5. Boost your online portfolio
When you type your name into Google, you want the entire first page to be links to your online profiles, but the last thing you want is for your embarrassing Facebook photos to show up or old links from years ago that are no longer relevant. The new year could be a great time to spring clean your online portfolio, ensuring that all of the first results on Google are ones that show your best side. Get your business and personal website up and running and get it spreading like wild fire across social networking sites. Start a blog, and the more readership you accumulate, the more it will show up on Google searches. Let the power of SEO get your published work and projects to the top of your Google search and use Google+ and LinkedIn to make contacts and appear under your name. Search for online profiles linked to your industry or your hobbies and set up public accounts that show your portfolio and CV. After a few weeks of plugging your website and online profiles, your Google search should start to look a lot more professional and easier to navigate for potential clients and employers.
4. Move to the cloud
2013 has seen the cloud become the go-to solution for companies of all sizes. Startups and enterprises alike have seen the shift to the cloud allow them to have more control over their data and documents. Moving your business to the cloud can let your employees access files from any location and give your company more flexibility and security.
3. Separate online identities
Everyone should have two identities online, one for professional, the other more personal. Facebook is for friends, LinkedIn is for professional contacts. Google+ and Twitter can be a mix of the two. Don’t forget – your clients really don’t want to see a stream of your favourite cat GIFs, they want to see your online portfolio. Learn how to separate the personal accounts and photos from your professional online presence.
2. Networking
When using networking sites correctly, you can make new contacts, friends and get your business or ideas noticed. Having two separate Twitter accounts – one personal, one professional – can ensure that you’re reaching the right people with the right information.
1. Be nicer online
Whether it’s the habit of trolling or using social networks to complain about companies, we could all maybe be a bit nicer in the new year. Remember: ‘If you’ve got nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ also applies to the internet!
