Lauren Riley
When it comes to looking for a job in the digital industry, it’s not enough to just fire off a CV and cover letter and hope for the best.
The internet and social media has given job seekers the chance to promote themselves beyond the traditional job application, and showcase their skills to millions of people all over the world.
A personal brand is vital in the digital industry, and social media is an important tool in building this – but how to do you go about that?
Well, here we’ve come up with 5 ways you can use social media to build your personal brand and bag a digital job.
1) Complete Your Profile
One of the most unprofessional things you can do on social media is to have half-completed, dormant profiles lingering around on the internet.
It makes it seem like you’re not taking your personal brand seriously and are not an active member of the online community.
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date with your most recent work history/education history and that your other profiles such as Google+, Instagram and Twitter are up-to-date, relevant and full. No-one likes an egg profile picture!
2) Show Off Your Skills
Whether you’re a copywriter, social media manager or video editor, there are plenty of platforms to showcase what you can do on without the need for a website to host your portfolio.
LinkedIn Publishing is a great way of showing off your writing skills, YouTube is useful for show reels for animators and video editors, and the likes of Pinterest and Instagram are handy tools for graphic designers etc to promote their work.
3) Engage In Discussions
The great thing about social media is that it’s exactly that – social.
A handy way of getting yourself out there and your voice heard is to engage in discussions within your particular sector. For example, if you’re a budding SEO Manager, taking part in chats about SEO techniques will raise your profile.
Search for LinkedIn groups, Google+ communities or Twitter chats that are relevant to your industry, and take part in or start your own discussions with fellow professionals – this will increase your authority and build your audience at the same time.
4) Share Useful Content
Once you’ve got a decent following on social media, how do you keep them interested in you and position yourself as an influencer/authority?
Find useful content related to your industry and skill set and share it with your followers – this will prove that you know what you’re talking about and spend your spare time researching the sector. This is something that the employer will love!
Check out industry blogs, YouTube channels or publications for great content – but only share content you’ve read it yourself and think it of high-quality.
5) Have A Personality
While using social media to build your brand and appear professional and knowledgeable, it can be very easy to come across as stuffy and dull.
At the end of the day, these are your personal social media profiles, so don’t be afraid to include some fun, personal content or posts as well. Remember: the employer wants to hire a personality fit as well as a skills fit.
Top tip: While we encourage sharing some light-hearted content on your social media profiles, make sure these are appropriate and are something you wouldn’t mind a prospective employer seeing.
So there we go – some tips on using social media to build your personal brand. Do you agree with these tips or have any of your own?
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