Over the weekend, I was reading through my email feeds and read @fredwilson‘s post on “Own Your Online Brand.” And, Fred’s right. We might not be able to control the negatives others write about us online, but we certainly can control the positive brand we seek to image ourselves and apply that online. You see, Google, the world’s largest search engine, indexes in such a way that pushes the live content as well as those pages that are most active to the top of the page. Which means when I type, “David Molina, Oregon” I will find my LinkedIn profile, closely followed by my columns at LatinosPoliticsBlog.com, and then BilingualHire. All those are positive because they tell anyone searching for me, who I am, my writing, and my business. It gives readers a small taste of what to expect when they meet me. However, if I type, “David Molina, BilingualHire” then it pushes all of our BilingualHire content to the top, including heavy emphasis on these blog posts and my personal Facebook page. And, when I type “David Molina, OCHA” you will find my photos from Flickr followed quickly by the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs official site. Which brings us to your brand.
Certainly, many will think that they don’t need an online brand. Certainly, many will think that, “well my friends/camaradas and business contacts know me.” True. But what about in a world of increasing connectivity and more importantly, those that don’t know you, what do they hear and see about you. Will it be positive when they type in your name to look for you? What about if you own a small business or are a consultant? What does Google say about you? Is is positive? Will people be turned on to want to meet you and if you own a business, maybe reach out to you?
Some pre-thought, thoughts:
First, ensure your personal Facebook page or Twitter feed is squared away. This means that you have a picture you don’t mind your mom or grandparents showing to their friends. Why? Because the very picture on your profile will be the very picture visitors will see when they reach your page. Ensure you write something about who you are. Make it personal. Make it authentic. Make it so that they can reach you even further. More importantly create content that is of value and that is specific and always link and share the good stuff.
Second, ensure your website is constantly updating with new content, and always add links. Google likes links if you haven’t noticed already.
Third, ensure your other spaces where you hang out, say LinkedIn, Facebook, etc have the most up to date content. Your content.
Again, companies/organizations and recruiters are not only looking for what you say in the interview, but what you say outside the interview.
David Molina is the Founder and CEO of BilingualHire, a consumer internet service focused on advancing the careers of bilingual [Spanish+ English] talent. You can reach him by email (david@bilingualhireco.com), twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.