Here are a few tips to create a great and healthy online presence

• Google yourself
  Make sure to Google yourself right now if you haven’t in recent months. Use an incognito tab and a web browser that you don’t typically use to search. Pay close attention to what appears on the first page of the search results as a job seeker because prospective employers and clients will do the same. Your social media accounts will likely appear on the first page of search results if you don’t have a very common name, so make sure you’re completely comfortable with whatever you share on social media.
  
  
• Establish Accounts in Multiple Places
  You should reevaluate your internet presence if it is solely Facebook/Instagram-based. It is not a professional network, and having an account here rather than, say, LinkedIn, suggests that you are more concerned with personal issues than professional ones. To boost your name, consider additional social media platforms such as Behance, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Tumblr.
  
  
• Keep Your Online Presence Consistent with Your Profession.
  Some social media are better suited than others for particular professions. Accounts on Pinterest or Flickr will work perfectly if you’re a designer, photographer, or artist. Not that much if you’re a lawyer. Do a quick research on what platform suit your profession and harness such platform to your advantage.
  
  
• Optimise your profiles.
  It’s crucial that anyone who stumbles across your page can recognize you right away and be able to understand your brand, hence the need to optimise your profiles. The word “optimisation” can imply a lot of work but it is simple and essential to make your profile stand out on social media. A social media page with a half-finished bio and information and poor pictures won’t gain much traction compared to a well-optimised page. Ensure to fill every part of your profile with the necessary information, high-quality pictures/videos, well-written content, etc as this contributes to the traction your profile gets.
  
  
• Enjoy in Moderation–Control your Content
  As exciting and entertaining as it may be to use social media to develop your brand and increase visibility, the secret to maintaining a healthy online presence is to set time limits and pay attention to the information you publish/post, like, and even how you comment on other’s post. Before you jump on a trend, always think of its impact on your brand and what it will communicate to visitors. Recruiters might go beyond your well-optimised LinkedIn page/ porLinkedInor even your blog and check your social media interactions – ensure to always leave a good impression.

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Here is a list of questions to assess your online presence:

1. Can you easily find your profile when you Google your full name?
2. Do you have any of the following social media accounts – Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/Instagram?
3. Will you be comfortable with the content associated with your account when searched for by a recruiter?
4. Do you have informational content on your online pages?
5. Are your contact details and about available on your blog/medium account?
6. Are your social media accounts name correctly?
7. Are your content and images consistent across all social media platforms?
8. Are your profiles well-optimised to be attractive to employers?
9. Do you have a customised LinkedIn Url?