Managing the brand YOU on social media

During one of the training sessions I got convinced that a human being is a meaning making machine. He continuously gives meaning to everything he sees and hears and then quickly reacts to that meaning he has himself given. And the fact is that YOU are what others see you as. In today’s world when people are using social media to communicate and interact, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to manage your image online. People get in touch with their school time friends after years on Facebook, recruiters search for candidates and then hiring managers do their initial background check on Linkedin and once an opinion is formed, it is tough to change it.

Here are some suggestions on managing your identity and brand on Social media. These are not hard and fast rules but are points to keep in mind and are subjective enough to suit different people based on their backgrounds and professions. Some of the suggestions are:

01. Be real: Its no more about fake personalities anymore. Try to be authentic and do not imitate others. Be conscious of how you would like to be known as or seen as. Remember, people form opinions of you. Your profile is an extension of yourself.

02. Share: Information, pictures, articles, anything of interest that you would want your community to see, watch or read. Focus on what your community needs to know, when it is about them, you are better accepted.

03. Create a circle of influence: Its all about the community. People will follow you on twitter, friend you on Facebook and connect with you on Linkedin. You will be known by the community you are a part of. Market yourself in such a way that you are well accepted and respected in your community.

04. Engage & Not sell: Social media is not about selling your products or services. Its about conversations that happen within communities. If you are able to engage in conversations and create a positive influence, people will buy the products or services you suggest.

05. Build credibility & respect privacy: If you are member of a community, you need to bring value to the other members. If you are able to do so and support them, converse with them, you will enjoy the credibility of theirs, which will go a long way. But, while you create conversations within the community, you need to be sensitive to the privacy of other group members. You need to think of yourself someone who respects others in your group and maintain your image as someone who can be trusted.

06. Maintain consistency: You profile needs to be consistent with what you do. It would be funny to see a doctors profile online look like that of a DJ. Most people do not see the importance of customizing the Twitter profile page and put a short bio there. And, once you have done that, do not change that too often. If you keep changing your the way your profile looks, your community will be confused and in all probability you will not be able to create a brand for yourself online.

07. Maintain reputation: Your reputation goes a long way. Be careful of what you say and do online. Do not forget that the community that you are connected with online is made up of human beings.

08. Target & Leverage: Identify your objectives and then target the social media accordingly. Identify and connect with the right audience leverage being there. Listen to what they are saying and one way to demonstrate that you are listening is by commenting on their posts and re-tweeting to your community.