One of the modern professional’s golden rules? Have an online presence.

Students and grads are constantly told that actively managing and optimizing the way they present themselves online can play a key role in the realization of their career goals. The same is true for campus recruiters.

As the face of your employer brand, your goal is to position yourself as a go-to source for career-focused Gen Y, a cohort that is constantly plugged in and connected online.

The most effective way to do this? Develop a killer online presence.

Of course, competitors have developed their online presence too, so you need to find a way to differentiate yourself and your brand. Here are 3 simple ways you can share your enthusiasm, impart your expertise and position yourself to the talent pool effectively.

Curate cool content

Students and grads want to engage with authenticity – they crave real experiences, real connections and real information. Being genuine is synonymous with being cool, but many employer brands miss the mark by sharing empty, filler content and generic personas.

Stand out from the crowd by sharing content that speaks to you. When you’re reading through industry-related content online, take note of the authentic reactions you have – what resonates with you? Why? Do you strongly agree with a certain message or sentiment? Often, the content you find interesting, valuable or insightful will be interesting, valuable and insightful to others too.

As a representative of your organization, you need to keep content on-brand, but you should aim to supplement branded content with complementary pieces that further your story and maximize your recruitment message.

Not sure where to start looking for cool content? Start here:

Engage in real conversation

Students and grads are accustomed to interacting online. From social media to phone apps, socializing is a fluid process that can happen anywhere (online or off). The conversations taking place on these online platforms are valuable to listen to and be a part of – and shouldn’t be ignored.

Differentiate yourself and be part of the conversation! Gen Y lives online, and their first inclination will often be to connect with you on their favourite platforms. Think of it this way: when you have an online presence, you’re making yourself more accessible, a win-win for everyone.

Take time each day to engage in real conversation – comment back, respond to messages and reciprocate likes and favourites. Of course, use your judgement and engage in conversations that can add meaning, value and insight not only to the student or grad asking, but to your larger online network.

Be the right amount of active

The fine art of frequency is a big issue for anyone familiar with the online world. It often comes down to knowing how to strike a balance between being informative and not being annoying – the last thing you (or your employer brand) wants is to be associated with “spam”.

So how do you avoid going overboard? There’s no set rule or “optimal” posting amount, but there are a few guidelines that can help you figure out your own ideal level of activity. Test these limits out and see what works best for you. According to Buffer, they include:

  • Twitter – posting 5 times per day
  • LinkedIn – posting 1 time per day
  • Google+ – posting 2 times per day
  • Pinterest – posting 5 times per day
  • Instagram – posting 1.5 times per day

Discussion: Share your online presence with us in the comments!

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