What will I find if I Google you?
As Virtual Assistants, our online presence is a very important part of our business.
People like to do business with others that they know, like and trust. And while sometimes this can come by way of referral, most times (especially when you are getting started), it will come from people checking you out online.
If you actually Google ‘Google Yourself’ you will find a lot of stuff about unwanted information and how to clean up your online reputation. But that’s not what I’m talking about here.
What I mean is that when people are deciding whether to work with you they will seek out your online profiles – and you want them to be impressed when they do!
So you want to make sure that whatever comes up for you online is relevant, current and looks amazing!
Here are a few tips to help you ensure that you look professional and polished when people look you up:
1. Make sure your website, if you have one, is current and looks good. That’s not to say that you need a $10,000 website though. But if you have a blog, make sure you have current posts. If you have service offerings listed, make sure they are congruent with the services you are offering your clients now. It should be easy to navigate so that someone can find whatever they need easily.
2. Anywhere you have information that talks about you, make sure it is actually about you. Many VAs put in information about their business, services offered and so on, but in order for someone to decide to work with you, they need to know your personality is a fit for them. Make it easier for them by letting them find it – and always use first person language. You don’t have to give personal information, but you can say things like ‘I love to support business owners doing … I started my own business because … I use my experience from X industry to help ….’, that type of thing. Let your personality shine through in what they read about you.
3. If you are using any social media profiles, ensure that they are current and professional too. It’s not necessary to use your personal Facebook profile or your Pinterest account for business. If you have a profile that is not business-related, don’t include it in your business website or your email signature or other profiles. Connect the ones you do have for your business (page, LinkedIn, Google+ etc) so that people know where they can find you and connect with you. And decide where you will spend your time networking, and keep that (or those) profile(s) looking great.
4. When writing your content like blog posts or social media posts or even your newsletter, use your voice and your personality as much as you can. Conversational writing always gets more feedback and interaction than staunch business stuff. Not to say that you can’t be business-y when needed, but in general, this is another area that you should let your personality shine through. I love the quote from Oscar Wilde, ‘Be you, everyone else is taken.’ It’s so true. And it’s easier to be yourself than to try to be anyone else, isn’t it?
Working online can be such a great benefit in so many ways – we can connect with people around the world, we can work with as many clients as we want to – but the limitation comes with that personal contact.
Your online presence is really important to help people get to know you, like you and trust you. Be yourself, show your professionalism and polish, and you will be more than on your way to having an online presence that you are proud of, and that makes your potential clients stand up and notice you!
Google yourself, and see what you (and others) see – and make these simple changes where necessary!
You can check me out on my website, blog, and Facebook page!