Now that you have Googled yourself, you can start creating an online profile. There are a variety of online reputation management tools—from Google’s Me On the Web and professional services—but I’m going to focus on simple steps you can take right now: cleaning up your existing social media profiles or creating ones if you don’t have them, and maximizing their utility.

STEP 1: Personal Protocol

The line between private and public is a touchy subject for a lot of people. There are a few approaches you can take:

• One private profile, others public
• All private or all public

Although you might put privacy controls on your profiles, it only takes a few loopholes to subvert them. Personally, I keep my Facebook account private and I only add people I have met offline. My Twitter page, on the other hand, is public. Overall, The best privacy control you can implement is to remember to not post “in the heat of the moment.” Remember that nothing online is 100% private. 

STEP 2: Clean up.

If you choose to keep your profile public and have the intention of utilizing it for networking, it is best that you keep it “PC” (or Politically Correct”). Untag yourself from inappropriate pictures and anything else you wouldn’t want a prospective employer or co-workers to see.

Now that doesn’t mean depriving your social profile of your unique personality and interests, but refrain from reliving your less-than-stellar college nights out or corporate outing.

STEP 3: Be Yourself.

If you know anything about me, you are familiar with my sarcasm, regular quirky moments, obsession with fashion, eco-living, and Boston. Thus, my Twitter profile regularly posts on my interests and showcases my personality (really you have to meet me to fully experience it). I view Twitter as a conversation with my closest friends, meaning I am myself with my own voice and say what’s on my mind.

To sum eveything up, I’m going to borrow a few words from @BostonTweetUp co-founder Joselin Mane: “Live a lifestyle you feel comfortable with and call it a wrap.”

STEP 4: Maximize Your Bio

I like this particular Twitter bio for a number of reasons: 

• It’s short and sweet
• Good headshot
• Snapshot preview of what to expect from tweets
• Relevant tags (ex. employment, education)

It is a good idea to standardize the picture you use across social media platforms so that people can easily identify you across platforms. Make sure the picture is visually appealing, preferably a head-on shot, and big enough so fans can recognize you (Twitter’s size is 250 by 250 pixels, so try to use it the most you can).

If you wish, you may provide contact information (email, etc) you are comfortable sharing. Also, creating a custom Twitter background opens the doors to really unleash your creative side and allow fans to connect with you.

What do you think? Any best practices I left or missed the mark on?

Next week, I’ll be discussing specific social media platforms for you to continue building your online profile.

Short URL: http://bit.ly/BTUbN2

El Planeta is looking for people who had a great 2011 making a difference in the Hispanic Community in the Commonwealth.  El Planeta‘s annual Powermeter lists the 100 individuals most influential for the Massachusetts Latino Community.

If you feel Joselin Mane, owner of BostonTweetUp, fits that criteria, we would highly appreciate your vote.

PowerMeter 2011 Nomination Form

Info for the form:

Nominee’s Name: Joselin Mane
Nominee’s Age: 30 something
Nominee’s company/profession: Social Media Strategy
Nominee’s E-Mail: Joselin AT BostonTweetUp.com
Nominee’s phone (Please provide a phone where we can contact this person): 617.615.6263
Why would you like to nominate this person? (Explain the reasons why you believe this person is one of the most influentials individuals for the Hispanic community in MA) :

A few reasons to nominate Joselin:

• Helped start #Latism, the largest Social Media network among Latinos online.
• Joselin Mane is also co-chair of the Social Media Redistribution Action Team for Boston World Partnership Connector and has helped many Latino businesses with their internet marketing strategies, including the Latino Professional Network, Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce, and El Mundo – just to name a few.
• Creator of MegaTweetUp which brought together over 400 people from various industries and helped to raise money for cancer research.  The 2nd Annual MegaTweetUp generated over 2.2 million impressions on twitter, was the top trending topic in Boston for two days straight and reached over 370,300 people worldwide, which is more than the population of St. Louis!
• Under his leadership, BostonTweetUp has become the go-to location for social media, technology, startup and of course Tweetups in the New England area.
• BostonTweetUp has been featured in Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies (Boston is Serious about TweetUps), Eventbrite, Viddler (the Video service used for the weekly BostonTweetUp TV) and was recognized as the 2nd most TweetUp twitter account to follow and top 50th event twitter account to follow by Crowdvine.

Here are more reasons to vote for Joselin Mane for PowerMeter 100

Fill out the form below (scroll down) and submit today. Thank you!

Short URL: http://bit.ly/BTUnP12

Welcome to the BostonTweetUp Boston Event Guide! The Boston Event Guide is an all-inclusive guide to Professional Networking events that repeat and connect Boston-area professionals. We have categorized the events as follows:

• Weekly
• Monthly
• Quarterly
• Yearly

In addition, we have also listed how to register and connect with attendees through Twitter.

There are a variety of event categories listed–from Entrepreneurs to Women, and Web Developers. Whether you are looking to expand your network or learn something new, there is an event for you. So look around, start connecting, and get out there!

We promote events that connect real people in real time.  Here is our Frequently Asked Questions section.  Contact BostonTweetUp if you have an event that leverages Twitter and fits at least one of the event categories. We’ll be happy to add you to the BostonTweetUp’s Boston Event Guide!

We love tweetups we think they are an excellent way to connect with people however we want to know why you love them to.

The information will be put into an infographic we are working on.

So let us know the #1 Reason you go to Tweetups.

Short URL: http://bit.ly/BTUp1rT

2012 has officially arrived. The beginning of every year includes a laundry list of goals and unfulfilled resolutions. I can’t help you with finally joining the gym down the street, but I hope I can make networking more manageable. And what better month to write a networking series than in January? My New Years’ Resolution is to help you in completing each goal the best you can.

I will be discussing how to maximize your online presence (via social media sites) so as to enhance your offline social experience (via networking events). Networking these days is more than business cards and suits but also includes creating a personal social media profile. With that in mind, it is crucial that you present the best “you” possible both online and offline. In doing so, you will have a better chance of realizing your goals.

I will discuss tips for preparation (before networking), a variety of social platforms, and post-event etiquette. Navigating the sea of social platforms can be daunting and tiresome, so I will highlight a few social media frontrunners for the general public and also some that are niche-specific. For each platform, I will discuss advantages and disadvantages to each, and personal experiences. 2012 will be a new year, filled with new opportunities for you to shine and learn from new experiences. Networking for me personally hasn’t been a piece of cake, but now that I’ve picked up a few tricks I feel comfortable in almost any setting. So get the notepads and pens ready, and bring your best A-game ready for a boot camp in networking.

Before we get into the fun stuff of networking, the first step in your networking 2012 plan is to assess where you are. So why don’t you take a gander at your search results on Google. The series will help to maximize your online profile so stay tuned for next Monday’s networking post, which will focus on prepping your online profiles!

I hope I can enlighten you with my experiences and some insights to improving your online experiences with social platforms! This is an open dialogue so I would love to hear your thoughts. Other than business cards, what other ways do you prepare yourself for an event? Anything specific you’d like me to discuss?

Short URL: http://bit.ly/BTUbN1