The following is the fourth in a series on social media.
Even though this is business, it’s okay to put some personal flair to your profile. After all, no one is all business all the time. Chances are you have some interesting hobbies or other areas of your life that people find intriguing. For example, maybe you collect antique cars, breed prize-winning poodles, tend a vineyard in your backyard, or have the city’s largest yo-yo collection. These are interesting tidbits of yourself that you can weave into your profile to make you appear more “real.”
For example, I have a colleague who is a professor of Organizational Development. His post doctorate work was in Counseling Psychology and Human Development. He has a young daughter and a talented, lovely wife who runs a not-for profit organization. The picture you may have in your mind is that of a mellow, touchy-feely PhD who is highly abstract and doesn’t know much about the “real world.” Does that sound interesting or ho-hum?
What if I told you that he runs marathons, has made a profit year after year in his own business, and is a proud member of the US Marines Corps Fleet Anti-Terrorist Security Team? And to top it all off, he loves McDonalds French Fries! Does that make him sound more down to earth and “real”?
So before you put up a boring bio, think carefully about what makes you different. Don’t be afraid to look real. People like to do business with interesting people.
Additionally, look at the tools and widgets the business networking sites make available to you and use them. You can do such things as post your reading list, link your blog, upload your Twitter feed, and many others. People can get to know you by these additional applications. Even better, they’re very user-friendly and easy to integrate into your business networking persona.