With the development of Internet communication and social media, the traditional notion of identity has disappeared. At present, people have online identities in the virtual world of the Internet. If you are like everyone else, then so do you. When you are online, you cannot hide. Everything you do is in plain sight. The people and nations of the world are connected via technology, so you have to pay close attention to what you are doing.
People make assumptions about you and your character based on your digital footprint. When you use the World Wide Web, you leave a trail of data behind. The digital footprint includes everything you do, from the pieces of news that you comment on to your social media posts. The problem is that this is not who you are. People do not get to see the whole picture. Since your online reputation matters, you have to craft an online persona that commands respect. Here is how to do it.
Have a personal blog
A blog is more like a discussion, in the sense that you talk about something in order to exchange ideas. As you can see, it is not really a website. Numerous blogs are created each day. So, why should you even bother? Because you can express yourself, discuss the things that you are passionate about, share your expertise, and, most importantly, brand yourself. A personal blog can transform you into a brand. If you have many passions and interests, then content writing will be child’s play. On the other hand, if writing is something that does not make you feel at ease, then maybe you should try something else. Just so you know, nothing will help you more to build an online audience or provide you the opportunity to share your knowledge and experiences.
Set up a social media account
Chances are that you already have a social media account. Let us take a wild guess. Facebook, right? Of course, everybody loves Facebook. The thing is that you should have accounts on Twitter and Instagram too. When you are on Twitter, you get to meet lots of interesting people, thing that you do not get to do in the real world. You can communicate with these individuals whenever you feel like it. What is more, you can keep up to date with the trends. As far as Instagram is concerned, it makes it possible for you to reuse your materials, build a community that comes back over and over again, and know how you are going to do in the future.
Have you ever been curious to see how people actually see you online? No matter what social networking platform you are using, you should get the courage to search yourself. Thanks to people search engines, you can get a good understanding of how others perceive you. Are you not the least bit curious? Background checking yourself on the Internet is not out of the ordinary. Many people do it. When you search for your name, you may come across an arrest that you totally forgot about. Maybe you were 18 and you did something stupid. It does not matter what happened then. What matters is what you do now. Use your social media accounts and tell the right story. The more content there is on the World Wide Web about you, the better. You should be the one in control of your personal search results. In a way, you are. Use that power.
Create a professional email address
If you are still holding on to that email address that you created in high school, you are making a huge mistake. The email address will make you seem childish, not to mention that it will prevent you from landing a good job. If you want to command respect, then change it right away. A branded email shows that you are an established professional and makes people more comfortable to deal with you. You have the possibility to create a professional email with a generic provider, such as Gmail. The most important thing is to use your own domain. Having a professional email address is not an option anymore. It is a requirement. Taking into account that creating one only takes 15 minutes of your time, you should get going.
Have a high-quality, professional headshot
When it comes down to your personal brand, there is nothing more important than the headshot. The picture will be found by anyone who is looking for you online and it is essential to make a good first impression. Headshots are commonly used nowadays, particularly in business. It does not matter if you own a business or not. You need a professional headshot for your online profiles. Individuals will judge you based on the way you look and the last thing you want is for them to decide that you are not worth meeting. Smile and use the right lighting.
