Make the Most of Your Online Profile by Diana Flegal

In this face paced social media saturated world we are all in one way or another building our platform.

LinkedIn is a searchable database of talent and skills and is todays rolodex.

Teens have a FB page and tweet with their idols, while others rally around causes (#cleanwaterforAfrica) and sports teams.

Churches have interactive websites with bios of their staff, stream live video or podcast their weekly sermons, tweet and make announcements on their FB page. Here is mine.

Singles 'meet up' on dating sites. Zoosk, Christian Mingle, eHarmony and Match.com probably are the most well known. There are even ones for niche audiences. FarmersOnly.com.

Writer, parent, pastor, teen, or single; we all need to craft a great profile.

Here are some tips:

• Be authentic and honest: it will only come back to haunt you at the most inopportune time. Like when that employer you just interviewed with googles your name.    
• Provide a current photo: not an Avatar or a picture of your cat. 
• Establish your expertise: List your education and recent past and present work history. 
• Share your online presence: link to your blog or website, twitter address and FB page.
• Humanize yourself: Take the time to list your hobbies, club affiliations (goodreads), favorite movies and books. This will help you find your 'tribe'.  
• Utilize search engines: to reach the audience you wish, sprinkle key words throughout your content. 
• Edit yourself: ask a friend to look over what you have written. 

Rules of Engagement:

• Don't be a 'player': No hitting on women just because they are women and vice versa- no googling hunks just for eye candy's sake. Only 'friend' someone because you have a genuine interest in who they are or what they do.
• Vet everyone: Do not friend everyone that seeks you out. Not everyone has pure motives or say appropriate things. Guard your feed.
• Be a good 'friend': Stop by once in a while and let them know you are visiting by commenting on a post you liked or a photo they shared. Did they make you smile, laugh, or cry? Did you pray for them? Let them know. Pay it forward.

8 Steps to Building a Powerful LinkedIn Profile

Twitter profile help
Published authors need to make the most of their Amazon author profile.

In preparing for this blog, I decided to 'google' Steeler fan dating site and I found this article. Glory Be, my prayers have been heard. I have to run. I need to prepare a new profile.

Let us know what you learned the hard way, or a tip you use that has benefited your online presence.