Using Social Media to Promote a Positive Online Image

withKelly A. Galanis

The Red-Headed Diva

Presented by the Reid and Riege Women’s Alliance

Cool Confidence Created

Picture it:

You’ve just attend a networking event where you

met some key individuals - people who could be strong connections for you. How

do you follow up with these people and give them a subtle glimpse at what

you’re made of and what you can do for the industry?

“Confidence is about losing the fear of

telling the world who you are.” – Kelly Galanis

This session will cover:

★T

he RULES of Networking (Social and Otherwise)

★H

ow to CONNECT with others

★K

eep it personal: put your FACE on

★M

ake connections, develop FRIENDS

So, there are RULES to networking?

★RESEARCH who will be attending through social media channels

★UNDERSTAND who they are, what they like, what commonalities you share

★LISTEN to what they have to say; look for key points in a conversation

★ENGAGE in lively conversation; base questions on what you can relate to

★SHARE your experience and work in a chance to SELL yourself

RESEARCH

How you prepare for a networking event is just as

important as what happens when you walk through the door. If you have access to a guest

list, identify those key individuals you want to connect with. Then, sit down at the

computer and research their online presence.

Do they have a LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook page?

How about a blog or website? Google their name and company. Identify some

commonalities you share and make some notes for yourself. This will help you get

conversations started when you make that face-to-face encounter.

UNDERSTAND

Once your research is done, it’s important to understand who

these people are.

Have you found a common link you can converse about? Is

there a hobby or

interest you share?

Let’s keep the social in Social Networking!

LISTEN

Once the introduction has been made and the small talk is out

of the way, be sure to ask open-ended questions you know will

produce solid answers. Then, close your mouth and open your

ears. Pay attention to the words they are saying and make note

of something you might be able to respond with.

ENGAGE

Now that you’ve listened to a great response from your contact, it’s

time to start a real conversation. Enter into a discussion on the topic

that you just asked about, pulling from the answer that they’ve just

shared with you. This is also an excellent opportunity to slip in some

comments about what work you do and make mention of a topic

relating to your Personal Brand.

SHARE

Sharing is an extended form of engaging. It brings the discussion to the next

level, allowing both individuals to interact comfortably. Sharing is that

turning point that turns strangers into acquaintances and eventually friends.

Can anyone share an experience that followed the RULES of networking?

How did it turn out?

Personality is Key

Don’t be fooled by the many tools Social Networking provides today.

While we are able to reach and connect to many individuals faster, it still is not as easy as it seems. The

best networking connections are made by a PERSONAL connection, so be sure to keep it real!

Exercise:

S

hare an example of a time you might have tried connecting but did not succeed. What do you feel went wrong?

S

hare an example of a time you were successful in connecting. What went well? Why do you feel it was a success?

the secret to a great networking experience?

You need to CONNECT:

★C

ommunicate

★O

ften

★N

etwork

★N

aturally

★E

xplore

★C

asual

★T

alks

Remember, put on a happy FACE:

★F

riends

★A

re

★C

reated

★E

asily

Once you are connected, always remain FRIENDS:

★F

or

★R

eal

★I

nteresting

★E

xchanges

★N

etworking

★D

oesn’t

★S

top

Let’s Discuss:

What are some examples

of connections you have made that have been well-

maintained over time? How have you kept in contact?

What does it take for you or that individual to reach out to

one another? What is your method of communication?

Social Media: what’s Right for mE?

The Social Media Revolution

LinkedIn: The Professional Social Network

Facebook Fan Page: The Company’s Visibility Factor

Twitter: The Constant Informer

LinkedIN

The professional’s Social Network

Not just for job searching

Great to connect with colleagues past and present

Opportunity to showcase your talents to a large community of like-

minded people

Helps to build your Personal Brand

Top Ten Musts On LinkedIn

1.C

omplete your profile.

2.D

efine your “Hollywood Sign”.

3.L

earn to like talking about yourself.

4.W

rite a recommendation for someone.

5.A

sk for recommendations from someone you trust.

