people you have actually met or, at the very least, emailed.

Step 5: Identify your audience

Are opinion leaders in your field following you and friends on Facebook? Are your co-workers following you? Do you want to have different audiences for different platforms? For example, you could use Twitter professionally and Facebook for personal friends only.

Having a clear idea who you are speaking to will help you choose content that speaks to your peeps.

Step 6: Post interesting content that your audiences care about and is tailored to the platform (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.)

This is tricky and takes some feedback from your audience to get a true sense of what they find valuable. Take mental note of articles that get retweeted, how many likes you get on certain photos, who comments on your status updates, etc. Replicate the popular things and ditch the others (after scientific analysis, you may be shocked to find out that no one actually cares about your midnight slurpee run photos).

My personal pet peeve is when people link their Twitter to their Facebook and LinkedIn. If I really wanted to see your 50 tweets a day, I would follow you on Twitter. Each platform has a different purpose, so your content should be customized as such. If this is overwhelming (that’s a lot of time online!), pick one platform and dominate it.

If you don’t know what the best kind of content is for a given platform, then spend a week following what power users post and emulate their style.

Avoid being that girl that posts way too much all the time. No matter how cool you think the content is, people will start hiding you from their news feeds. Think about the friends you really enjoy talking with face-to-face: are they the chronic oversharers or do they listen to what you have to say and share the things that are truly important in their lives?

Step 7: Step back and evaluate your work

After a few months building your personal brand online, step back and evaluate how you’re doing. Are a few of your favorite opinion leaders following you? Have some of your co-workers liked your posts? Ask a friend if they’ve noticed a difference.

PS This shouldn’t be a draining process. The goal is to promote your best, most unique attributes that make you an awesome professional and human being! If you aren’t having fun with it, then maybe do some soul searching about the vision and goals for your personal brand.

Did I leave anything out? Do you have any tips for branding yourself on social media?

~Rach

Demystifying Workplace Fashion

We may all say “not to judge a book by its cover,” but the truth is that appearance makes a big difference in the workplace.

Wrinkly slacks, that boho lace top, or a much-to0-short hemline can make the difference in whether someone hires you and invites you to the big kid’s table in the boardroom. Do you want to build a reputation based on your edgy fashion or your professional ability?

I beg you– please save your fashion freak flag for Friday night. Or get a job with a creative firm/ bar/ fashion designer that accepts your inner fashionista.

With that out of the way, let’s be real… professional dress code terms can be confusing! What is the difference between business professional and casual? What should you wear to an interview? Are jeans acceptable on casual Friday?

Each office has a different culture– some embrace creative fashion, while others are very conservative. Your first couple of weeks, it is best to play it safe and err on the side of more conservative dress. See what your co-workers wear (especially the ones who are respected and in leadership) and use their standard as your guide. Regardless the workplace culture, here are some general rules of thumb to guide your fashion choices:

Handy-Dandy Workplace Fashion Cheat Sheet

*Note: Business professional should always be worn for an interview.

Now that we’ve covered the dos, let’s look at some don’ts just for fun. Ain’t nobody gonna take you seriously in these get-ups:

DON’T: Anything from Snooki Couture (yes, this is a thing)

Ask yourself, What Would Snooki Wear? (WWSW), then don’t wear that. Anything leather, garish animal print, or cleavage-bearing is out.

DON’T: Flip Flops (unless you work here)

Dalai Lama: the only guy that can get away with flip flops in the office.

DON’T: Bandage Dress (read: skin-tight tube dress)

Just don’t. Ever. Note: A blazer still does not make this acceptable outside of the club.

~Rach