Hello Joanne, Welcome to your Business Growth Tip. FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Are corporate leaders too busy for social media? In this article published in The Economist; Stephen Lynch, Chief Operating Officer of business execution consultancy RESULTS.com, explains how to build a valuable online personal brand. Social media’s “intrusion” into our personal lives is only going to intensify. Your colleagues, staff, boss, clients, vendors, investors, potential business partners, recruiters and business connections are already judging you based on what they find about you online. Like it or not, you are a brand. But while your online personal brand is becoming increasingly important, it has also become harder to control. Websites are now available allowing people to post comments about you relatively anonymously. These comments are publicly searchable and there are few if any repercussions for the poster. Some call it the age of “radical transparency.” As a result, Thomas Jefferson’s advice that: “Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching” now truly applies. It’s also all too easy to complain online about people or companies, with the tools that are available on even a simple handheld device. We can do this in the instant we are upset and it can feel good to vent our frustration. We are less inclined to offer praise with the same haste and vigor. This makes us even more vulnerable to the opinion, fair or otherwise, of others. So how do you protect and enhance your online reputation? Above all, you must be proactive. You must first define what is great about you as a person and position how you want to be perceived online – rather than allow others to define you. Doing so may determine whether you get the top job, win investor and stakeholder support, or gain the trust of potential business partners. Then, consider how to market yourself strategically, just as you would market any company brand, remembering that social media platforms are means and not ends.  It's a common mistake to make lots of noise online without having a clear brand strategy in place. Answering the following questions may help you develop such a strategic framework within which to flesh out your key personal brand messages: What are your career goals and how will you measure your success? Who is your target market audience – the people to whom you want to appeal most? What makes you meaningfully different and special? What is the main benefit you offer to your audience? What proof can you provide to be credible to your audience? Using this framework, create two or three short statements that communicate who you are and what you want to be known for. Then invest in cultivating an effective presence within key social media platforms. Be aware that building an online personal brand is not a one-off event: like a gardener, you need to tend your plot regularly and not let the weeds take over. LinkedIn If you use only one social media platform, use LinkedIn, the premier social networking site for “business leaders,” with more than 50 million users worldwide. Currently, the average user is 41 years old, well educated, earns a six-figure income, and more than 50% claim to be key decision makers in their company. LinkedIn rates highly on search engines, and you want people searching your name to find your LinkedIn profile rather than any malicious comments posted about you elsewhere. Here’s how busy business leaders can get the most out of it: Completely fill out your LinkedIn profile: list all your past companies (not just your current company), education, affiliations, activities, and include a professional photo. In the summary section, market yourself by inserting the key personal brand messages you developed earlier. Don’t think of it as just an executive resume. Most profiles are just a boring list of facts. Here is where you stand out from the crowd by effectively branding yourself. Connect with everyone in your address book whom you know and trust – and whom will personally vouch for you. The more connections you have – the higher you will rank – but a good rule of thumb is to only connect with people whom you would personally vouch for. Tell the truth – it is easy for people to contact your connections to verify information about you. Few people just perform reference checks on the names you supply on a traditional paper resume. Now they search and make direct contact with anyone you’ve ever worked with or done business with. Ask for recommendations from your connections. Don’t be shy. If you have done good work in the past this is where you provide proof and enhance your credibility. Recommendations can help negate any future negative comments others may make about you on other platforms. Recommendations from managers highlight your strengths. Recommendations from employees highlight your leadership qualities. Recommendations from customers and suppliers show that you can be trusted. Don’t just sit there! Don’t let your profile just sit there. Use the status update function on a weekly basis to keep your network informed about projects you are working on, or to ask for help (hiring a new employee, finding new supplier etc). This is a simple and effective way to draw on resources, and keep in touch with a lot of people simultaneously. Demonstrate industry leadership by sharing brief snippets and links to information that you think may benefit others in your network. Check your profile home page at least weekly. You will quickly see what everyone in your network is up to, and where you may be able to offer assistance. Build your network before you need it. These are the people you want to be able to call on for support in the future. Make introductions and offer to help others where you can. Time to set up an effective LinkedIn profile and get recommendations – 2 to 3 hours. Time commitment to maintain an effective LinkedIn presence – 10 minutes per week. Some people mistakenly believe that they can separate their online personas into LinkedIn for business use and Facebook and Twitter for personal posts. Certainly, post your personal photos on Facebook and voice your opinions on Twitter, but remember, everything is ultimately searchable, so keep your brand identity consistent across all social media. Actually, sharing elements of your personal life makes you more interesting, and provides talking points that can deepen both your online and offline relationships. To summarize, here are 6 tips for social media success for busy business leaders: Know your audience Post interesting content Be consistent Build trust Acknowledge and connect with people meaningfully Add value constantly (then contacts will be more willing to help you) Finally, everything you post online is searchable forever. Get clear on who you are, and how you want to be perceived. Then “live your brand” consistently. If you manage your personal brand wisely, it will serve you well for a lifetime!   Stephen Lynch Chief Operating Officer - Global Operations RESULTS.com

Transform your business with  RESULTS.com - Click here!

If you enjoyed reading this Business Growth Tip please Send to a Friend