Create the online brand for yourself that you want employers and clients to see!

by Elisa Laird-Metke
Assistant Director of Law Student Services & Law Career Services  

This is Part 2 of a two part series covering online personal branding. Today’s discussion focuses on creating the online presence you would like to have prospective employers and clients see when they look you up. For information on getting rid of questionable online content that may surface when someone looks for you online, see Part 1.

Cultivate a positive online brand by deliberately creating content about yourself that you want others to find when they Google you. The goal is to make your online presence reflect you as a legal professional who is rapidly becoming an expert in your chosen area of law—and it’s easier than you think! Spend time developing your LinkedIn profile. Start a blog on a particular law subject that interests you, or offer to write a guest post on an existing legal blog. Then make sure you link your post to your LinkedIn page, so anyone looking you up can’t miss it. Create a professional Twitter account that you update very regularly with the latest news and legal trends in your field, and link it to your LinkedIn profile and/or blog. Participating in legal associations and writing articles also increases the number of positive online search results that turn up about you.

And once you’ve begun an online presence, stay engaged! Don’t let your blog go stale after a couple of posts—keep the material updated regularly. If you're on LinkedIn, join some groups. If you create a blog post, respond to those who leave comments—answer their questions and engage in discussions (keeping the tone civil, of course)—engagement is what makes people keep coming back!

Creating a positive online brand is not just confined to your professional activities.  Volunteer for your favorite non-profit or run a marathon. These types of events often generate search results and will contribute to your overall online image. However you chose to market yourself online, know that your online brand reflects your judgment—a trait very interesting to prospective employers and clients!