Your work is all around you.
It may be a nifty title for a column, but it should also be a reminder that you no longer get to dictate what’s said about you, your business or your brand. While true “control” has always been a myth, the reality in this age of spidered content and 24/7 Wi-Fi is that other people can find out a lot about you really quickly.
I’m not talking about the unscrupulous sites where, for a nominal fee, someone can find out where you live, how much you paid for your home and probably even whom you walked home from school with in second grade. They’re out there, and there’s little we can do about them. But we can manage the information we’re generating for the world to see.
Whether you want to call it personal branding, reputation management or something else, it’s important to understand how you’re presenting yourself online—which means undertaking a periodic social media check-up. Here are nine things to consider:
1. If you don’t have a digital footprint, you need to get one. Fast. Nothing is a bigger red flag these days than a marketer or a businessperson who has little or no digital footprint. If you are new to social media, my friend and colleague Beth Schillaci has written Your Social Media Roadmap, a workbook that takes you through the process of building a strategy and identifying what channels make sense for your business. (*See below for details on how to win a free copy of the book.)
2. Google yourself. And think Bing, too. It’s critical that you know what people are saying about you. Part of the reason is that things you think are behind a firewall may not be. Or there may be photos you’ve been tagged in that you don’t want to be identified with. Or someone may have mentioned you in a blog post. Even if all the information is great, you have to know what people are seeing on page one when they search for you. As your digital footprint increases and you produce regular content, you will find that you’re more and more in control of your search results. (Unless, of course, you find yourself mired in a PR crisis.)
3. Your web site. Is what you’re saying on your web site still relevant to what you do? And are you using language that reflects your personality? For example, I reworked my about me page a few months ago to make it more conversational. Finally, make sure your web site looks up-to-date. Visuals matter online, too.
4. Your LinkedIn profile. Many people default to their corporate titles, but how relevant is that? Rather than calling myself “owner” or “principal,” my profile identifies me as a business-savvy communication strategist, writer, speaker and entrepreneur. In addition, it’s important to make sure your profile meshes with how you describe yourself and your business on your web site. Also try to update your status regularly (at least once a week) and to seek recommendations from trusted clients and colleagues.
5. Your blog. If you have a business blog, make sure you’ve posted recently. This is doubly true if it is housed on your company web site, because then it is one of the first places prospects look for insight about you. It’s also a good idea to assess your blog content to make sure you’re covering the right topics for your audience. Finally, make sure your blog is mobile-accessible (i.e., can be viewed well on iPhones, Android phones and BlackBerry). If it’s not—it should be.
6. Your Facebook page. I’m no Facebook expert, but even I know that if you set up a company page, it’s not enough to just ask your family, friends and colleagues to “like” it. You also have to post regularly (see a trend here?), incorporate multimedia content (e.g., links, photos, video), showcase your brand personality, and—most important—find ways to have a conversation with your clients and prospects. If you’re not interacting with them, why should they interact with you?
7. Your Twitter account. If you’re using Twitter for business purposes, do you have a strategy or have you just been posting random links? Take a few minutes to assess how you’re interacting with your community on Twitter. This is also a good time to think about whom you’re following or should be following—smart people in your industry, clients and prospects, and even your competitors.
8. Think video. According to November 2010 statistics, more than 35 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute. And two billion videos are viewed each month on Facebook. People are going to increasingly expect businesses to have videos, so it’s time to start developing a video strategy if you don’t already have one. I have a Flip camera and a video strategy—now I just have to start shooting.
9. Don’t forget outposts. My outposts include my Google Profile, my shared items in Google Reader and my SlideShare presentations. Again, make sure your profiles are consistent and that your content reflects your brand.
Finally, I’m going to end where I started. Your work is all around you, and that first impression often happens before you even shake hands with someone. So it’s important to do a regular social media check-up and make sure you’re giving your prospects and clients a reason to want to do business with you.
*Want to win a free copy of Your Social Media Roadmap? Beth Schillaci has given me a signed copy of her book to give away here. Leave a comment on my blog about your social media goals for 2011 and what you hope to learn. The best answer (judged by me) wins a copy of the book.
