So what is it that is new? I belong to the group of people who would claim that everything has changed, yet nothing has changed.

Everything has changed because more businesses and individuals than ever have access to technology and new communication channels only reserved for the few in the past. Everything has changed because in theory, a single individual or a small business owner can reach out and attract opportunities anywhere as long as there is an internet connection available. Along with the access and opportunities come the risks of becoming more visible and accessible to others, often not monitored and managed on this level before.

Yet nothing has changed. We are still humans with a variety of values, limiting beliefs and preferences in the way we communicate, collaborate and act with confidence when using the technology and the new communication channels.

This is why it’s never enough to learn the “HOW TOs” of social media, it needs to be combined with the authentic version of the communicator, listening, sharing and responding in a trustworthy way. It takes courage to share your own story, let your view become public and set the digital footprints representing the authentic version of yourself.

The catalyst to me personally was when I understood how I was perceived by others professionally. It wasn’t what I believed to be true. It was the essence of my professional reputation as seen by colleagues, managers and clients which gave me the confidence to continue setting digital footprints and take more risk than in the past.

So, in order to create lasting results on the social media scene, we should focus first on answering the key questions about ourselves, our professional reputation and what we are looking to accomplish when entering the scene. Then the “HOW TO’s” can be addressed more effortlessly.

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Today’s social media tools enable us to listen to the market and communicate with colleagues, potential employers, customers and business partners in a new way, and this gives you a chance to tell your story, demonstrate your ambition and build your network effectively for long term relationships. You will also find yourself in a position where you can start attracting professional opportunities which may not even exist yet!

Surprisingly, many seems to believe that it will be sufficient to create those opportunities simply by creating an account and proving that they are part of the community without a defined strategy nor adding the behavior required.

Let me be very clear: It is not enough to “show up” at the social media scene, you need to successfully ENGAGE with others to build a trustworthy presence to build and nurture long term relationships. These relationships can then result in real life business opportunities and significant business results.

I have personally experienced the power of social media for creating new business via tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and now I’m in a position where I can help others do the same. Looking back on the early days of my business, I wish someone had told me that you need a strategy for this as well, like in any other major area of your business.

When people ask: “What would you have done differently now if you knew then what you know now”, my answer remains crystal clear: “I would have spent time initially to go on discovery. I would have loved to listen more carefully to where my target groups hang out, what they are preoccupied by and what they are struggling with. Then I should have investigated more carefully which social media preference I have, and where I should ask for help. And finally, I should have pulled together a simple 1 pager to spell out my social media strategy and STICK TO IT with patience.

I often hear people complain about the time spent on social media with unclear return on investment. It doesn’t have to be that way when you know by whom you want to be found and where you need to hang out to engage with your target market. You need to know what to ignore and what not to ignore, though.

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Then, I ask them to tell me more about what they did previously when they successfully made a change to their career! Often there is silence. And more silence. “What do you mean? It just happened.” Or: “I was lucky”. Most often: “I don’t know”.

Here is the opportunity to uncover your personal recipe for professional success. What exactly did you do to get that promotion? Or to be found by a headhunter? What characterized the circumstances when you were the obvious choice for the recruiter, internally or externally?

When uncovering their stories, there seems to be a pattern of behaviors and actions that happen for each and one. This is the formula that can be used over and over again to attract new professional challenges and use your potential more fully. To some people, acting as your own headhunter comes naturally with ease, others might need a trigger to get focused. Whatever your situation is, you will always be in a position to pursue new professional adventures if you are fully aware of your personal recipe. Maybe it’s high time to test and refine your recipe this time of the year?

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