Using Social Media to Market Your Individual Brand

Last month, I had the pleasure of speaking at Congressman Perlmutter's Job Hunter's Boot Camp on a panel discussing how technology has opened up new job opportunities in various fields. Not only did I get to learn about all the ways green industry and development as well as health IT have opened up the job market from my fellow panelists, I got to talk about my experiences paving the way for new ventures and opportunities in social media. Whether or not many people realize it, social media is no longer a job reserved for college interns - many smart organizations are catching on to the fact that internet and mobile technologies make up the new landscape for communications.

I also touched on the many tools available on the web to help job seekers raise their profile and market their individual brands as industry professionals. Here are a few tips I passed along:

Today’s Job-Seeking Landscape

• Social media broadens exposure between potential employers and professionals working or specializing in the same arena, adding to the pressure to stand out among the crowd and continue to deepen connections via social media.

• Most jobs openings are unposted – one study noted that 80 percent of jobs are filled through networking; many hiring managers seek out candidates among their networks before opening positions to the public; this makes professional networking and the idea of the personal brand more salient than ever.

Tip 1: Become a Resource on your Industry to Enhance Credibility

• Don’t make it all about you. Use Twitter, Facebook or a Blog to share insights that are unique to your perspective and your experience. Try to attain a status as a resource on your niche BEFORE using social media to seek jobs.

• Link all social media outlets to ensure your valuable insights reach ALL connections – you never know who might know someone who is hiring or is in need of resources that you can supply.

• All social media outlets have ways of creating smaller circles of like-minded users. Twitter has lists and hashtags, Facebook has groups and pages, blog and other user-generated online media link to other like-minded outlets. Start participating and adding your unique insights to enhance your credibility as a resource for your industry.

• BOTTOM LINE: Make a contribution before you start asking for favors.

Tip 2: Start Narrow, Focused and In-Depth when Seeking Connections

• Instead of frantically searching for a wide base of industry professionals remotely related to your skills and flooding them with spam, narrow your focus initially to a few people who have an immediate connection to your skill set. Then focus on enhancing the relationship; connect with them on social media outlets, check their blog – and comment! – send them links they would find interesting.

• Start with the people you know – use LinkedIn to check the connections shared between you and your friends and colleagues. Leverage the personal relationships you already have to connect to industry professionals.

• If there is a company or organization you know you would love to work for but you don’t share any mutual connections with any staff, find a mutual interest or reference some recent work or social media content this person shared.

Tip 3: Connect Social Media Efforts with On-the-Ground Events and Meetings

• Once a social media connection has been deepened, schedule an in-person meeting with an industry professional you’d like to get to know better. It doesn’t matter if they are currently hiring or not; appeal to their expertise and experience and let them know you’d like to learn more about the industry and share insights.

• Many online communities will post on-the-ground events; make an effort to attend these events, and be sure to gather names, business cards, etc. Follow up by connecting with these people on social media outlets.

• BOTTOM LINE: While industry professionals have many social contacts, an in-person meeting will not only put a face to your Twitter handle, it will develop a more personal connection and help you remain at the front of the person’s mind.

Tip 4: Add Creativity to your Social Media Content to Market your Personal Brand

• For a recent hiring for a social media marketer at Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma Valley, CA, the hiring committee opened up the applications process on their website. They not only requested the usual cover letter, resume and three references, but they also requested applicants submit a three-minute video which they would upload on YouTube and then embed in their online application. Not only did the winery become flooded with applicants, candidates got to produce a video to showcase their creative talents and increase their personal mark on their application materials. Use social media to tell industry leaders what is unique about you.

• Tell your story using social media outlets. Don’t just make it all about your professional pursuits, make your social media platforms human by sharing personal anecdotes and experiences that will offer a more compelling view of you as a whole package.

From using social networking tools like Facebook and LinkedIn to find and strengthen industry connections, to developing a blog or even sharing bite-sized insights on microblogs like Twitter to share one's field expertise, social media provides a wealth of resources to market oneself as a valuable professional asset.