Top Ten Musts On LinkedIn

6. Join groups that are relevant to you and your industry.

7. Check out your company’s profile.

8. Answer questions that others have posted.

9. Share links and valuable information through your status.

10.Use applications to build your profile and your identity.

Facebook Fan pages

M

ore commonly used for businesses, celebrities, organizations.

G

reat presence to a huge populations of users – exceptional business visibility.

A

solid way to interact with customers, potential customers, colleagues and allies.

A

llows “fans” to provide feedback to you in a non-threatening environment.

P

rovides a forum for open communication and soft advertising.

Facebook Groups

G

reat forum for smaller groups who need to communicate openly.

C

an be closed to public with individuals needing approval to join.

A

llows for open sharing and discussion among members.

L

inks and some files can be shared.

M

embers can edit settings to control how often messages are received.

Top Ten Facebook Tips for Professionals

1. Check out your company’s Fan Page or Company Profile – is it complete?

2. Utilize your Fan Page to engage users and get them talking about your

business.

3. Build a Facebook Group for an organization or group you belong to.

4. Create a Facebook Event for the next gathering your company is planning.

5. Hold a contest for fans to further engage and get buzz going.

Top Ten Facebook Tips for Professionals

6. On your personal page, review your security settings to control what’s seen.

7. Consider adding other company pages as “favorites” to yoru company page.

8. Build your fan page and make sure it is complete.

9. Always be sure your page has fresh, new information – update at least weekly.

10.Become a fan of your company and tell all your friends!

So, What’s The Deal with TWITTER?

T

witter asks “What are you doing” in less than 140 characters.

A

way to offer short, timely updates to your followers.

T

hrough specialized apps, you can promote links to various sites.

A

n excellent communication tool once a following is developed.

C

an connect with Facebook and LinkedIn to streamline use.

Ten Twitter Tips

1. Build a clever profile, add a cool background and be appealing to

followers.

2. Get some fun tweets out to catch people’s attention.

3. Search for followers with a strong presence who can help promote you.

4. Become familiar with @, #, RT, and DM.

5. Study how other businesses do it (Friendly’s. Comcast, Green Mtn. Coffee).

Ten Twitter Tips

6. Link to Facebook and LinkedIn through specialized apps, but be

careful!

7. Consider using a desktop app like TweetDeck for easy updating.

8. Share helpful advice from your industry (ex. legal tip of the day).

9. Use a link shortener (ex. Bit.ly) to tweet links to relevant sites.

10.When people follow you, follow back!

Let’s Take a Look!

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

Personality is Key, Personal Branding is Ideal

Having a personal brand is all the buzz today. What does it

mean? Why is it so important? The simple answer is that a

personal brand defines YOU. It tells the world who you are,

what you stand for and what you hope to become. It requires

you to reflect on your qualities and positive traits, then

feeling comfortable enough to share them with the world.

Networking and Your Personal Brand

Incorporating your Personal Brand into networking

doesn’t take much more effort than what we’ve just

reviewed. When networking your Brand, you must

make sure that you have fully developed your Brand,

and that you know the key selling points.

Can you answer the following about your Personal Brand?

★H

ow do you describe your Personal Brand in 3 words?

★D

o you have a tagline or selling point of your Personal Brand?

★W

hat is the mission or purpose of your Personal Brand?

★W

hat is the focus of your Personal Brand?

★W

hat IS your Personal Brand?

Your Personal Brand: A Closer Look

If you find yourself stuck on some of these questions, you need to take a closer look at your Personal Brand. It is important to focus and hone in on the key strengths you possess - what is it you want people to remember or know you for?

Consider following the rules of Twitter - limit your Personal Brand to 140 characters. Can you say it all in that short line? If not, keep working at it until you can.

Remember, it’s really that easy!

★F

ollow the RULES

★C

ONNECT with others

★K

eep it personal, put your FACE on

★M

ake connections, develop FRIENDS

Ask A Diva!

Thank you!

Visit my website: http://theredheadeddiva.comThis presentation available at http://slideshare.net/redheadeddiva