Today, a simple click of a button has become the major way employers get to know you professionally and personally. Appearing online has proved a highly effective method for many people to advance in their careers.
For this reason, developing your online presence is of utmost importance through both social and professional networking sites. And also building a strategic and professional one will expand your network beyond the industry or geographical area where you work.
Online presence refers to all activity and content that an entity which includes a person or a business has under its name on the internet. This means it goes far beyond setting up a profile that contains just a few information about you but it involves creating a virtual point of identity where people can find useful information about you, your career and interact with you through social media networks. An online presence can take many different forms, such as a website, social media, press releases, and search engines.
A strong online presence makes it easy for employers to have additional avenues to search and assess you as a potential candidate and here are the importance of building it:
- High visibility in your industry or field
In this day and age of rapid digital transformation, if you are not online, it is like you do not exist or are not part of a trend. When you create an online presence, you automatically become more accessible and visible to your target audience. People can find you quickly and easily with a simple search and engage with you.
- Builds sustainable relationships
Ultimately, social media is all about building relationships. Developing an online presence allows you to connect and communicate with your target audience and create meaningful relationships.
- Access to Larger Audience
It gives you access to a much larger audience that includes people within your location and beyond. This exposes your online presence to even more opportunities and gives you the chance to operate on a world wide level.
- Attract opportunities and reputation
Having an online presence brings many opportunities and increases your reputation to different professional networks and prospective employers.
- Build trust and credibility
- Building an online presence can help you stand out from others in your field.
When applying for a higher position, having an online presence shapes what employers see when they look you up online. Curating an online presence shows creativity and gives future employers opportunities to learn about you beyond a resume.
Tips for building your online presence
How we present ourselves online is extremely important, both personally and professionally. Here are some tips on how you can build your presence in a way that will help you nurture relationships and be reciprocal to opportunities while still maintaining your personal, private life.
- Keep it professional
Ensure that you’re not mixing your personal life with your professional one. Make your personal social media accounts private and create a separate professional profile for your personal brand on networking sites such as LinkedIn.
- The cost of an online presence
Selling your career through social media and other online tools will cost you much less money, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t have to make any sort of investment. However, the investment that you will make will involve time and effort more than it will involve money.
In conclusion, building a online presence isn’t difficult; it simply requires dedication on your part. By consistently and authentically engaging with your network, staying fresh with relevant content and being your audience go-to person, you’ll soon be on your way to building a powerful personal brand and online presence. The work you do to build an online presence will undoubtedly leave a positive impression on future employers and help you advance in your career.
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