Industry Insights
Industry Insights
SCOPE News
Friddy Hoegener
22 September 2022
As a supply chain professional, your brand is one of the most important things you can invest in.
A generation ago, all professionals needed was experience, a good network, and a solid resume. However, the internet has changed the way professionals seek work and get hired in the supply chain and logistic industry.
Social media has changed the way we connect, and it's also changed how we hire. A survey by Jobvite found that 92% of employers use or plan to use social recruiting as part of their hiring process. Building your personal brand on social networks is vital if you want to get ahead in your career.
This guide will show you how to build a personal brand. In addition, you’ll learn what platforms you should consider to build relationships and share industry insights as you nurture your network.
Social media is an essential tool for networking, marketing, and building a reputation online for many professionals. Unfortunately, it's easy to become overwhelmed by all the different platforms available (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, et al.). But when you break it down into manageable chunks, you'll find clear benefits in using each platform for specific purposes.
But once you've developed your personal brand and show up daily, you'll find better job opportunities, learn from experts with more experience, and create a robust and promising future for your career.
Focus on your core messages and how you want to communicate yourself; for example, when someone sees your profile picture in their newsfeed, what is the one emotion and expectation they will think of right away?
While you are on social media, your goal should be to build relationships, share things you have learned, and create a community within your industry. This will increase your brand authority and attract future opportunities.
What do you stand for? If you are in the supply chain industry and have a passion for leadership, your bio should include a line that focuses on that. When someone visits your profile, they should automatically learn how you will benefit them. Here’s an example of someone who trains workers for leadership in the industry: "Researching and teaching leadership principles to a new generation of supply chain professionals." Decide what you want to focus on and state the benefits of following your profile.
Once you know what you want to focus on and have written your bio, it's time to finish the rest of your profile. Decide on a color that represents who you are. You can use this as a profile image background in your banner or any other required design on the platform. Add a website if you have one and include any essential information to your personal brand.
Once you are set up, how do you start from scratch? Aside from adding friends, family, and co-workers, you need a way to get started on your following and network. The best way to do it is by identifying your industry heroes. Follow them and engage with their posts. While these people will provide much-needed information and value to you, you won't grow trying to target the big fish right away. Study who is commenting and who is liking their posts. This is your community. Add them and have conversations. Once you do, you'll embed yourself in critical social circles to help you grow.
Especially when you are just starting, engage often— more than posting content. You are trying to build relationships, and it won't happen by posting into the void. You need to engage with others on your newsfeed. Comment on posts, have conversations in the responses and send direct messages to key people.
Personal branding requires providing value. By posting content daily, you can increase your following and build influence to aid you in your career growth. Post exciting news, things you are learning, and failures that have taught you lessons; the more transparent and curious you are, the more likely you will connect with your audience.
As you build your career brand, know what's most important— the relationships. Your ultimate goal is to create solid friendships within your network. Once you've engaged with many people, identify a few that you want to get to know deeper. Invite them for a Zoom or Google Hangouts call. Help them in any way you can. Slowly, you create a network that will reinforce your career and add new opportunities.
There are several social media platforms that you can use to build your brand. These include LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Quora. You can also consider using YouTube and Medium if they fit in with your professional goals. The best advice is to choose one platform at first and pick the one where your network already hangs out on.
In this case, LinkedIn may be the best option to start with.
LinkedIn is a professional social network. It's the place where you can connect with people in your industry. LinkedIn is unique because it focuses entirely on the workplace. And it's an excellent way for supply chain professionals to show their skills and expertise.
LinkedIn is an excellent platform for showcasing your personal brand, which is all about how others perceive you as a professional. By building and maintaining a strong LinkedIn profile, you can show that you're trustworthy, reliable, and an expert in your field, which are critical components of any successful career.
Create a strong profile on LinkedIn and post daily. LinkedIn is one of the best platforms with the highest engagement rates. Take advantage of it and post and engage often.
Use Twitter to share your information with the masses, not just your network. Great ideas are posting stories or historical discoveries in your industries. You can tell a captivating story and attract followers through a Twitter thread, a series of connected tweets. When they choose to follow you, they'll see you on their newsfeed.
Your Twitter should have an ultimate call-to-action goal to cultivate a network within your audience. Should they sign up for a newsletter you write? Should they meet with you on Zoom? Do you have a short ebook for them to download in exchange for an email address? Find out how you plan on deepening the relationship.
Facebook is one of the oldest social media platforms, and it gets left out these days. But the most potent asset Facebook has is its Groups. There are massive, dedicated groups in virtually any industry, hobby, or interest. And there are hundreds relating to the supply chain.
Pick various groups that you want to be a part of. You can find one that is very niche, like a specific role or skill within the industry or by location. Find a few that you may be interested in.
Before posting within the group, engage with others on the page. Add value to them by answering questions or stating relevant, helpful information.
Once you've earned your trust, publish original posts, articles, or images that will be helpful for them. Finally, introduce yourself and how you want to be a valuable community member.
No matter where you are in your career, social media can help you meet and connect with other professionals in the supply chain industry. In addition, you can use these platforms to learn about cutting-edge trends, new developments, and job opportunities.
Personal branding on social media is more critical than ever before, so if you're not using these channels to your advantage, now's the time to start.
Your professional brand should be about helping others, sharing your experiences, and creating valuable relationships. As time goes on, you'll develop a robust network that will serve you as you've served it daily.
Friddy Hoegener
22 September 2022