One of the best ways to connect with clients, friends, and networking contacts is through personal, useful, and relevant content posted in a variety of ways and places over a consistent timeline on the web. I do that, and I post cross-platform, and I comment and share in all of these places in a connected way. From my vantage, everything I do on the internet is connected and I do not miss a beat when one of my valuable connections is engaging with me on the internet. This builds a powerful network that I tap into whenever I want, and it has created opportunities for me personally and professionally that continue to “WOW!” me.
Here are some easy ways to make yourself more searchable and relevant on the internet:
- Write a blog – keep yourself relevant and up to date with new, searchable content at least once per week – try Blogger or WordPress to get started.
- Create a landing page – about.me lets you artfully arrange a cache of social media badges and links to your blog or website in one place.
- Link your landing page on your business card with a QR Code – Moo.com has a wonderful selection of eco-friendly designs.
- Measure your effectiveness – find out what people love to see on your social media pages with Klout, Hootsuite, and/or Tweetdeck.
- Create your own content – stop retweeting and repinning everyone else’s stuff and post some of your own videos, images, stories, and relevant reviews of things you love.
My cat Justy
- Make yourself a thought leader – curate collections of content (original and linked back to creator) based around ideas you are passionate about. A great place to bring this together is Google+ because you can use hashtags, communities, videos, and imagery all in one place with a custom designed circle.
- Clean it up & stay positive – Find inspiration in connecting with likeminded individuals and communities on the web; avoid being negative – snarky commentary online is pervasive and doesn’t serve to forward the action. Use your power for good, not evil.