Y O U R P R O F E S S I O N A L I N T E R N E T P R E S E N C E : C I T I Z E N S H I P I N T H E W O R L D ( W I D E W E B )

BUILDING ONLINE PLATFORMS

“WHY” BUILD A WEB PRESENCE?

“56% of all hiring managers are more impressed by a candidate’s personal website than any other personal branding tool—however, only 7% of job seekers actually have a personal website.”

“Having an informative, well-designed website also sends a message that you take your career seriously.”

“Employers are researching job applicants online, and owning your own website with your name in the domain gives you a great shot at showing up when someone searches for you.”

Forbes Article, “Why every job seeker should have a personal website”

THEREFORE, YOU CAN:

• Display your authority and credentials.

• SHOW—rather than tell—your skills.

• Promote yourself and your current projects.

• Get found via Google and other search engines.

• Tap the whole world as your job market.

• Know your “audience” through analytics.

• Express yourself.

• Stand out from other applicants.

OK, SO THEN “WHAT” DO YOU NEED, EXACTLY?

(T O SOME DEGREE , I T W I LL DEPEND ON YOUR F I ELD )

WEBSITE VS. BLOG

Website

• Often Business or

Professional

• Static

• Might contain a blog

feature. (Why or why

not?)

• Often an online version

of a resume, brochure,

or advertisement

Blog

• Often Personal or

Entrepreneurial

• Dynamic

• A blog IS a website but

with an emphasis on

content

• A platform to serve and

engage a targeted

audience

VARIOUS PLATFORMS

• Free (Blogger, WordPress.com)

• “Rented” (Wix, SquareSpace, Weebly, etc.)

• Self-hosted (WordPress.org - C.M.S.)

*In almost every case, my suggestion is self-hosted.

You control it, you own it, and it’s just more

professional. Plus you’ll learn some valuable “side

skills,” which look good on your resume.

A TYPICAL WORDPRESS WEBSITE

U.S.P.

Your “Elevator Pitch”

The

fold

“YOU” IN A NUTSHELL

Unique Selling Proposition

• Keep it short, two

sentences at max.

• What makes you

different than the other

candidates?

• Unique is often “better”

than better.

• Personality matters.

Elevator Pitch

• Explain what you can

do for them in 30

seconds or less.

• How can you make

their life easier or better

or richer?

• If “you” were a

product, emphasize

benefits, not features.

SOME ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE WEBSITE

• The current trend is towards simplicity and UX rather than

flashy, high design.

• One reason for this is that >50% of all webpage views are

now on mobile devices.

• To this end, make sure that your site has a responsive

theme.

• Less is more, both visually and in your written content.

• Search Engine Optimized

• Make it your voice; don’t be generic. Let your

personality come through.

• But don’t make it all about you, but rather, what you

can do for THEM (the reader/recruiter).

BAD SITE 1

BAD SITE 2

GETTING STARTED WITH A WEBSITE

• Claim your domain name; your actual name, if available. If not, you can alter it to your niche, add your middle initial, get the .org or .net instead, or something “catchy.”

• Web hosting service (Branded email?)

• Install WordPress

• Pick a theme

• Add content

• Connect to social accounts

• Announce your new platform and share with your connections.

• Start blogging (IF that’s part of your strategy).

COSTS

• Domain Name: from popular sites like GoDaddy,

typically about $15/year, although you can

sometimes find “teaser” rates. If you decide to

purchase the domain for your own name, commit

for the long term to get a better deal

• Hosting Service: pay a tiny bit more for quality to

ensure reliable service and good customer support.

SiteGround offers plans starting from $4/month.

• Premium theme: it’s worth it to remove restrictions

and third party branding on your platform. A good

premium theme will be less than $50.

WORDPRESS BACKEND

EXAMPLES

Let’s look at a few good…

(click the link)

S O C I A L P L A T F O R M S

BEYOND YOUR OWN WEBSITE

LINKEDIN

THE MOST IMPORTANT ONL INE NETWORK FOR B2B

YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

Make sure your profile is 100% complete and optimized so you’ll rank higher in the LinkedIn search results.

What does this mean?

• You’ve uploaded a flattering, professional picture

• Your headline is keyword rich … ideally with a call to action

• A compelling summary, containing your keywords

• You have job experience listed with results-oriented, keyword rich descriptions

• You have a respectable number of relevant connections

• You have some personal recommendations

• You have endorsements for both social proof and keyword “discoverability”

WHAT TO “DO” ON LINKEDIN

• Grow your network.

• Join groups and participate in discussions.

• Search for influencers in your industry and try

to connect with them.

• Follow companies that interest you.

• Post regular status updates.

• Do some “blogging” on the LinkedIn “Pulse”

platform, and then share these posts on your

other social media accounts.

FURTHER LINKEDIN RESOURCES

• Debbie Wemyss, Independent LinkedIn® Specialist

• DW Consulting Solutions

• Free video course on Best Practices for LinkedIn

FACEBOOK

PROFI LE OR FAN PAGE?

As of April 2016, the number of registered accounts reached 1.59 billion

Facebook adds ½ million new users every day; 6 new profiles every

second!

WHY HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE?

Answer: cheap, highly-targeted ads

“A LOOP OF ENGAGEMENT”

(A.K.A. Sales Funnel)

Facebook Page

Website (Landing

Page)

Email

Autoresponder

Retargeting

Ads

Another way to

think about

connecting your

online platforms…

Opt-in Offer

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA

WHICH ONES DO YOU “NEED?”

SMART NETWORKING: NOT THIS…

REACH VS. ENGAGEMENT: INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL

IN PERSON

Phone

Email

Website/Blog

Social Media Platforms

…but rather,

THIS:

ADDITIONAL PLATFORMS

• YouTube Channel (or live video)

• Podcast (iTunes and/or Stitcher)

• Self-Publishing (Kindle eBooks)

• Communication (Skype, WhatsApp, CallLoop)

• Forums (Quora) and “Social Blogging” (Medium)

SUMMARY

Create a consistent voice and identifiable brand across all

platforms so that people recognize you not matter where they encounter you online.

*Connect all your platforms to work in sync. The total effort will

be greater than the sum of the parts.

Always be professional, even when exchanging with friends. You never know who will see what you post online.

Don’t try to be “everywhere.” Focus on the platforms that

make sense in your field. As few as practical.

Try to “upgrade” your connections to the next level of

intimacy. From social to your website, from your website to

your email contacts, from email to phone, and finally…

Don’t ever underestimate the power of real life connections.

The Internet helps us expand our reach, but important

decisions and transactions are still often done face to face.

A N D G O O D L U C K I N Y O U R C A R E E R S !

THANK YOU!