Comet Branding - Branding | PR | Social Media

10 Tips to Start Creating Your Personal Brand Through Social Media

Today I had the opportunity to present to the GMR Networking Group in Charlotte, NC about how I used social media to land my job at Comet Branding + PR. I wish I could say I was back in the Queen City to present in person, but it was great to connect with a great group of people remotely.Each month at the Charlotte GMR Marketing office they hold a networking breakfast, allowing individuals who are interested in networking with various professionals in the city or are actively searching for tips on how to find a job.

I was approached by GMR after they saw my SlideShare presentation on how I was hired at Comet Branding and wanted me to share my story with the group, showing them how you can get creative with social media to network and brand yourself to potential employers.

Since joining the Comet Branding team, I have become even more passionate about social media and the advantages of using various platforms to expand your network. Each day there are countless numbers of updates to current social media platforms, developments of new applications and creative ideas spread across Twitter with fresh new concepts that will soon be another platform we use.

The group attending this morning’s networking session had many great questions as to how they can get started with social media and specifically what platforms to first focus their time on. These are questions that come up most often when getting started with social media, so I wanted to leave the group with these top 10 suggestions on what to do to take those first steps with developing your personal brand.

10 Tips to Start Creating Your Personal Brand Through Social Media:

1. Join Twitter. Create a username that will make you easily recognizable and build your SEO credibility. Example: @LauraGainor vs. @LMG12

2. Setup your basic profile with a keyword rich bio and a professional portrait of yourself, yet showing your personality.

3. Determine what you want your focused “message” to be within your Twitter updates. It’s important to keep your main focus consistent so you can develop your personal brand.

4. Network, network, network. Twitter is the quickest way to network with people within your industry, topics you’re interested in learning more about or staying up-to-date on recent news and events. The first social platform I hit when we decided we were moving to Milwaukee was Twitter. It’s a phenomenal tool to quickly start conversations with people you would like to meet in person.

5. Join LinkedIn and update your basic profile, publishing information about your past work experiences and a keyword-rich bio describing your expertise and strengths.

6. Spend 10 minutes each day to find new LinkedIn connections you’ve recently met in person, communicated with on Twitter or have been introduced to by a friend. Set a goal for yourself to connect with five (5) new people each week.

7. Get familiar with LinkedIn applications! LinkedIn offers various applications to add directly into your profile such as SlideShare, Events, WordPress and so many more. These platforms allow you to use LinkedIn as a social hub for all of your personal branding information and connect with people who are linking to the same events and topics.

8. Join groups related to your industry and interests. The GMR Networking Group is a great example for how you can quickly connect with Charlotte professionals who are all interested in the same topics. Once you connect through the LinkedIn group, then meet in person at a monthly networking breakfast, all of a sudden your network continues to grow as you build a relationship with these professionals.

9. Create a blog. The first place potential employers go to find information about job applicants is Google. If you keep up a blog with topics you’re interested in to show you’re active in finding new information within the industry, you’ll be a step above those that do not keep a personal blog. A blog is key for developing your personal brand.

10. Send personal written notes to your connections. Yes, on paper! It’s easy to get caught up in social media and only staying connected online. Potential employers and new contacts remember you more if you take the time to write a personal note. Send a quick thank you to a person you want to continue a strong professional relationship with. It will go a long way!

Tags: gmr marketing, job search, Laura Gainor, LinkedIn, networking, personal branding, social media tips, Twitter