I’m willing to bet that if you’re reading this blog post you’re already fully aware of social media. We use blogs to become more informed, many of us now use blogs to apply make-up, discuss fashion trends and digest the latest news headlines. As we traverse these information highways we leave a digital footprint, we comment, approve and dislike using our online persona.

Blogs, tweets, likes, followers and friends are part of our everyday.

So, what does your online persona say about you? And did you know that employers are looking at your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts before you even get the chance to interview? 94% of recruiters use LinkedIn to vet candidates ( VobVite’s Social Recruiting Survey) so a complete profile on LinkedIn in particular is essential.

Without further ado, here are our top tips on promoting yourself online….

What does your photo say about you?  Our advice is use a portrait shot to get started. Anyone looking at your profile with employment in mind would like to see your face clearly. Use a picture where you look friendly, approachable, perhaps get a friend to help you decide. Avoid using full length pictures or ones of you out partying on a Saturday night. Those are best left safely tucked away on icloud ;-)

Don’t forget to complete your bio Ensure you’ve listed at least 3 of your past positions. LinkedIn will rank your profile on how complete it is, to achieve “All Star” status your profile must be 100% complete and LinkedIn will remind you if you’ve still got parts to fill out. Try and make your bio interesting as people will read it before they decide to follow you…or hire you.

Inject some personality Striking a balance between a personal and professional profile is an important one to nail. Discuss industry news and events, comment on articles and engage in the lost art of conversation on a professional level. That’s all good. In equal measure, don’t be afraid to post the occasional lament over this week’s X Factor exit or how incredible it is that astronaut Tim Peake just took a selfie from space. Let your personality shine through but don’t let your personal life take over.

Get involved in a Twitter chat. Sure, LinkedIn will help you to build a network of professional contacts whether you’re actively seeking a new job or not. But connecting with people within your industry, isn’t making yourself known. Starting, or participating in, a #twitterchat may sound daunting but it can help to forge strong connections with your peers and provide the opportunity to become a ‘thought leader’. Providing value is important, as is limiting self-promotion. Nobody likes to follow somebody that is constantly promoting themselves or a sales product.

Be active OK so you don’t have to post every single day, but it’s good to talk right? Have a look through your feed, see what’s going on, like and comment if you feel the need. Don’t create a profile and then abandon it. Think of your social profiles as plants, they need nurturing, they need attention in order to stay alive and grow. You will lose the interest of your network and those relationships you have worked hard to build if you don’t interact. On the other end of the spectrum, don’t go on a posting spree, updating fifty times a day. You’ll annoy (not to mention bore) your connections with what can only be described as spam. Resulting in your removal from their network.

Having a great professional presence on social media isn’t hard. It really isn’t! All you need to do is make sure you maintain your network and post both personal and professional content.

If you don’t think you could benefit from the use of a professional profile on social media, let me ask you this… have you Googled yourself lately?