5 Online Presence Tips to Increase Your Visibility

"If Google Earth were a guy, he couldn't find me if I was dressed up as a 10-story building." Olive, Easy A.

To be considered for opportunities, people want to know, like, and trust you. And that means people need to see what you have done and how you do it. And while nothing beats face-to-face meetings and relationship building, it can be challenging, especially if people only see you at a conference once a year.

Here are a few tips for using the internet to increase your visibility and the speed people will get to know, like, and trust you.

Tip 1: Ring Someone's Bell.

LinkedIn has a bell on each person's profile. You will be notified about that person's activity by clicking that bell. LinkedIn's algorithm does not inform you of all of your contacts' activity, and the algorithm is constantly changing. So the best way to ensure that you are in the know is by clicking the bell. Why do you want to know when people post? In talking to people, I hear that after meeting someone and connecting on LinkedIn, they do not know how to continue the conversation—knowing when someone posts and what they post gives you information to continue the conversation. You can comment or send a note to the person on their content. You are also in the loop if the person changes roles.

You can also set up Google alerts on these people. This way, you will know if they are speaking or have another professional event.

Tip 2. Have a Robust Profile.

Take the time to create an accurate and authentic profile that relays to the world your expertise and experiences and tells the person what working with you would be like. I often hear from folks who worry that others may be "judgy" about their profiles if they do this. And I will reiterate that most successful attorneys carefully curate their careers. And you should too. And with that being said, you must ensure it accurately reflects your experience because if you do not, you risk breaking the trust. If you are having your doubts, have someone you know read it. Please only pick someone with an online presence.

Tip 3. Share Thought Leadership. 

People need to know and trust you; the best way to do this is to share your thoughts and expertise. It would be best if you let them know regularly. Many tell me they have heard about openings or gotten calls about potential business. After all, they have been front of mind because they leverage LinkedIn.

Tip 4. Interact with Others.

LinkedIn is about building relationships. If you are trying to cultivate or strengthen relationships with people on LinkedIn, you need to interact with people. And I recommend that you do it because it is not time intensive, and you can show that you support people. Remember interacting is not reacting. It is commenting or messaging. Also, if someone posts something where you can help them, do it - especially when you expect nothing in return.

Tip 5. Post Your Events. 

Whether you are attending a conference or speaking, let the world know what you are doing. It will give people insights into your expertise and what is important to you and create an opening for conversation or even meet-ups at conferences. If you are speaking on a panel, you can do a post before inviting people and afterward thanking your co-panelists. Remember to tag them in the posts. And when you are comfortable, why not post a picture or two? It stops people from quickly scrolling past your post and taking a minute to read it.

Leveraging online tools can give you access to information and people, allowing you to create a strong brand and network quickly. More importantly, it can give you stronger connections to people and thought leadership in a world where most of us are in the office less frequently than before.

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Want to learn more about how to become the in-house leader you are meant to be?

Check out Sheila's 10 Tips for In-House Counsel Struggling to Advance.

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