Did you know that 92% of employers use social media sites in their hiring processes? Which means that if you have been in the running for a new position, your potential employer has likely looked at your social profiles. Does your social media communicate your personal brand? Have you created your own personal brand?
Wait. What’s a personal brand and why should you even care?
Think about a company like Nike. You likely think of their slogan “Just Do It.” Obviously, they sell shoes and other athletic wear, but when you think of the company’s brand identity, you think of motivational stories, perseverance, and going against the status quo. Your own personal brand identity works the same way. What will people think of when they hear your name?
Personal branding is different from your reputation, though. With reputation, you often don’t control this image of yourself in people’s minds. Your personal brand however, is a product of your own control. It’s how you want to be known and what you put out into the world to shape people’s idea of you.
This includes the messages you send with your Instagram posts, the expertise you display on LinkedIn, and how you market yourself. So, how do you even begin to build your personal brand?
Brainstorm and Get Organized on Social Media
Before you can begin building your own brand, you have to ask yourself what message you want to get across and how. Ask yourself these 5 questions:
- What are my values?
- What are my strengths?
- What skills do I have?
- What are my passions?
- What are my professional goals?
Once you answer these questions, you can begin to organize and clean up your current social media channels to align them with what you came up with.
As mentioned above, employers are looking at your social media to decide whether or not to hire you. So, you want your profiles to match the values you bring to a company. Now that you have figured out what you bring to the table and organized your profiles to match, you can get started at branching out and building your brand.
Building Your Personal Brand
One of the best things you can do for yourself on socials is super simple. Use social media as a social outlet! Talk about the things you know, ask questions when you don’t understand something, and react when a post resonates with you.
If you’re not following relevant voices in your industry, interacting in comment sections with insightful posts, or sharing your thoughts and knowledge in your own feed, you’re missing out on an opportunity to establish yourself. Here are some easy ways you can do this right now:
- Follow pages you find interesting or inspiring (ex: motivational quotes, educational information, pages that align with your hobbies)
- Comment about how a post impacted you (ex: you see a post with the title “things i still struggle with at age 30” and you resonate with what is being shared. Comment something like “I really resonated with these pain points. I also struggle with … and in my life [explain how you struggle with the same thing].”)
- Share about an event you attended and what you learned from it (This is a great post for LinkedIn. Find more information about how to master LinkedIn HERE)
These are just a few examples, and they can be remixed with each new idea you come up with. It might seem scary or uncomfortable at first, but the more you branch out and connect with new people, the more confident you will feel. You will be surprised at the world of opportunities this practice will open for you.
In the workforce, there is an overwhelming amount of people with the same skills as you. Building up your personal brand and showing off your skills will help you stand out and be recognized for the talent you have. Invest in your social media presence and you might find a new career opportunity at your doorstep!
Check out our social media for ideas!
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About LGC
Since 2003 LGC has been building connections between businesses with staffing needs and job seekers looking for new opportunities. Our range of solutions includes temporary and permanent placements (and everything in between) for a variety of industries. With offices located nationwide, we can tap into a dynamic pool of talented professionals. We have a passion for creating partnerships that last and work hard every day to ensure both clients and candidates reach their employment goals.