Creating a Public Profile

Lights! Camera! Advertising!
Boy, the things you learn trying to promote yourself. Or perhaps it's the things you RElearn. In a couple of weeks, I will finally take possession of my book, "The Six P's of Change," which means I have to launch my website (any day now; watch for it), update my social media and email blast everyone I can. Yet there are so many nuances that we overlook -- which I overlooked -- and the feedback I've been receiving is invaluable.

1. PICTURE YOURSELF - Just as I was ready to launch my website, I sent it around for review. One friend told me he didn't particularly like one photo ("Very unPat-like," he said. "You're a friendly guy, and it doesn't come across in this photo.") Another friend flat out blasted me for the images I chose to put on it. "You look like the guy next door!," he said, "not the professional I know you are!" Point taken. This isn't Facebook. I'm not trying to converse with my friends; I'm trying to get business from people who don't know me yet. I am adjusting the images around to change the mix.
2. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION IS A REALITY - There is competitive cyclist in Santa Rosa, California who shares my name. Search engines picked him up all the time, and I was relegated to the 25th reference at best. My daughter of Italian Mother Syndrome fame advised me to start a blog. Yahoo! It worked! Now when I Google my name, even I am reminded of all the things I've done. My activity on social media only helps. It's a good lesson for all of us.
3. THIS IS NO TIME TO BE MODEST - Awards, professional designations, academic degrees, accomplishments... they all belong in our promotion. Do you write advice columns? You're a columnist! Have you written articles or books? You're an author! If you're an MBA, CPA, or JD, get them out there; these degrees are nothing to be ashamed of. (Well, okay, maybe being a lawyer, but I digress.) It all counts toward your unique you-ness, which leads to...
4. DON'T FORGET YOUR USP - ...otherwise known as your Unique Selling Proposition. There are many people competing in your space. What makes YOU stand out? My friend Shawn Doyle is a very versatile motivational speaker, but he is particularly experienced in the cable TV industry. So his URL, and his USP, is shawnspeakscable.com. Works for him; cable operators think of him readily. What is YOUR calling card?

We are all competing for something, and most likely in this economy, it is for a job. Your image is important. Think of all the ways that you portray yourself, and you are more likely to stand apart from your competitors, even the ones you don't think about.