Socialize Your Expertise: A Guide to Mastering Every Social Media Channel for Professional Success

It is impossible these days to avoid the digital world. For good or bad, it’s here to stay and one of the most important things you can do as a professional is to secure that your digital footprint is positive and that it highlights your professional expertise. One of the best ways to do this is to be strategic about what you place on social media. Everyone is connected to everyone else. If you ever look at your social media connections, I can guarantee you that you’ll be amazed at who is connected to whom. This is a much smaller world than we often imagine and making sure we present ourselves online with a clear and consistent portrait is vital.

Showcasing your expertise on social media can be a great way to build your personal brand and attract potential clients or employers. When people are looking for service providers and searching for solutions to their problems, you want to make sure that you are at the top of the pack. Social media is a great tool for making sure that happens. It gives people the opportunity to not only find you but validate you. In marketing, we have a concept called “social proof.” Basically, it’s the chain reaction that happens when a person is trying to promote a product and sales take off once the first person bites. People see that person bought it. They think it must be good. The next one thinks the same, and then the one after that does too, and so on and so on.

Promoting yourself on social media has the same impact. People see who you are connected to, who you worked with, and what others have to say about you, and the chain reaction takes off. You are validated as an expert in your field when other people can see that your network is in agreement that indeed you are.

Here are some tips and examples of how to showcase your work on different social media platforms:

1. LinkedIn: Create a complete and professional profile that highlights your skills, experience, and accomplishments. Share articles, blog posts, and videos that demonstrate your expertise in your industry or niche. Engage with others in your field by commenting on their posts or joining relevant groups.
2. Twitter: Use Twitter to share bite-sized insights, tips, and observations related to your field. Tweet links to articles or blog posts that you have written or found interesting. Participate in Twitter chats related to your industry to connect with other professionals and showcase your knowledge.
3. Instagram: Use Instagram to showcase your creative work or visual portfolio. Share high-quality photos or videos of your projects, with captions that explain your process or share insights related to your industry. Use hashtags to help your content get discovered by potential clients or collaborators.
4. YouTube: Create video content that showcases your expertise, such as tutorials, how-to guides, or thought leadership videos. Make sure your videos are well-produced and provide value to your target audience. Share your videos on other social media platforms to attract a wider audience.
5. Facebook: Use Facebook to share longer-form content, such as blog posts, articles, or whitepapers. Join relevant groups or communities related to your industry and engage with others by commenting on their posts or sharing valuable insights. Use Facebook Live to host Q&A sessions or webinars related to your expertise.

Remember to be consistent and authentic in your social media presence. People are buying your skills but let’s face it none of us is the only person possessing our skills. The thing is that although many people can do a thing, no one can do that thing the way you do it. Use social media to demonstrate what sets you apart, your personality, your values, and your passions. This is truly the magic of social media.

For example, I’m an expert in providing business skill training to people who haven’t had formal education. I have developed a unique approach to training people who fit this narrative involving nontraditional teaching methods. I was able to do this because of my natural ability to be empathetic, and creative. Also, I have a passion for helping impoverished groups and a core belief that anyone can be taught. I showcase this through the things I do in my personal life that I share online as well as the online conversations that I have.

I show not only the work I do but who I am and how I do the work. It all matters in presenting my expertise. Nobody can do what I do exactly the way I do it because there is only one me. It’s important to remember that showcasing your expertise is about building relationships and establishing yourself as a trusted authority in your field. By following these tips and examples, you can use social media to showcase your work and attract new opportunities.

If you’re curious about my approach to social media, please join me at Facebook.com/dgspeaks or Linkedin.com/in/dgspeaks.