How to Build Your Professional Brand Using Digital Strategies

#1 Grow a Blogging Presence 

Building a blog is one of the best ways to solidify your expertise in the environmental, engineering or construction industry. According to Hubspot, blogs have been rated as the 5th most trusted source for accurate information. Blogging allows you to share useful content to colleagues, influencers, and those seeking to expand their career in these industries. As a result, you’ll grow a loyal following while building an impressive professional presence online.

Choose a blogging platform such as WordPress or Medium to create your own blog. Brainstorm topics, common questions, and problems that are known in your industry to craft blog content ideas. Establish a blogging schedule and be consistent. With a regular blogging cadence, you’ll create a vault of posts to share with your social media networks, forward to your colleagues, and present to future employers as you advance in your career.

Finally, syndicate your blog articles on LinkedIn Pulse for greater exposure. This is an excellent way to cement your authority in the industry and get in front of an engaging audience.

#2 Share Informative Social Media Posts

A whopping 92% of marketers share that social media is important to their business. Brands leverage social media marketing as a way to increase awareness, connect with their audience, and attract customers to their websites. Since more consumers are using their social networks to engage with businesses, it’s important for brands to show up for their audience.

Equally, social media can be a viable platform for you to grow your professional brand. You see, you never know who’s in your social network that can connect you with a new opportunity for career advancement. With your social media strategy, you can post valuable content to educate, inform and inspire.

In fact, here are a few ideas to build your social media presence while progressing your career:

• Post relevant content that your followers can use. Answer questions, share your advice or post facts that are deemed helpful to those in your niche
• Share industry-related news to keep your audience abreast on current events. Offer your insight or opinion to make it authentic. Take it a step further by going live on Facebook Live to capture attention in newsfeeds
• Inspire your audience by posting quote images. You can locate ones on Google Images or create your own using Canva
• Curate and share authoritative content pertaining to the environmental, engineering or construction industry. You’ll be viewed as a reliable source, encouraging people to visit and engage on your page regularly
• Keep it simple with your postings. The key on social media is consistency and quality. Depending on the network, you can post as few as once a day (LinkedIn) or twice (Facebook, Instagram, Google+) and be effective

#3 Post Useful Videos on YouTube

There are a plethora of benefits to using video to build your professional brand. Video has a way of drawing viewers into your message and allowing them to experience your personality. People enjoy video because it’s transparent, original, and an easy way to digest your message. Although some may prefer reading your blog post or social media content, many will opt for video.

Lastly, videos help boost your confidence and communication skills. The more videos you create sharing relevant content in your industry, the more you’ll enhance your speaking abilities.

Use this to your advantage for your career. Create and upload videos on YouTube that relates to your industry. Use the same strategy in blogging for coming up with video topics. To increase exposure, be sure to share your videos on your social networks. Additionally, include popular keyword phrases that your audience would use when searching on YouTube for your subject matter.

Developing a video strategy for your professional brand will greatly separate you from other industry colleagues who are simply relying on one platform to cement their credibility.

Conclusion

Many of your colleagues are not optimizing digital strategies to excel their careers. Whether you’re in the environmental, engineering or construction industry, you’ll find that these tactics will help you standout and be noticed. You’ll enhance your portfolio while positioning your professional brand for future success.

Commit to adding each element in promoting your brand. Maintain a consistent blogging schedule to showcase your expertise. Leverage social media to connect and offer invaluable content your followers can use. Then, add videos to bring authenticity to your message while engaging a much wider audience.

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com