How to boost your online profile

IS YOUR online alter ego ruining your job prospects? Here's how to get noticed for all the right reasons.

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IS YOUR online alter ego ruining your job prospects? Here's how to get noticed for all the right reasons.

1. Target the big three
"The three pillars of a strong social media profile are a blog, Twitter and LinkedIn," says Mike Haydon, from digital marketing agency SEO Perth. Start with those three, then decide whether you need to add Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, Posterous or Myspace (which is still useful for musicians, for example).

2. Blog it
"A blog is critical to personal branding efforts," says digital communications consultant Arik Hanson. "You can only do so much on Facebook and Twitter. A blog gives you a chance to differentiate yourself in an industry. I've heard many stories of people who have been offered jobs because of their blogs."

3. Use your name a lot
It's easy to make your website or blog turn up in the top results when people type your name into a search engine, says Haydon. "First, put your name in the title tag of the home page, then have it appear on as many pages of the website as possible. Also, use your real name whenever you comment on other people's blogs," he adds.

4. Work Your Connections
"LinkedIn is an incredible tool for networking," says Haydon. "Connect with everyone you know on it and take the time to write recommendations for as many people as you can. Be genuine. You'll be surprised how many of them will reciprocate."

5. Be genuine
As Mark Zuckerberg famously said, anyone who needs more than one identity lacks integrity. "The best way to build a following on Twitter is to be yourself," says Hanson. That means merging your work and personal online identities. "Offer yourself up in social media the same way you do in life - personable and not only interested in work all the time," advises social media expert Dave Harte.

6. Eliminate the negative
Regretting that bikini photo? Don't panic. "It's a myth that things are 'out there' for all time," says Harte. "You can untag yourself from most photos." But what if there's something you can't remove? "Build an even stronger social media profile for yourself so the things you don't like don't come up first in searches," says Haydon.

7. Don't be a hater
Negativity has no place on social media. "It's the same with any antisocial behaviour, such as telling off-colour jokes," says Haydon. "By the time you come to remove the tweet or post, it might be too late. If a potential employer is following you, it doesn't look good."

8. Play nice
Online brand-bashing is a big no-no, too. "There's a tendency for people to be vocal online when it comes to brands making mistakes," says Hanson. "If you're doing that, make sure you're not interested in working for that company in the future. The PR community is small, and people are paying attention."

9. Tweet right
There's a lot of pointless tweeting going on. "You have to add context," says Haydon. "A good tweet on the US election would be, 'Obama's cleaned up the mess he inherited and deserves a chance to make the White House his own.' It promotes discussion. A mediocre tweet would be: 'Love Obama!' It adds nothing to the conversation. If all your tweets are like this, go back to the drawing board."

10. Bring it all together
Link your blog or website to your Twitter and Facebook accounts. "Using social media to point to what you're doing on a blog is powerful," says Harte. "It fits within a bigger network, making it a faster means to boost your following."

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