Strategies For Effective Online Networking

HOW TO CREATE TOP-QUALITY ONLINE PROFILES
There are numerous things you can do to create a striking and effective online profile. Some of this will depend on factors such as the type of site you’re creating the profile for, and the industry you’re looking to work in

Here we will explore in more detail the steps you should take to create an effective and reliable online profile

• Decide what you want to be known for. Think about what part of your personality impresses people the most. Think about what your strengths are then decide on the most effective way to emphasize this in your online profiles
  
  
• Utilize online branding as part of an effective strategy for creating great online profiles. Outline the skills you want to emphasize about yourself, also write down the one thing you want this content to portray about you overall
  
  
• Make a point of listing any affiliations and organisations that you are a part of. Whether these are educational, business, recreational, alumni affiliations, etc – if it’s relevant, make sure it’s mentioned somewhere on your profile

• It is important that you come across as relatable in your profile. Take care not to seem too introverted or obsessive regarding any particular topic. The reasoning for this is quite straightforward. Within the workplace, we are required to work as part of a team. If you seem relatable and well-balanced in your profile, then this gives employers and recruiters a lot of reassurance that you can fit into their workplace
  
  
• Always try and list your main hobbies on your profiles, especially those that involve social activities with others
  
  
• Choose pictures of yourself that tell your audience about you. Pictures where you are participating in sports, social activities, or other hobbies are a great way to do this

• For your main picture on an online profile (including thumbnail images), always use the same one across all your online profiles. This helps you with establishing an online image ‘branding’
  
  
• Keep everything positive, just like in an interview situation. Remember that employers and recruiters will be viewing what you have posted online
  
  
• Keep everything neutral too. Remember that these profiles represent your own personal opinions, interests and ideas. Therefore, if you have strong political opinions, try to moderate them. Even things you may not notice, for instance, references to a strong national identity, a football team, even a distaste for certain types of media or T.V shows. A prospective employer may perceive this negatively if they don’t share your points of view

You never know who you might be reading your online profiles and what their views on certain topics might be. You want to be yourself, but at the same time if you are using these social media accounts, blogs, or other webpages for networking, you need to come across as open and inviting to people. It may help to have a close friend or family member proofread some of this content as they might be more objective and pick up on things that you might miss

• Check your spelling and grammar. This is another perfunctory but important thing to do when creating online profiles. It may be best to create the content first, and then go back the subsequent day to do proof reading as you will have a fresh take on things
  
  
• Make sure you include an ‘About Me’ page on any webpages or online blogs that you release. This is a great way to personalise yourself and gives you the opportunity to showcase your talents and personality from an honest and professional perspective
  
  
• To make the best use of the online profiles you create it is vital you make good use of links. Add links to any other relevant sites you think your audience will appreciate. Also add links from your other online posts or accounts that you have
  
  
• Check your privacy settings. This is very important because you want to control what employers and recruiters see and read of you. Many times, the content you post will be used for recreational purposes, that’s why it’s important you have the right privacy settings. (If you have links to other media accounts or webpages that contain information about you, check the content first to make sure you are happy with it before adding it as a link)
  
  
• Do online checks on yourself through google and other search engines. Check any content you come across to make sure it is not negative or defamatory
  
  
• Give and request recommendations – this is very important as it gets you known and involved on these social networking sites. It also shows people that you’re involved and gives everyone the feeling that you know what you’re talking about
  
  
• Endorse others, again this shows those viewing your profile that you’re involved and have an active interest in that field or industry. It also gives people the perception that you know what you’re talking about irrespective of whether this is true or not

• Try to incorporate content that is relevant to the industry you are looking for work in. This can be done in the form of basic trivia, opinion pieces, relaying news and current industry events, or simply through sharing information about the industry based on your own expertise and insights
  
  
• Also, share engaging and relevant media. Sharing quality media from other sources will have the same effect. It will engage your target audience, and will show that you are involved in that online community while at the same time enhancing your own profile online
  
  
• Make sure to check your profiles, and update them regularly
  
  

Create individual and stylized content to help promote your own self-brand identity
This is a very important step and in terms of an online presence is one of the most significant factors that will set you apart. This step involves content created by yourself that will help you expand your presence and influence online. Remember that different sites can reflect your online presence in different ways due to the formats they use. Keep this in mind and tailor your content accordingly

Individual content can be created through a variety of multi-media formats such as;
Photos
Broadcast videos, video blogs or written blogs
Written articles or opinion pieces

• Nowadays it is very easy to construct your own basic website or webpage. Owning your own webpage is a great way to build an online presence and it gives you complete control over all the content that goes onto it. This is a brilliant way to go about establishing a reputable online identity for yourself, your individual ‘brand’
  
  
• Using your name as your URL if you can whenever possible will help you bolster your SEO rankings if you have your own webpage
  
  
• Blogging is another sure way to establish a respectable online presence

Blogging
If you have any writing skills – with a little research, effort and enthusiasm you can create a fun and enjoyable format where you can showcase your knowledge and expertise. It gives you an opportunity to market yourself, help people, and build contacts in a fun and creative way. Blogging should also help you stay knowledgeable in that field or industry as you regularly discuss it and do research every time you check up on bits of information to include in your blog

EFFECTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA FORMATS
There are many formats we can utilise when looking to market ourselves online. Some of the most effective and most commonly used ones are listed here

Twitter
This is a very convenient format for you to network on and stay connected to your given industry of interest with. If you’re in the market for a job and looking to do a bit of online networking – this one is definitely for you. The ingenious thing about this format is that it can be used both for social as well as business networking related purposes.
Search on Companies House to find the names of directors for important companies. Also, do a bit of research online by searching those companies you most want to work for and find the names of the directors and other important people in them so you can follow them on Twitter.
Remember also to tweet about what’s happening in your industry—Any news, events, or advice that you happen to get, tweet about it. Also be sure to retweet advice from industry leaders, as well as retweeting any important tweets from those people you follow

Pinterest
This is a social media format that focuses heavily on multi-media content. Here you’ll be able to create individual and stylized multi-media content to help promote your own self-brand identity. On top of this, it also gives you an excellent chance to impress recruiters and employers by putting together industry themed multi-media presentations in clever and creative ways. It is a unique and refreshing social media platform; where Twitter focuses heavily on words in a texting platform, Pinterest does a similar thing but on a visual and imagery based platform.
To best utilize this type of social media a strong inclination towards working with, editing, creating and tailoring multimedia content is needed.
Once you are on Pinterest, remember to add links to your pages from your other social media accounts or other online profiles, websites and blogs

Facebook
Not only just a social media platform, it’s also a site that can also be used for business networking too! It is used by job hunters, recruiters, and employers alike, many of whom network amongst themselves either to find employment opportunities, or to source suitable candidates for employment openings. Whether unemployed or in regular full-time employment, if you’re serious about looking for a job, this is another online platform you should definitely look into