Where Do You Exist Online?
Sometimes late at night I know it's time to call it quits when I start going in the same pattern - Facebook, Twitter, Email, Facebook, Twitter, Email. And all I'm really doing is racking up tabs on Firefox to read later (Ahem, probably never), clearing my inbox of any unread emails but not replying, or just commenting on a billion things on FB.
But all of that got me thinking - there are dozens of places to exist on line, and a bunch of communities that you can be seen in. If I'm a job seeker, a recruiter, or someone trying to expand a personal brand, I have to exist everywhere right? What will make me most visible?
Let's break it down - if you're a job seeker what should you be doing?
The basics - contacting companies, sending out resumes, networking. But what is your online pattern? Do you frequent the same websites and look at the same material? I've been guilty of that, I get into ruts. You should expand your horizons, click on articles on twitter and join the sites that they're talking about for niche boards. Put your resume up everywhere. Update your LinkedIn profile, for sure, but what is more important with that site, is participate in group discussions. As a recruiter myself, I post a number of jobs in a bunch of groups, and get very few candidates applying. If you've decided to use the big boards (which, hey why not, it couldn't hurt?) Update your resume, and when you've found a job and aren't looking anymore - take it down!. Manage your online presence everywhere. Join sites like Brazen Careerist and participate in discussions and chats. Create a blog about your search. Basically - make a list of all the places you are, and keep them updated. Don't get get into a Facebook/Twitter/Email cycle. You need to be visible, most of all.
If you're a recruiter who is out to do more than just take percentages - update your website often, create a company profile page on Linked In, and talk with potential candidates. Obviously your clients are your focus, but if you've got a great pool of candidates that are looking for jobs that you know well from your communities - you can do your job more effectively and make your client happier, right? And sometimes, if you get enough candidates looking for the same type of jobs, well then maybe you can branch out to new clients this way and create more business as well. Join Twitter, post your jobs, but interact frequently. Work on your company's brand on as many recruiter sites as possible. Who knows what really works yet, but at this point, it's all so new, why not try everything?
And lastly, if you're just trying to build a personal brand for fun, or as a business, or both as a blogger - do your best to be everywhere. Talk to everyone, and spend a significant amount of time crafting the right words and the most appropriate responses and approaches. Over time you'll gain followers and a trusted network, and you'll get to get referrals.
The key to the game is just making sure you're seen. Don't get into a Social Media Rut. Plug in some keywords to google and see what's out there. Play around with tech sites like Gizmodo, Engadget, Wired, and Mashable and see what's new to play with on line for new tools. That's the fun of everything right now - you could be a pioneer for anything, just as long as you're out there doing it and participating.
But all of that got me thinking - there are dozens of places to exist on line, and a bunch of communities that you can be seen in. If I'm a job seeker, a recruiter, or someone trying to expand a personal brand, I have to exist everywhere right? What will make me most visible?
Let's break it down - if you're a job seeker what should you be doing?
The basics - contacting companies, sending out resumes, networking. But what is your online pattern? Do you frequent the same websites and look at the same material? I've been guilty of that, I get into ruts. You should expand your horizons, click on articles on twitter and join the sites that they're talking about for niche boards. Put your resume up everywhere. Update your LinkedIn profile, for sure, but what is more important with that site, is participate in group discussions. As a recruiter myself, I post a number of jobs in a bunch of groups, and get very few candidates applying. If you've decided to use the big boards (which, hey why not, it couldn't hurt?) Update your resume, and when you've found a job and aren't looking anymore - take it down!. Manage your online presence everywhere. Join sites like Brazen Careerist and participate in discussions and chats. Create a blog about your search. Basically - make a list of all the places you are, and keep them updated. Don't get get into a Facebook/Twitter/Email cycle. You need to be visible, most of all.
If you're a recruiter who is out to do more than just take percentages - update your website often, create a company profile page on Linked In, and talk with potential candidates. Obviously your clients are your focus, but if you've got a great pool of candidates that are looking for jobs that you know well from your communities - you can do your job more effectively and make your client happier, right? And sometimes, if you get enough candidates looking for the same type of jobs, well then maybe you can branch out to new clients this way and create more business as well. Join Twitter, post your jobs, but interact frequently. Work on your company's brand on as many recruiter sites as possible. Who knows what really works yet, but at this point, it's all so new, why not try everything?
And lastly, if you're just trying to build a personal brand for fun, or as a business, or both as a blogger - do your best to be everywhere. Talk to everyone, and spend a significant amount of time crafting the right words and the most appropriate responses and approaches. Over time you'll gain followers and a trusted network, and you'll get to get referrals.
The key to the game is just making sure you're seen. Don't get into a Social Media Rut. Plug in some keywords to google and see what's out there. Play around with tech sites like Gizmodo, Engadget, Wired, and Mashable and see what's new to play with on line for new tools. That's the fun of everything right now - you could be a pioneer for anything, just as long as you're out there doing it and participating.