Trace Cohen is the Co-founder of Launch.it, the only Event News Management Platform for expos, tradeshows and events to increase their social engagement, buzz and revenue with their exhibitor and show news by creating a Digital Media Center for them.
My first company focused solely on online reputation management, so I have a relatively strong digital presence and am generally off put when someone doesn’t “Social Stalk” me before we meet.
I put a great deal of time and effort into making certain all the information I want someone to know about me, personally and professionally, is online. In this way, my first true impression is before we ever actually meet.
Have you ever Googled yourself? Probably not, but you should! You might be surprised… Here are my Google results for Trace Cohen – so let’s run through different social networks and how you can use them to your advantage:
First, make sure you have a complete profile, so people know your title, company and your interests. If you’re social stalking someone, checkout their recent tweets to see what they’re interested in or doing or were they’ve been. In this way, when you do meet or email them, you can make it more personal!
LinkedIn was once thought of as the professional Facebook - it is so much more now. A LinkedIn profile is your digital work history (I always check this out before I meet with someone).It notes your work history, skills, job description and most importantly, connections in common.
Personal/Professional Web Site
I had a personal website that not only had information on my personal/professional life, but links to all social sites and platforms that I use.
This was basically my digital hub online and contained information I wanted people to know about me. If you don’t have one, it is important that your company site has your credentials and background history as it can help generate leads or better inform someone about you when they are making a decision.
It’s not that I don’t like the “getting-to-know-you” small talk when I first meet with someone; however, I am certainly impressed when someone knows some small fact about me, which quickly makes a solid connection.
In business, I like to make certain I know as much as possible about the person to whom I am interacting with, especially if it can lead to a business a partnership or at least make them more confident to act as a referral or make additional introductions.
Privacy is definitely a concern, for all of us. Never, place anything online that you don’t want people to know about. When it comes to your work history though, you should be proud of what you’ve accomplished and your career goals. No one likes to be sold but people do business with people they want to do business with.
Go build your reputation online and fill out your profiles!
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