Building Personal Profiles

Our online personal profiles are important ingredients to not only building our brand but also toward building trust. Our profiles should speak to not just our skills and experience, but also should reveal our passions and interests—who we are as people, not just products of education and training. Our profiles are an opportunity to express what outcomes we value that our target audience would also value. And of course, keywords that help to leave the breadcrumb trail back to our websites.

Teaching has been both a joy and a challenge. Helping students learn about social media has also meant helping them to communicate in a meaningful way, both from an engagement perspective as well as how they present themselves on line.

Part of their assignment is building out their profiles online, and of course a LinkedIn profile is one of the key assignments. I thought it would be helpful to share what I shared with them as it might help you to take another look at your own profiles and begin to craft a stronger presentation of yourself.

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The following are some suggestions that I gave my students that I think will also be helpful to you:

1. Competitive Analysis

Look at a few profiles of people who have motivated or impressed you on your chosen path, and see how they talk about themselves.

2. Target Marketing

Look at a few profiles of people who you would want to partner with, have as a mentor, or be an investor, and see how they present themselves and what matters to them (groups, hobbies, interests, etc. are helpful indications).

3. Trust Building

Think about your motivation and passion. People would rather work with someone who shares their passion than with someone who has the skills, but could care less.

4. Affinity Marketing

Think about your inspiration and who has pointed the way for you. What leaders have inspired you to take the path or journey you are on?

What would you want to share with the students in building a better profile?