Social Media has shifted the employment landscape and given rise to new requirements which means you must pay close attention to how you are perceived online.

Today’s job seekers and freelancers must present themselves as a brand. You really need to make yourself stick out in this noisy digital landscape. People remember brands because they are distinctive and often they emotionally connect to the essence and key messages of the brand. To build and maintain a personal brand that people trust requires smarts and regular attention, which is exactly what you need to make an online brand work for you.

Your unique brand builds trust from your network and prospective employers and opens the door to many new opportunities. Unfortunately, most people have no idea that they need to cultivate a personal brand, and they miss opportunities to differentiate themselves or design their future success.

The old school resume is often not going to cut it in many roles these days. You need to show your experience and examples of your work or thought leadership in the form of a digital portfolio or blog. For example, you can find out all about me and what I do on my personal website brendanokeefe.com

5 tips to help you build and manage online brand

1. Generate a unique selling proposition (UPS) - Figure out your point of difference, your strengths and craft a short but sweet statement or motto. Mine is Big Ideas – Better Insight – Best Life. Alternatively make sure your UPS is obvious through your profile and portfolio.

2. Create key social channels and a website/blog/porfolio – Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn, About. me, YouTube, Slideshare, WordPress, Blogger, Posterous, Behance and Carbonmade.

3. Blog or guest blog -Write a blog and publish something regularly. Make sure you write in topics that really interest you and let your passion shine. Be conversational in your tone and invite readers to comment and give their views where possible. Ask around and see if you can guest blog on popular blogs to help position yourself as an expert, or thought leader and drive traffic to your website or blog.

4. Set up a Google alert – Setting up a Google alert will assist you to keep an eye out on what’s being said about you, your work, products/service and it’s key to managing your reputation online. Set up a daily or weekly alert for your name and any project or brand you are working on or have created. Almost everything you post online is there for the long-term unless you organise to remove it.

5. Open yourself up to new opportunities – You never know who can bring you a new opportunity for personal growth, learning or employment. Your unique group can really help you move forward in life. Ask questions, ask for advice or introductions and offer to help where you can.

These 5 tips are only the tip of the iceberg so to speak, but they are key to making your online brand work for you. Oh, and one last tip. Can’t say it enough. Give value first and the good stuff will follow.

Do you have any tips for building and managing your online brand?