How to market yourself on social media.

How we come across on social media can affect all aspects of our lives. From how our peers see us to how we fare when it comes to getting a job. It’s because of this that marketing yourself on social media is so important. You know full well that clients and potential employers are going to Google you and, more often than not, it’s your social presence that comes under scrutiny first.

If you’re looking for a high level job through a site such as exec-appointments.com, you should make sure your social media promotes you as best it can.

Topic

You don’t have to stay on your professional topic at all times. It’s okay to have hobbies and other interests. The topic of your social media should show you are a well rounded person who also knows what they are talking about when it comes to the industry of their choice.

Your name

If your username reflects an old interest or something that’s not quite right for the business world, change it (Twitter allows this) or start a new account.

You don’t want to get caught with the username ‘sexychick1999’ when you’re going for a job in childcare. Just think about how people might perceive your chosen name.

Read through what you post

Everyone makes little typos and most of the time they can be forgiven but it can’t hurt to re-read a post before hitting send. Luck always has it that the one post you make a mistake on is the one a potential employer will read.

Facebook and a lot of other social networks give you the chance to edit your posts, so take advantage of this.

Photos

A shot of you with a glass of wine shows you like to relax and enjoy yourself once in a while. A photo of you surrounded by shots and a failed game of beer pong shows you have a drinking problem and can’t necessarily be counted on to come into work without a hangover. (People get fired for this so it’ll definitely affect your employability.)

It doesn’t really matter what you get up to at the weekend but you should try to keep it private from the rest of the world. If you’re worried about what your friends are tagging you in, make your Facebook profile private so nosy employers will only be able to see the very basic information about you.

Show off your knowledge and skills

You might be able to find an employer or new client through social media so make sure to establish yourself as a professional in your chosen field. You might talk about relevant hobbies (baking cakes when your day job is a chef, or writing fiction when your day job is a copywriter); discuss important news pertaining to your industry; or give information to others. If you can share your experience and show some passion then it’s a good way to make a great first impression on a potential employer who’s just Googled you.

Marketme

Marketme is a leading small business to small business news, marketing advice and product review website. Supporting business across the UK with sponsored article submissions and promotions to a community of over 50,000 on Twitter.