Is your digital footprint enhancing your networking efforts?

By Anja van Beek, independent leadership consultant, talent strategist and coach

I don’t believe in resolutions as it isn’t always sustainable; I prefer to set personal goals for the whole year.

Do you know you only have seven seconds to make an impression when meeting a person face to face? It only takes seven seconds... first impressions count whether we like it or not.

It is the same with social media. What is your digital footprint saying about you? How does this impact your networking efforts?

The job market is complex and competitive

By simply ensuring that the right people know who you are and your strengths in the workplace, can create both internal and external opportunities.

Building a personal brand is king

Your reputation is the reason why people will pay you attention, respect or money. It is important to remember that we are selling something; either a company product / service, as a leader a vision or concept, or yourself when looking for a career move.

To build relationships of trust in your everyday interactions, you must consider the following:

• Are you credible? Do you get the basics right?
  
• What is your track record? Are you consistently delivering results?
  
• Do you have a strong informed opinion? If you do, do you speak up?

You also need to be mindful of how your personal brand is being portrayed in the digital space.

The following social media guidelines are helpful:

• If you are in doubt to post something, you’re probably right
  
• Never post under the influence
  
• Avoid divisive topics (unless it is part of your brand)
  
• Don’t overshare
  
• Balance work and life posts

Successful people take (well-calculated) risks and make the right choices to follow their dreams and pursue their passions. Forming communities with like-minded people opens the opportunity for greater success.

In closing I want to leave you with these questions:

• What does powerful networking look like for you?
  
• Should you change your digital footprint to enhance it?