You can create an online persona that represents your personal values and professional talents by sharing content online. Even if you just use social media occasionally, anything you create, post, or react to contributes to the public narrative. Your online behavior is now just as significant as your offline behavior.

Developing your personal brand on social media requires time and effort (consider how long it takes to become instafamous!). Yet, if done correctly, you may be able to land your next career chance or make vital connections. Read on to find out five steps that will help ensure your online branding is working for you.

1. Completely update your social media profiles

Choose which social media account(s) to focus on, and remove any old accounts you no longer utilize. Make sure all of your information is correct and accurate for the networks you will be using. This will assist you in directing and growing traffic to the networks where you may showcase yourself and your work. It can also erase any 'questionable' content from previous years that could be perceived as having a risqué brand tone and does not benefit your professional image.

2. Determine Your Field of Knowledge.

Everyone is an expert at something, whether it's creating and distributing outstanding content or knowing everything there is to know about your favorite TV show. Is it time to branch out a little more? Consider the types of material you've written that your fans have responded to the most. Can you duplicate this with similar material or repurpose anything to re-engage your audience? The more original and entertaining material you publish on your chosen topic of expertise, the more your followers will regard you as a thought leader in your sector.

3. Use Social Media Applications to Make Posting Simple.

Forgotten passwords, a busy day job, content development, and maintaining an internet presence all take time. Yet, there are numerous social media apps available to make life easier. Sprout, Buffer, and Hootsuite all connect to your social media networks and allow you to cross-post and schedule content across several platforms. This eliminates the need to sign into several websites. These applications are compatible with the majority of major social networking networks, including Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

4. Share Material on a Regular Basis

The more you shared on social media in the early days, the more engagement you could generate. Today, however, excessive posting causes exhaustion and frustration. You want to maintain the channels of communication open with your audience, but you also don't want to appear desperate. The sweet spot is posting around 3-4 times a week for individuals.

There will be days when you don't post, and that's fine. Choose the best social media indicators to concentrate on, analyze the data linked with your postings, and identify a working pattern.

5. Maintain Consistency in Your Brand's Voice, Appearance, and Tone

You’ve probably already figured out that sticking to your defined persona is important. If a popular political commentator suddenly and radically switched parties, no doubt they would lose a lot of fans overnight. You must also remain consistent with your ideas and the ways you present them so that you’re memorable and trustworthy. It's important to create a brand guideline to help you through building your brand. Following your brand guidelines can assist you in controlling people's impressions.If one of your profiles appears with material or visuals that do not compare with your brand's voice, you risk damaging an otherwise faultless reputation.

In conclusion, you’ll need to understand the ins and outs of each social media platform and what you can do to drive your unique message. With some practice, you’ll soon learn what channel works best and how to measure success. Get started today by choosing a social media course that fits your professional and personal life.