Hiding in the Bathroom by Morra Aarons-Mele

Author:Morra Aarons-Mele
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-08-14T04:00:00+00:00

Why Women (Especially Women Introverts) Need a Strong Digital Brand

For women of any age, becoming social-network savvy isn’t just about connecting with friends. It’s about creating and maintaining the critical connections that establish your expertise and leadership, regardless of whether you’re employed or own your own business. And even more than for men, it is critical for women to establish a strong online brand. While your career path may wax and wane as you start a family, care for relatives, and deal with any of the myriad of issues that can disrupt your climb up the career ladder, your digital brand stays with you. It is a crucial piece of your credibility as a professional and as a leader.

What do I mean by digital brand? I simply mean how someone finds you online, and what they find when they do.

The first step in a digital brand is a simple website or a blog that curates all of your professional accomplishments, interests, and opinions. You control the content, you control the message, and the site changes as your career grows. Think of it as your digital CV. It might include participating in marketing channels such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Pinterest, which are excellent places to find like-minded people. But ultimately, you cannot control the content of a site owned by someone else. And therefore, you need your own home on the web.

The Internet gives us the space to showcase the accomplishments of our less-than-linear lives, create new networks and professional opportunities that bolster our careers, and highlight our unique brands, all from the comfort of home. (I do always blog in bed.)

The web allows you to maintain relationships with colleagues and to forge new connections with thought leaders in your space—from home, at the time and place that’s convenient for you. This is important for women who are on a break from a career path because of caretaking or childbearing, and for women who are introverts or hermits, who need to get out there without always getting out there.

It’s important to establish a digital footprint to . . .

Access new networks. Research shows that women’s social and professional networks are different from men’s, and this can hurt us professionally. Women tend to have fewer weak ties, more all-female reference groups, more contacts who are peers, and fewer who are superiors. We’re much more likely to form tight-knit groups of equals among ourselves. The way we form ties isn’t necessarily wrong, but it can hinder our progress professionally. For the same reason finding male mentors at work is important, building a diverse online social network can really help boost your career. Having an online brand isn’t just about creating Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages; it’s about forging relationships online that can propel your leadership potential.

Engage from anywhere. Women are still responsible for the majority of caretaking and domestic work in American homes, regardless of whether they hold a paying job. Our caretaking responsibilities can prevent us from being able to participate fully in the work culture outside of regular business hours.

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