I love this time of year, all chilled and relaxed from the summer. Whether it’s embedded from my own school / university days or whether its children going back after school holiday, the warm early autumn days always feel like a time for renewed focus, learning and growth. So a few days ago, as a birthday treat to myself, and something we all deserve to do regularly, I took myself off to think about what I want to learn and focus on this autumn.
As well as the great list of stuff I’m really passionate about, you know the ones that really ‘fill your well’, came a few things that if I knew more about or did a little better my life would be a whole lot easier. Top of the list – social media!!! I have my profiles and pages, I post periodically, engage in conversations, invite new contacts, share links to info I’ve found valuable and support friends and colleagues, I’ve even done some keyword SEO on my profile, so tick done social media. WRONG
Very often your social media profiles are the first thing people see of you, people regularly decide whether of not to engage with you based on your social media presence and people regularly sell themselves short, particularly on sites like linked in. Not because they are to modest about achievements or experiences, not even because they don’t fill in all of their profile, (although this doesn’t help) but because they write their profile when they set up a social media account and there it sits, a testament to their progress up until they joined linked in etc, never updated.
These profiles are your dynamic CV. They are your chance to tell people, (including those who may not know you yet), what you want them to know, what you want to talk about and who you want to seen as by others. In other words how you sell yourself. So what are you saying about yourself?
I’ve looked at some of my friends’ profiles, and (with her permission) I’d like to share one as an example. Many moons ago when we were both nurses, Clare and I worked together, now we are both business owners, in fact she is one of my private clients. So Clare’s profile talked about her nursing career, her promotions and success in the NHS, of which there are many, and her qualifications, at the bottom of which is a diploma in aromatherapy and a couple of other alternative therapy qualifications. Her current job title, Staff Nurse, NHS professionals.
The problem – apart from adding a new web address Clare has not undated her profile in the last 12 months since she started her business. The result what Clare says about herself is – I’m a really well qualified nurse, working as an agency staff nurse although I have held much more senior roles in the past. The all important action – to update her profile before our next session.
Once you’re all set up and running it’s really easy to forget to keep your profiles updated as well as your content. If you want social media to work for you I believe it is even more important to ensure your profiles reflect what you want to say about yourself – they may be the only thing potential contacts look at. So I’m off now to ensure my linked in profile is update!!!