Marketing YOU in 3 steps

Have you searched your own name lately?   91% of human resource professionals reported screening their candidates with social networking according to a recent Reppler study .  What this means to today’s professional is that you need to actively manage your online persona.  How you look online – the results that are pulled up when you search your name – could win or lose your next job.

The three best tools to develop your own marketing campaign are LinkedIn and Twitter and  WordPress.  All three are free, simple to use and offer helpful online tutorials.  Once you build these out, they will likely become the top three search engine returns when anyone searches your name.

1. Your LinkedIn profile is much more than an online resume. It provides a multidimensional view of you that no piece of paper can replicate.  Choose a professional picture, add the latest books that you have read in your field and connect to people in your field.  LinkedIn is often the first stop for recruiters searching potential employees.

2. Twitter is a revealing look at who you surround yourself with professionally.  Your posts, and the Twitter feeds you follow need to be relevant to your business.

3.  Create a blog.  Writing and communication skills are extremely important to employers.  What better way to prove you have those skills than to create a blog?  WordPress is a free and simple blog template site that makes a first timer look like a pro!  Plan on writing about something related to your profession at least once a week.

Like any marketing campaign you’ll want to build your image strategically.  Make sure you know your intended audience and keep your profile and postings relevant to that audience.

The current employment climate makes everyone a free agent in a very competitive economy.   Use these online tools to build your brand and proactively market yourself to employers and your profession.