Creating Your Online Brand

I recently watched a documentary on PBS called Generation Like, which had me thinking a lot about social media marketing and branding. The documentary discussed important topics regarding many people's obsessions with getting a lot of likes and how we brand ourselves online.

Nowadays, it's not uncommon for employers to look at your resume and your social media accounts when they're considering hiring you.  Your social media accounts can say a lot about you, and it provides them with information they may not be able to ask you about in an interview. Two of my friends debated about whether likes truly mattered or not on social media, and the friend who said that likes mattered supported her argument by saying it's a part of your brand. She brought up how getting those likes, shares, or comments show that maybe you're well liked or that you have a large network. In opposition, my other friend brought up that if you're trying to brand yourself for companies, they won't notice the number of likes on your post but rather the content of the post. Were you holding a beer in your hand when it's evident you're not of age? Were you posting pictures of the house you helped build over spring break for a family in need? That's what companies are looking at.

There I sat thinking, they've both got a point. I definitely agree that the content that you post online is really the first, and most important, part of branding yourself, but getting those likes, shares, or comments don't hurt. It may show that you have a strong reputation or that you post content that people like or care about. However, my caveat is that it's not worth worrying or obsessing over how many likes or retweets you get. I doubt a company will base their decision to hire you because you never broke 100 likes on Facebook or don't consistently get 20 retweets on Twitter.

At the end of the day, the important thing to remember is be aware of what you post online. No matter what industry you're in, there's a chance that potential employers will be going online to search your name and look through your social media profiles, and you don't want that to cost you a job. Take time to build a good, strong brand for yourself because it could give you the leg up when you're in the final round of the interview process.