Most social media sites and venues require that you set up a profile. LinkedIn is a great example, and I’ll use this for the remainder of the chapter. The concepts work with all social media profiles. Time spent on your profile is fruitful.
Before you crack on populating your profile, you need to be crystal clear about your personal branding. Not your logo; that’s just the surface.
But who you are, what you stand for, what your company is about, and why you do what you do? Who do you work with, and what value do you provide clients? What problems do you solve for your clients? What goals do you help them achieve?
A CeMAP Bootcamp student contacted me and fixed up a short video coaching session as they had some questions to ask me. I began by briefly introducing myself. “Don’t worry about that, Paul”, was the response, “I know all about you and what you’re about, and I’m a fan”.
A lovely gesture, but it proved that my internet presence had done the job. People pick up your brand way before they actually meet you and form an opinion of you that will last way beyond the time they actually meet you.
An interesting exercise is to put your full name in the Google search engine and see what comes up. You may share your name with someone more well known, so key in other aspects about you—for example, Paul Archer Speaker Trainer UK mortgage.
Have a look at what the internet is saying about you. Your various social media profiles will appear first. Gauge the brand you’re picking up; is it congruent with who you are? Does it show that you are capable, reliable, professional, knowledgeable, human, and ethical? These are all ideal brands for mortgage advisers.
If not, time to start on your online presence. If you intend to find people online using social selling, beware that at some juncture, your targeted people will search for you too. That might cement your position or jeopardize it.
