Having a personal brand is not solely for entrepreneurs or CEOs on keynote panels anymore – it’s for anyone working in recruitment that works in a vertical sector or indeed any professional industry thanks to a little thing we like to call the internet. Whether you meet someone at a client visit, networking event or even just through friends, likely the first thing they will do is look you up online to see what you’re about.
By curating your online brand with intent, it can distinguish you from the masses while ensuring that you are marketing yourself to the highest standard, which, will inevitably create MORE opportunities for yourself. This will in turn mean more opportunities for your candidates, more value to add to your clients and more opportunity to be recommended.
Consider Yourself As a Brand
If I were to say Apple or Coca Cola, it is very easy to conjure up adjectives on what these brands stand for. Apple has built its brand around counterculture, youthfulness and creativity and Coca Cola has become a household name with any number of positive attributes. What do you want your brand to say about you? If someone in your business network were to recommend you to another person, whether it was a potential candidate or client, how would you want them to describe you? Standing out as an expert on a particular topic can be beneficial to your personal brand so be sure to put yourself out there as a thought leader. Just be sure that whatever knowledge you are offering is coming from a place of authenticity and with the intent of helping other people. That alone will magnetize curiosity and industry respect.
Share With Purpose
With LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and the many other social networks we keep up with there can be a pressure to get involved in conversations and share something for the sake of visibility online. It’s important to remember that quality reigns over quantity. When it comes to your online brand, you want to be aware that with every Like, Share and Retweet you are marketing your personal brand and endorsing others. Focus your content choices around a purpose instead of mindlessly sharing articles. Endorse others in your network if they share something great and build on their ideas to create a forum of discussion that is beyond the idle chatter on the internet. Aim for impact to both your network and your business.
Audit Yourself
Google your name. Do you like what you see? If you are buried within other results with people who share the same name, you need to get to work quickly. You can engage an SEO service or even add a middle name so that you are unique. Signing up for a Google+ account alone will increase your ranking, especially if it is filled out fully including links to other profiles and professionally relevant search words. You will also want to search for any feedback that has been posted online about you so that you are well aware of your online reputation and remedy / promote it accordingly. By showing that you rank highly in a Google search shows that you are savvy and competent which means good things for your personal brand online and offline.
By taking your personal brand into your own hands online you will feel more confident about your business, your reputation and it is our sincere hope that it attracts many new opportunities as well!
