Successful Networking in 7 simple steps. Clare Dignall

to your photos and information is only available to those you’ve carefully accepted as friends. Bear in mind that some big companies now block the use of Facebook by staff – even remote staff. If Facebook is your main medium for social media business promotion, ensure that companies you hope to work with are keen on using Facebook.

       Twitter

      Because you will aim to have followers on Twitter who are both personal and professional contacts, be careful what you write. Be positive. Never swear. If you are having a bad day, don’t Tweet about it. Negativity and cynicism can be a turn-off, and criticism of others can be dangerous. Read on for more information on social media and the law.

      

      What makes a brand? Perhaps an important element is consistency: a strong brand creates clear associations in our minds. Stop anyone in the street and they could probably describe the core values of Coca Cola, Sony or Apple in a few words, and those very words would resemble those chosen by other people. But people are brands too. Consider celebrities: the more successful they are, the more they embody one core persona. You expect them to look and behave in a certain way. We feel comfortable when people are consistent, and harnessing this simple human preference for consistency can be a powerful tool in successful networking. We’ve seen in the preceding Steps that your face-to-face brand is extremely important, and you’ve been working hard to develop it. You also need to do the same with your online presence.

      To take networking seriously you may have to work on your online brand; the brand that is you. ‘Google’ yourself on the Internet – it can be an eye opener. This is what a new contact could find if they wanted to do some background research on you. It’s up to you to start creating the picture you want to present: professional, positive and consistent.

       Building your online brand

      Creating an online brand sounds complicated, but it isn’t: it’s simply the process of ensuring that what people can find about you online is consistent with, and underlines, the persona you’ve worked hard to develop face to face. It’s checking that everything hangs together, and creates a holistic picture of someone trustworthy and professional.

       Act on your Google results: Did you see anything up there that you wouldn’t want potential clients to see? If they’re within your control, take them down or lock them down to friends only. Negotiate with friends who’ve posted embarrassing snaps or posts about you. Use your judgement – everyone relaxes on holidays and nights out, so don’t become too obsessive. But if you’re portrayed breaking the law, bending rules, or playing hookie from work, remove this material.

       Think of your social media as a suite: Scrutinize your LinkedIn® profile and posts, your Tweets, your Facebook activity, and your blog if you have one. Each of these media serve different purposes with different levels of formality, but underneath that, do you hear a core, consistent voice running through them? If not, you may need to spend more time considering how you want to come across, and keep this in the front of your mind every time you post, re-Tweet or upload. We’ll look at this in detail next.