(Newswire.net — March 17, 2020) —
The world runs on the Internet these days.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a traditional brick and mortar store, an online entrepreneur, or a public speaker, every professional must maintain an online presence to remain relevant in 2020.
It’s undeniably a positive thing. After all, businesses of all types are gaining access to potential customers at an unprecedented rate. Job hunters are finding perfect positions they would have otherwise been unaware of. A painter in Winnipeg can sell their work to a buyer in Ghana and an African dog-treat manufacturer can find customers in Mexico.
Even doctors are beginning to maintain an online presence in order to attract patients, strengthen visibility, and share relevant medical information.
But with the good comes the bad. The bad, in this case, is oversaturation. There are so many businesses vying for their own strand of the world wide web that it can be difficult to make yourself noticed. So let’s look at some ways to improve your professional online presence in 2020.
1. Find your people
To begin with, you’re going to need an action plan.
Start thinking about who your audience is. This will help you decide which social media platforms to use, what type of content to create, and where you should allocate your resources. It’s important to be specific, but make sure not to cut yourself off from other potential markets.
Begin by analyzing your current and past customers. This can be done by looking at your existing social media network, followers, or past and current customers.
Consider your audience’s age, gender, and geographic region. If you’re conducting your research through sites like Facebook or Twitter, you can look at even more factors to help you determine your ideal demographic.
2. Take advantage of the right sites
Finding the right websites to promote your professional presence is important.
For example, Facebook has become fairly ubiquitous in the modern world but accounts on this platform actually have a fairly limited reach. So, it may make more sense to look at other sites to promote yourself.
Take advantage of platforms that allow you to showcase who you are and what you do, such as LinkedIn or Crunchbase. These provide an excellent opportunity to link to your professional website and social media accounts, as you can see on this Crunchbase profile.
Or perhaps you’re targeting a younger clientele. In that case, you may want to shore up your Instagram account. This platform is especially useful if your product is visual in nature. But many folks have found creative ways to use the platform for non-visual endeavors.
3. Don’t be afraid of social media
This brings us to our next point: Don’t let social media scare you away.
For years, these platforms were denigrated to the position of glorified high school yearbooks. But the truth is, most companies are conducting business here. So if you’re looking to bolster your professional online presence, these are a must.
According to Statista, there are more than 2.5 billion social media users in the world as of 2019. More than 243 million of those are in the United States alone.
Facebook may not have a particularly far reach, but it’s a great way to interact with potential customers, employers, or collaborators. After all, roughly two-thirds of U.S. adults use Facebook.
Sites like Twitter allow you to reach out to potential contacts. LinkedIn can help you grow your professional network and relationships.
Just be careful what you post. These days, it’s not uncommon for potential employers or connections to check up on someone via social media. If you have any embarrassing photos, make sure they’re private or just delete them outright.
4. Connect with thought leaders/influencers in your industry
Connecting with influencers within your industry is a great way to develop your online presence. It can bolster your social media strategy, generate important contacts, and show important people what you’re capable of.
Do you enjoy attending annual conferences? Look up the key speakers and try connecting with them beforehand and engage in an online conversation. It could result in a mention or at least a good contact for the future.
You could also try tagging a favorite influencer in your own post. This is another way to prompt a conversation with your audience or generate a connection.
The Takeaway
Whether it’s through targeted research, social media engagement, a well-crafted blog post, or interacting with industry influencers, there are many ways to make digital self shine as brightly as possible.
After all, in these modern times, maintaining your online presence is as valuable as updating your CV. It can lead to jobs, contracts, customers, and just about everything in between.
Curating what people see is a great way to demonstrate your professionalism while remaining relevant as we head into this new decade.