If a year ago you said to me that I would be telling people to post videos on YouTube, I would have called you crazy! Yet here I am today, shaking my head in disbelief, and telling you to post a video about yourself on YouTube.
Social media has become more than just a place to post pictures of yourself on the beach. Today, web sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Plaxo, Google, Facebook, Blogger and don’t forget YouTube are places people look for information. Employers look at these sites to gather information on perspective employees. Companies look at these sites to gather information on consultants. Recruiters search these sites for people to fill openings they have. Customers look at the information on these sites to help them make buying decisions.
Here are a few tips on social media sites:
1) Although they are supposed to be “FUN” sites, remember employers, potential employers, and customers use these sites to gather information about people they are dealing with.
2) Don’t just be careful about what you post on these sites, be careful about what your friends and connections post as well. The people looking may assume that because you are their friends you think like the people who post.
3) Complete your profile and remember this is a selling sheet about you.
4) Watch your language, using cuss words, racially biased words or something as simple as bad grammar or spelling can give someone the wrong impression about you.
5) Use proper punctuation, and capitalization. These sites are not like texting to your best friends.
6) Show yourself in the best possible way. Let people know when you accomplish something good.
7) Avoid politics and religion as topics. No two subjects can cause more problems than these two.
8) Link the sites together. Make it easy for someone to navigate to all your social media sites.
9) Be consistent with your message and information. Don’t say one thing on one site and contradict yourself on another.
10) Let your personality show. Yes, you need to be careful, but these are SOCIAL MEDIA sites and the real you should show through.
Branding yourself should be an important part of your social media identity. Develop who you are, what you do, why you are different from everyone else who does the same thing, and what you have to offer someone as a friend, colleague, employee or sales rep. Your brand should highlight your greatest strengths and send the message, LOOK AT ME, I AM THE ONE YOU WANT TO LOOK AT.
As a sales rep you should make a video of yourself making a sales pitch of your best selling product. Post it on YouTube and have the link put onto your business cards. The video doesn’t need to be professionally done and cost you a fortune. As long as it is of good enough quality to show what it is you need to show about your product or service, and the sound is of the quality that you can understand every word when you are watching. This can usually be accomplished with a moderately priced video camera. If you can have it made by a professional, all the better, but it is definitely not necessary.
I have found the best way to understand what all these sites are about is to go to them and surf around. Click links, watch, read and listen. You will see the good, the bad and definitely the UGLY. It isn’t hard to differentiate between what you should and shouldn’t post on these sites.
Go ahead, jump right in and get started today. Don’t be afraid, kids half your age are doing it…OH that’s what you are afraid of.. I SEE!
Lorin
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