Creating and maintaining a good online presence

What do we mean by a good online presence?

A good online presence can be defined by how easy it is to find a name or a brand online. As we continue to create and innovate as a world, standing out among the crowd and making yourself known has become one of the most important ways to promote yourself.

It is important in today’s day and age to have a good online presence for ourselves because most of the innovations are happening online. For applying for jobs, it is no longer enough to simply have a resume.

With the invention of the internet and the inclusion of social media, the world has gotten a whole lot smaller. A good online presence allows prospective employers to not only see your work, but also see your personality. These two points are vitally important for getting that dream job that you want as the employer needs to see that you’re competent and have the skills needed while also being able to work well with others and in groups.

This article by Shopify I found outlines some great tips for building a good online presence. Although it is focused on building a business, many of the steps and tips are transferable to the games development and creative industries.

How do we get started?

So now that we know the importance of an online presence, how do we go about getting started and creating an online presence. Below are two of the most common and effective ways and my personal favorites for creating and online presence.

Creating a social media account, such as X (formally twitter) and LinkedIn. These are the two of the most common social media platforms for the creative industries and professional connections. They both allow for updating and showcasing your work while also staying professional.

Now that we know where to get started, what steps do we take to promote your work online? Two methods that I think work well are sharing demonstrative content and sharing micro-content. Both of these options involve creating bite sized and easily digestible pieces of content showcasing your best work or updating a project, while being able to keep the viewer engaged. Using the two methods above, you should be posting regularly on your social media as well as LinkedIn about what you’re working on and what you’ve completed that you’re proud of.

Getting noticed and setting yourself apart.

I found this article by Forbes which show some creative ways to stand out to potential employers that I think is gives great advice. It outlines how to use LinkedIn to your advantage by connecting with not only the companies that you want to work with, but also connecting personally with employees within the company. It also gives great advice about showcasing your work and skills and sharing it with key people at the company. There a few more great examples and tips that I think are effective for promoting yourself, so you should check it out.

Now that we have established how to get noticed by potential employers, what work should you include and what work should you exclude?

The first thing to take note of is that you should always be updating your showreel and portfolio with your best work. It is important for employers to see the full extent of what your capable of and excluding older projects that don’t show your greatest skills.

You should also be updating your social media with progress on what you’re working on, whether it’s a university project, or a personal project in your spare time. Improving your skills each day and showcasing these improvements regularly will not only show the progress you’re making through an extended period of time, but also keep potential employers updated on your development.

When creating a showreel or your portfolio, it is important to only show your best work. The showreel will only be around two minutes long, anymore and the employers will lose interest. With this limited time, you need to grab the attention of the viewer and make yourself memorable.

In Conclusion.

Creating a good online presence is vital in the modern era to establish yourself in the working environment. As so much information is made available online, it is hard to stand out amongst the crowd, but implementing some of the steps and tips highlighted in this post will help get you started on your journey. Creating a social media presence and using it to not only show off your personality but also to showcase your work will be hugely beneficial in making yourself known in the industry of your choice. Make sure you’re connecting with people in the industry and in the companies that you wish to work for. Keeping these people updated on your development will make you stand out in their mind as you grow and improve your skills.