Do you have a brand?  Does your web presence promote your value?  Maybe we should ask, what is your value?  Having a passion and interest in something is a start but where do we go from there…

Over the last few months I created a brand and have began blogging, commenting, using Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin to communicate my thoughts and ideas.  Here are a few tips and ideas I have learned.

What is your value?  I believe the first step in the process is having a clear understanding of what is that you want to contribute.  This is the hardest part of the process, I remember struggling with this idea for a few weeks and finally I decided I wanted to focus my passion on leadership and more importantly “how leaders should lead.” You may want to focus your value around your career and what you can contribute to others.  You maybe a salesman,  realtor, student, or someone looking to change careers.

Okay, our value has been established, where do we go next?  The next step is to create a blog and start capturing your thoughts.  Putting your thoughts to writing and posting them for the world to read, comment, and critique is a very humbling experience. Don’t get caught up in what others may think, these are your ideas and a this is a way to simply capture your thoughts.  Give yourself permission and don’t wait for the others to give you approval.  Remember, although you are posting it to the web it does NOT have to perfect.  It is going to be a while before others start reading your blog so don’t fumble over the idea that it needs to perfect.  Be clear and direct; longer is not better.  Pick a topic you are passionate about: sit down, capture your thoughts, proofread, and publish.

Where do we go next?  The best place to find value in the social media circle is on Twitter.  Many people are there to share, interact, and engage in conversation.  Read other blogs around your value and feel free to comment.  You will find that most people in the twitter world are there because they enjoy learning, engaging, and helping others. Take advantage of this and ask for advice.

Utilizing the social networking sites such as Facebook and Linkedin can also be powerful avenues to express your thoughts.  Although Facebook is a way to get your message out, it can damage your creditability as well as others. People can spot a fake a mile away so be genuine with your thoughts and find something that you are passionate about.

When it comes to differentiating yourself from the competition one edge you could take is using the internet to make yourself standout.  With the social networking sites such as myspace, facebook, and twitter we have began to open up to the idea of putting pictures and comments on the web for everyone else to see.  Unfortunately, if you are looking for a job you may have shot yourself in the foot because of the very web presences that you display.  I believe we were programmed to think “myspace”  was our own private space, when actually anyone with the internet could access what you posted.  If you didn’t have your settings set to private, you are completely exposed to anyone who maybe  interested.  So how do you create a positive web presence?

CRUX: Who are you? How do you want others to perceive you? Your web presence is a snap shot of who you are and how other see you.  This becomes a very valuable tool when searching for job or starting a new career path. Use the internet to create an edge for yourself over the competition.

“By giving people the power to share, we’re making the world more transparent.” -Mark Zuckerberg