© Tweeter Linder 2017 – All rights reserved. Photo by iStock

Welcome back to the second week in developing your digital influencing skills. Influencing and impressing in the digital world start with establishing your accounts. This week the program will take you through three simple steps in setting up your social media accounts in a professional way.

Select a consistent name for use across all digital platforms

Your name can either be your real name, real name abbreviated or a fictive name. Explored in reversed order or with middle initial. The digital name you select in the beginning is worth a bit of research and thinking. See it as the personal brand you will build your influencing around. Something also easy to remember when spoken as a reference in a video or a podcast.

Once you have a few acceptable candidates test them on your target platforms. To secure they are not occupied.

In my first attempt at defining my personal brand I opted for a fictive name.

Create a powerful bio to go with a professional picture

Digital platforms allow you to provide a short biography. Which serve as a teaser of making people interested in connecting with you.

People’s attention span is shorter on digital platforms than in the real world. Plan for going straight to the point, when presenting yourself. Another aspect is to break away from your thinking when writing a Resume or Curriculum Vitae. Spend less character on describing what you do. Focus on articulating who you are and what your interest are. The latter being more personal than a resume / CV. but something making you look more exciting to interact with.

A powerful biography built from the following building blocks

• A professional picture.
• A headline describing who you are. Challenge yourself to do it in two words.
• 2-3 word sentences building excitement around you.
• Use 1 or 2 words signaling excitement and interest. Where scouting for new ones in a dictionary can pay off well..
• A few hash tags with topics you are exploring or communicating around now.

See your digital platform bio as a living teaser. Updated on a regular basis to reflect your interest here and now.

The hardest part of my journey was to describe who I am in 2 words. And finding two words that made it sound exciting. I finally landed on the words “Digital Intrapreneur”. Digital for what I associate with the purpose in my professional life. And Intrapreneur signialling my storng interest in building new business in established organizations.

Register the name on targeted and possible platforms

The social media platform landscape has evolved fast this decade. With each platform growing based on a unique twist. Some platforms first gaining traction for private purposes. Later embraced for professional purposes at a later stage. Lock in your selected digital platform name across all major platforms. As an enabler for using them later with a name that is consistent across platforms. if you want to expand your digital presence.

Consider the following platforms

1. LinkedIn – network for professional contacts
2. Twitter – real-time communication platform, also referred to as a microblog.
3. Instagram – real-time-visual platform.
4. Snapchat – consumer oriented platform for visual snaps.
5. YouTube – Video publishing platform
6. Facebook – group networking platform with unrivalled reach.
7. Workplace by Facebook – group networking for professional groups
8. yourname.com – as a base for future expansions into blogs etc.

When I started my digital journey, I made the mistake of just registering my selected name on the platform I planned to use. To later find out my preferred name was occupied when I want to expand to new platforms.

Check list for week 2

Select a consistent name you want to sue across all platforms

• First name Second name
• First Name Middle Initial Second name
• Second name First name
• Alternative creative name if already taken

Craft a professional bio to be used on all social media platforms

• A text in twitter lengths (characters)
• A profile picture

Register accounts in your selected name on all social media platforms

• LinkedIn – network of professional contacts
• Twitter – real-time communication platform
• Instagram – real-time visual platform
• Snapschat – consumer oriented snappy visual platform
• YouTube – video recording platform
• Facebook / Facebook at work
• Pinterest – Picture promotion platform

Thank you for reading and good luck with establishing your digital accounts. Next week we will discuss how and where you find your digital audience.