Every
week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with
leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from this week’s session
with our newest expert to join Ask the Coach, Barbara
Safani, owner of Career Solvers based in New York City.
The World Wide Web has become such an engrained part of our lives and our careers that everyone is trying to come up with creative new strategies to harness the power of the Web. Some job seekers are thinking outside the box when it comes to the Web – way outside.
Barbara cited the example of one marketing executive who wanted to get attention of specific industry movers and shakers. He bought their names and started a banner ad campaign, so every time the executive conducted a search for him or herself, an ad would appear congratulating them on their achievements and introducing them to a similarly skilled executive, himself. You could click through on the banner to view his profile and accomplishments. The campaign worked, and this marketing executive landed in a very short time.
Then there are other approaches that are just as effective. Other coaches have talked about the power of blogging. Barbara also is a believer in using a web log to set yourself apart from the herd. If your goal is to be seen as a subject matter expert, then a blog can be a great tool. For the sake of your personal brand, a blog can’t be a diary of your daily personal experience and opinions on a variety of topics. Facebook might be a better venue for that. Instead, a blog is a place where you can share your knowledge and expertise, and increase your digital footprint. Use the blog to discuss relevant problems or industry trends, and improvements in your field. Share insights that will attract others to you.
The objective is to attract other professionals and interested parties to learn more about you. Many of those who comment on blogs are open to contact in other forums and forms, and this gives you an opening to expand your personal network. If you are interested in a specific company, blog about them to get their attention.
If you want to learn more about blogging to build your personal brand, join Jim Durbin, the social media headhunter, at our next Experts Connection teleseminar entitled, “Executives: Get Noticed for the Right Reasons.” If you can’t join the discussion, an archive of the teleseminar will also be available.
However, blogging is not for everyone. If you aren’t prepared to set aside time each week to add new content to your blog site, then you aren’t really ready to blog. But you can comment on other relevant blogs and follow other professionals in your field. Remember that each comment and post is searchable and associated with your name, so even commenting is a create way to expand your presence as an industry expert.
