“Q: Somer, I’m going to ignite my job search in a few months, so I’m thinking about what I should start doing now. Should I start posting content? My company is a rocket ship but relatively unknown, and I think I need to boost my personal brand to be on the radar of folks like you.” -Chief Security Officer
A: Posting content is a good idea, but here are my two cents, as a recruiter:
View the content you post as keeping you top of mind with people you already know.
This is very different than viewing your content as shouting with a spinning sign on the corner.
Before you start posting, spend time with your network. I have other posts and videos dedicated to this, but in essence
find your fan club,
get back in touch with them and talk to them (vs only email),
ask them for introductions and create more fans.
Then post content.
The content will keep you top of mind. When a search opens up, that’s where you want to be, the first person the hiring manager or recruiter thinks of.
* * * * *
It’s important to create a personal brand. It’s your reputation.
In executive search, reputation goes a long way.
If you’ve known me for more than two years, you’ll know that personal branding and posting on LinkedIn is new to me. I never thought about it before, and certainly never posted. It was confusing. Should I post on behalf of my company or make it personal? Plus, most of what I do is confidential, so what should I even post? I’m not a fan of self-promotion. I overthought everything.
When I launched my own search firm, creating a brand happened organically. I realized that I had a lot to say, and was excited to share it with my network. I found my voice and double downed on it.
There were some lessons learned that I wanted to share with you, and it’s still an evolution.
Tips for creating a personal brand:
Define your audience. Who is this content for? Write to them. If you get stuck, simply think of your avatar and say “I want to tell you that…” and go from there. Then delete the “I want to tell you that” part of the sentence.
Be consistent. It takes time. Even if you think no one sees what you post, they do.
Be authentic. It comes through.
Add value. It’s all about giving versus self-promoting. Everyone has something to give. It goes back to your avatar and how you can help.
Learn the logistics. The LinkedIn algorithm changes, and there are people who blog about it who are happy to share the latest. Time of day and day of week matter. Comments matter more than likes. Shares matter more than comments. The first hour of your post will determine who else they show it to, analyzing "dwell time". Posting more than once a day hurts your first post. This is just some of what I've picked up.
An easy way to get started is to post comments on other people's content. Find a person you admire, go to their LinkedIn page, scroll to the middle and click on "see all activity", then click on "posts" and bookmark it. There you'll see their posts, and can keep checking in every couple of days to see what's new.
You're helping people with your wisdom, and that's a great thing!
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