Me.com: because employers are fickle

Employers are fickle. Social media is your friend. That's what I told the Science Writers in New York during tonight's lively session "Me.com," on using social media to brand yourself and your business. My point? Establish your brand on social media long before you think you need to, and use it to publish, share, network and create a memorable presence on the web. Even if your employer posts a profile for you, create one (or more) that are independent, and in your control--so that you'll have them at the ready if your employment status changes. Then use social media sites to network just as you would in person, and augment your online presence with in-person meetings. Here are some of the basics we discussed tonight:

1. Figure out the name you'll be using: How do you want to be known? For science writers, many of whom work independently as freelancers, that might mean using their names. For others, a branded identity may work better. Here's the trade-off: Your name's (often) unique to you, but it may be tough for your audiences to remember. A company name, initiative name or other brand may be a better choice if you're thinking about creating a variety of products or services, each with their own brands, under one umbrella identity. (You can still be known by your own name, of course.)


2. Create and complete profiles: Failing to do so means you won't be able to take advantage of the social network site features like algorithms that suggest contacts, events and other ways to engage.


3. Publish to create a presence, whether you use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, a blog, or bookmarking site. Answer or ask questions on LinkedIn. Whenever you publish in social media space, you'll advance your search engine results, build a following, and find new opportunities. Recruiters actually look for you to have some online presence--no presence is a red flag.

You'll find many of the relevant links from my talk in this post on power networking with social media, including tips on using Google profiles and adding some personality to make your online presence memorable--while making sure you're work-appropriate. I also talked about reading Made to Stick, a great primer on marketing and branding, and shared some sticky examples of memorable messages. Finally, lots of active audience members are blogging or considering blogs or Twitter posts, so let me recommend two great sites to get you started: ProBlogger and TwiTip, both by the same author. They're a goldmine of good advice for structuring your posts, thinking through a blog or Twitter editorial and financial plan, and more. For those who want to keep up with the flood of social networking news, Mashable's the best read on the topic.

Finally, my basic advice: If you're just getting started, figure out a purpose -- are you job-hunting, expanding your network, launching a business? -- and let that guide your strategy. Start with a pilot project on one type of site that seems to fit your needs and goals; then, if you want to expand to other social media sites, go for it. I'd rather see you use one site thoroughly and actively than spread yourself over 10 sites you don't use.

SWINY plans to post video of the talk in the near future; I'll update this post when they do so you can have the link.

Related posts:

All my tips and posts on blogging

Social media tips from the DC Science Writers professional development day

All my social media posts