Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of meeting Shama Kabani, a brilliant and personable author who has written the new book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing. I asked Shama about her best tips about social media marketing for the career-minded individual, and here’s what she recommended we focus on:
Purpose: Build your personal brand with purpose. Want to be the next CFO? Build your profile AS a future CFO. Tweak your profiles to show your interest within the area. Before you write a status update, ask yourself – “Does this showcase my brand as an authority in the area and does it provide value to my network?”
Content: Your personal brand is defined by what you say online – and how you say it. If you are looking to build your expertise in a particular field, you must create compelling content and distribute it using the medium of your choice – blogging, video, or audio.
Community: How do you know you have a solid personal brand? When it has attracted a community around it. Employers look more and more at an individual’s social capital. Want to lead the PR department? It helps if you have relationships with bloggers and participate in social media channels.
I especially like this third point. Anyone who wants to work in the communications field today must have a working knowledge of – and comfort with – social media. It’s no longer a specialty or a unique skill – it’s expected. So if you’re job searching and are not certain that your social media savvy is up to par, consider picking up Shama’s book or Chris Brogan’s Social Media 101.
When 75% of HR departments require an internet search before they schedule an interview, you must start using social media.
