By Jessie Koerner, Manager, Novitas Communications
There was a time when executive presence meant knowing which fork to use, offering a firm handshake, wearing a tailored suit, and speaking the right way. Today, that same presence lives online. And too many executives haven’t learned the digital table manners to match. Beyond Googling yourself, digital presence encapsulates the entirety of your digital footprint: what platforms you’re on, how you use them (or don’t), and where the story of your leadership resides.
Your first five search returns when you type in your name and industry should speak to your experience and authority. Your LinkedIn should provide a point of view, not a laundry list. Thought leadership should pop up to the top. If you Google yourself now, and see that your digital footprint isn’t the story you’d like to tell, it’s ok. A good communications strategy can get you on track to present the version of yourself you want the world to see.
At Novitas, we walk executives through what it takes to build a strong digital footprint. Here are the gaps we look for… and how to fix them.
Mind the Gap
Even physical executive presence takes a team of experts to cultivate. Digital is no different. The first step to improvement in both is to audit your current state. These are the most common gaps we see for executives online… and how to bridge them.
- Resume, or Voice?
GAP: Many people use LinkedIn as a digital resume. This is a mistake for executives. Journalists or partners looking for a subject matter expert won’t find use in a list of previously held positions.
BRIDGE: Turn your “About” section into 2-3 core opinions or areas of expertise. Think of this as the interview’s “tell me about yourself” question. Then post on a regular cadence––even monthly, if that’s right for you––sharing a point of view. Take it to the comment section, too, of conversations already in progress.
- How long ago?
GAP: Take a look at the last time you were quoted, published or mentioned. News outlets, search results and audience bias tend towards recency over insight or depth. Add to the conversation early and often.
BRIDGE: If you’re in need of a by-line or podcast credit, identify 1-2 conversatons happening in your industry where you have something to add, and pitch yourself as a resource. Set a calendar invite to every 90 days, or once a quarter, to take stock of what you’ve said publicly. If you still need content, repurpose an internal talk, webinar or panel appearance into an externally-facing article or post.
- Are you findable?
GAP: Do you use multiple versions of your name across platforms? Pick a name and stick to it. Check your findability by googling your name and your industry. Note who comes up in the early search results. The goal is to take up the top five returns.
BRIDGE: Make sure your name is consistent across platforms and across by-lines and credits. Standardize your bio language, and use expertise keywords consistently.
- Who are you?
GAP: In a crisis or fast-moving scenario, a journalist or client or stakeholder needs to know who you are in a snapshot. Do you have a posted current headshot, tight bio and basic background available? If not, it’s time to pull materials together.
BRIDGE: Put together a media backgrounder on yourself with your current role, past relevant experience, and 2-3 quotable positions on topics in your space. Keep this updated and accessible to make sure journalists have the best, most up-to-date info on you.
- What are your context clues?
GAP: If your company has a crisis tomorrow and your name was searched, do you have enough context content to add credibility? Or do you have published comments that would take away sympathy for your organization? Take stock of what’s already floating in the zeitgeist.
BRIDGE: Develop a crisis plan to help guide you through the roughest moments, so that you’re not building the plane as you’re trying to fly it. This plan should detail your company’s values when it comes to crisis response, e.g. always leading with care for the client, versus pointing blame. Start building that ethos now, with other thought leadership and content that proves your company cares about what it says it does.
Show don’t tell
Ultimately, as an executive on the internet, you want your presence to work for you while you’re not in the room. Setting up a strategy with a communications firm, and executing on it, puts you ahead of the curve when the inevitable happens. It could be good investor news, or a terrible crisis, but you want what your audience combs through to reinforce who you are as a leader.
Take the quotable opportunities you’ve given when building your by-lines and credits, even if the outlet is small. The more you can demonstrate via a third-party validator that you’re a credible source, the more by-lines and credits you’ll earn. Use these opportunities to reiterate your core positions. You will get sick of hearing them, but for portions of your audience, they’re just hearing it for the first time.
The key to a digital footprint is that it’s meant to evolve as your leadership does. Maintenance of your online reputation is as important as the networking you do to maintain your in-person reputation. Make it count by acting strategically.
