How Should You Express Yourself Online?
In today’s overly saturated social media world, don’t you feel like every other professional is trying to carve out a space for themselves to demonstrate their expertise? It’s easy enough to show what you know when you’re networking face-to-face, but how can you express yourself clearly and professionally online?
Like it or not, having good social proof matters. It gives people a reason to respect and pay attention to you.
If you have an Ivy League degree, people will link that to your intelligence. If a project you worked on received a prestigious industry accolade, well, then it must have been good. It’s no longer just about your resume. People will also look at your day-to-day actions and achievements. That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid to toot your own horn because you ought to be proud of your credentials and, quite honestly, if you don’t brag about yourself, who will?
Make an effort to create and present strong content because this gives your network the opportunity to look at the quality of your work and ideas. If you’re photo-heavy, look at investing in professional equipment like lights and lenses to really showcase your products. That being said, with the quality of smartphones these days, plus the editing apps available, there really is no excuse to have blurry, low resolution photos on your social media.
Don’t be afraid to share your ideas and definitely don’t brush aside the power of blogs, podcasts, and live video feeds. You might be busy and think it’s a waste of time but using these channels to further share your ideas is completely worth it. Creating content - whether you do it through writing, audio recordings, or videos - has multiple purposes.
For you, it actually forces you to clarify your thoughts on relevant topics, which will make you sharper and able to better communicate your ideas and opinions. It also provides you the chance to network with colleagues and those you admire - reach out for interviews or simply mention them in a post!
When you create content, do it with the intent of creating value. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have hundreds of thousands of readers; what matters is that the readers you do have find it incredibly helpful and insightful. This is what will gain you the title of an expert in many people’s eyes.
Also, it’s important that you have a targeted network in order to help disseminate your ideas. When you’re networking in person, instead of just sharing your business card, see if they’re open to connecting on a preferred social network. Also, break up your network into smaller groups like potential investors, influencers, and marketing resources.
Whatever form of content you decide to create and share, don’t be too hasty or overeager because bombarding your readers with low quality content or with too much frequency may have exactly the opposite effect that you’re hoping for. Be thoughtful, smart, and showcase your knowledge in a way that will grab people’s attention and mark you as an expert in your field.
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