Beginning Steps to Building an Online Identity for the 21st Century Entrepreneur
In a time of online connectivity, having a social media presence for your business can open many new doors. Building your profile, however, is an ambiguous process that can be intimidating. What do you need to do to take advantage of the connectivity that social media offers?
The first step to building your social media presence is to establish your professional identity. What is your message? What are you trying to sell, and who are you trying to sell it to? Lastly, what makes your brand unique? It’s important to create your image and diligently uphold your message in order to build a good reputation.
The interoperability of your product/service plays a large part in your future ease of operations and reach as a business. It is important that your product or service is sold in a format that is compatible with and easily transferable to other platforms that your client might need to use. In other words, you need to be considerate for how your client will use your product/service even after it has left your hands.
Here are 4 tips for the day-to-day operations of your account once it is up and running:
1. Post often
Posting at least once every day or once every other day is a good way to keep customers updated on your activities as a business, as well as on any new products or services.
2. Engage
Reply to comments, chat with supporters, and respond to inquiries! This will help you spread your identity and build your reputation among both your colleagues and customers alike.
3. Share your personality
Be friendly, share your expertise, and interact with everyone: be civil even to those who may not be 100% on your side!
4. Protect yourself
That being said, never feel pressured to engage with anyone who is being intentionally abusive to you. Sometimes, the block button is the best option.
References
Palfrey, J. and Gasser, U. (2012) Interop: The promise and perils of highly interconnected systems. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Hoskins, G. (2021, May 1). CEID100: Digital Skills and Innovation for the Global Economy — Module 1. D2L Brightspace.
Chan, G. (2018, November 8). 10 Golden Rules Of Personal Branding. https://www.forbes.com/sites/goldiechan/2018/11/08/10-golden-rules-personal-branding/?sh=c336ec058a7b
