Mid-year is a great time to reflect on your progress towards your goals – and it’s also a great time to review your online presence to ensure that your profiles are up-to-date and on-point with your personal branding strategy.
Your life and career are continuously evolving, and social and online platforms are continuously changing, so it’s important to set aside some specific time each year to do a thorough review of your online presence to ensure that it’s accurate, current and presented in the best way possible.
I typically set aside some time during the end of year holiday season to do a complete rewrite or update of my bio and add any changes to my online profiles, but I also schedule time mid-year to check in as well. It’s important that my online brand is up-to-date and consistent, and clearly conveys what I do, the value I provide, and the problems I can help my clients/potential clients solve.
5 Action Steps To Refresh Your Online Brand
Take advantage of the latest layout updates for social profiles:
LinkedIn now offers an enhanced layout for members with premium profiles, which includes a more prominent profile photo, cover photo and title/headline, but very few profiles take advantage of this. The cover photos provide a great opportunity to reinforce your brand in a visual way.
Twitter also provides users with the opportunity to utilize custom backgrounds and cover photos. Once you’ve created your new look, be sure to check that your head is not cut off, or your design or logo is distorted when viewed on Twitter.com, or on mobile apps.
Facebook seems to always be changing their layout, so be sure to check how any updates change the way your profile photo and cover photo are displayed. If you have a business page, ensure that any taglines or branding images in your cover photo are not blurred out, or hidden behind the page profile photo.
Check out these great examples of profiles:
Amy Porterfield (Facebook Page)
Upload (or update) a profile photo across all platforms that represents you well:
Profile photos create a lasting first impression, so take advantage of this brief moment in time by including a simple headshot photo of you dressed as you would be in your preferred workplace. Ideally, the more friendly and approachable you look, the better.
And no group photos, cut out exes, dogs, cats, corporate or team logos, etc. This is your moment to shine. Make it all about you baby!
Check out these great examples of profile photos:
Upload (or update) a cover photo, that visually promotes your personal/company brand:
Although there are some restrictions, cover photos are a great way to enhance your brand and associate it with your company or your unique strengths.
Have some fun with them and make your profile pop!
Check out these great examples of cover photos:
Update or make changes to titles or headlines to reflect current responsibilities:
Titles and headlines are like profile photos – super important for a first impression, and sometimes the way your title or headline appears in search results (along with hundreds of others) can be the difference in being found – or not.
Be original. Be brief. Be memorable.
Check out these great examples of well-written titles/eadlines:
Update/revise or re-write summary, bio and about sections:
Challenge yourself to summarize your past experience in a meaningful and brief way. The focus should be more on what you’re currently doing, and what you can do in the future than on the past.
Be sure to include plenty of appropriate keywords that people online (or in your company) would use to search for and find someone like you.
Check out these great examples of summary, bio and about sections:
If you have any action steps, tips or tricks that you recommend for an annual or semi-annual review to ensure your online presence is consistent and compelling, please share them in the comments section.
I’d love to learn from you!
