Build your personal brand online

Building your personal brand is an important skill to acquire as a professional. Whether it is through networking in person with colleagues or speaking at a panel event—the way you present yourself leaves a lasting impression on those around you. But a more permanent way to build your brand can be done through social media.

Why it matters: Creating and maintaining your personal brand can help you stand out from others and attract a unique audience and following. In the credit industry, being a leader can have several meanings: one important aspect being influential over others. Using social media to build that influence can help others who need guidance or inspiration.

Your personal brand summarizes your story, interests, skills and beliefs, like a bio. It is defined as the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception elevating your credibility. Everyone’s brand is different. So, let’s look at some of the main ways to use social media to sharpen your professional presence online.

Discover where your passion lives. Before you start building, find out what social media platform you use the most and what audience base you want to reach. Jen Martin, director of credit at Carter-Jones Companies (Kent, OH), said LinkedIn is her main source to reach a larger audience.

“For me, it started off more as a way of recruiting employees rather than to be a social media influencer,” she said. “It’s allowed me to contact a lot of great resources throughout the country and, in turn, it brings additional folks into the businesses that I’ve been involved in. It has been a large driver for me having the availability because it improves my reach.”

Once you have established the direction you want to go, it is important to remain authentic and honest to let your personality shine through. Even though you are a professional, using social media allows you to show the more human side of yourself so people can relate. “It’s okay to have an opinion,” Martin added. “Authenticity is extremely valued in the LinkedIn space and it’s the idea that not only one person is out here struggling with challenges in the profession. So, it creates a tribe, if you will, which is really nice.”

Put yourself out there. Because authenticity is valued in all spaces (not limited to LinkedIn), taking the risk of stepping outside of your comfort zone is important for both personal and brand growth. One example of this could be through joining industry groups or sharing something insightful that you learned in doing so.

Janet Elliott, financial services manager at Werner Electric Supply Company (Appleton, WI), is active on multiple social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for business purposes. “I typically use my LinkedIn platform for talking about women’s employee resources groups (ERG) or focusing on how to be an ally and advocate for women,” Elliott said. “But if you think about building your brand outside of just social media, I am super active in credit groups and make sure I’m networking within those groups and also being a resource to others.”

Commenting on informative posts on platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook can help spread the message for others to see, which drives engagement. “It’s interesting that only around 2% of the people who follow you actually see your posts,” Elliott added. “I do try to come up with captivating topics and posts for my followers to see because it helps reinforce the brand image I have.”

Learning the algorithm of the social media platform is one of the most efficient ways to gain traction. For example, using relevant hashtags, keywords, pictures, videos or GIFs can help capture the attention of your audience. Posting informative information and asking questions in your post create an open environment for your followers to answer or engage with you. Another way to drive engagement is by collaborating with others and tagging them in your posts.

“To get the most engagement on your posts, it is recommended to have people comment at least seven words,” Elliott said. “You have to get others to want to write something meaningful for more people to see it. Since I’ve started paying attention to that, my impressions on LinkedIn have gone up to 1,500 people or more who are looking at my feed.”

Always be aware of your digital footprint. Don’t post anything you would not want your boss to see. Once you post anything online, it is out there forever for any person to see—even if you delete it. Social media etiquette is essential when building your brand and gaining popularity, especially if you are representing your company.

“You have to recognize that if you are going to be active on these platforms that people are going to conflate that with the business you’re representing,” Martin said. “Be conscious of what you are putting out. I prefer to engage with positive folks, and I think that that resonates with most people. Your brand is larger than your business, but it also represents that business.”

The bottom line: Balancing your personal and professional brand is a needed skill in today’s professional landscape. It enhances your credibility, helps you stand out, attracts a unique audience and influences others within your industry.