Cathy Liska 1. When you are promoting yourself as a Coaches and Social Mediacoach, how much time should you spend on SEO and Social Media sites?
The internet is an amazing resource and a common way people find you and your services. When you are in business, having a website is what a telephone listing use to be – a basic necessity. In developing a website, search engine optimization (SEO) and social media links enhance visibility and credibility.
When starting, consider that a website with tools to easily update page titles, descriptions, keywords, and content is an opportunity to maintain find-ability on the internet. Some templates include this automatically, while other templates make it a challenge. Some designers understand the importance of how the site is built, others specialize in appearance only. Consider creating a database for the information, and then periodically review it for effectiveness to decide on updates. Once set-up, a monthly review and making changes is generally an investment of 15 to 30 minutes.
With a website, links to profiles and group pages on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook provide ways for others to learn more about you and build the connection. Providing valuable information through these sites is an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and further build your network. Consider investing 30 minutes each working day.
2. When coaching clients, how important is their online profile?
For clients looking at career growth or finding a job, their online profile is often looked at by employers. How many stories have you seen or read that outline a scenario where someone did not get a job or promotion because of their online profile?
What is your familiarity with finding a job through networking? LinkedIn, a professional networking site, is a go-to website for making professional connections that lead to or support getting a job.
As a coach, ask your client what they know about online profiles and social media. If their familiarity is limited, provide perspective with statistics and examples of the impact sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook have on job seekers and those advancing their career. (According to a recent survey by Microsoft, 75 percent of U.S. recruiters and human-resource professionals report that their companies require them to do online research about candidates. Seventy percent of U.S. recruiters report that they have rejected candidates because of information found online.) Some clients like to research for a better understanding, others will move straight to joining sites. Coach your client for results with online networking.
What have you learned about online networking that you wish you had known sooner?
