Earlier today, I went through a great exercise with a very smart someone. We talked about getting online to build a personal brand and establishing a presence online. The reason: this is where people look for you. So, if you want to be able to be discovered online you need an online presence.

Here’s what we discussed:

1. Establish a web site that functions as a traditional site and a blog. I prefer Wordpress and a designer to make it look nice. The designer/developer will need guidance. Send the person a list of the sites you like and do not like. Send the person a list of pages you want to have (site map). Your goal is to give the person a list he or she can use when building the site. As they build, you can check items off on the list as “complete”.
2. While the site is being designed, write content for the About Me, Contact, and main pages in the site. This is not as easy as it may sound. If you do not write much and/or do not normally write about yourself, get started early.
3. Create a profile at LinkedIn. It’s free and very easy. Then, upload your contacts into the system. I bet you are amazed at how many people you already know are using the system. Networks are everything. Make sure you get the custom URL like mine: http://www.linkedin.com/in/billdotson. You can use this in your e-mail signature if you do not want to list your own site. I highly recommend the LinkedIn Toolbar for Outlook. It’s invaluable for keeping up with your contacts’ changes and reminding you of people you have not talked to in a while.
4. If you believe you will use Facebook, then set-up an account there. It operates like LinkedIn, but its much more social. LinkedIn is for staying in touch with business colleagues. If you hire anyone under the age of 30, get a Facebook account and become their friend (a process in Facebook). This will show you quite a bit about the person’s non-work lifestyle and could play a role in the hiring decision.
5. By the time you finish 3 and 4, your site should be ready. Before you tell your colleagues about it, make sure you have Google Analytics inserted in the code. It’ll let you know about your site traffic and how people find your site. Then, submit your site to Google. If you host someplace major like GoDaddy, then you’ll get Google’s Webmaster tools included in your account. This will help you and your designer/developer.
6. Make sure your web site has a way for people to subscribe to it. Use both RSS (through FeedBurner) and e-mail notifications (FeedBurner, too). This way, you can publish updates through your site, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
7. You’ll need a reliable e-mail address that’s accessible anywhere. I’m a fan of Google Apps Premier or hosted Microsoft Exchange. Both of these systems work with smartphones, provide the ability to share calendars, and check mail on the web or through Outlook. 
8. Set a schedule to publish to your site about once per week. The more you publish, the easier it gets. Make sure the content is something valuable to your audience. For example, I could care less about what your cat ate for dinner, but if you have a thought on leadership skills, I’m all ears.

You’ve done it. You have a site, online social media profiles, and a publishing schedule. From here, the path you take and tools you use online are really determined by the purpose for establishing your online presence. Let me know if you have questions or add them in the comments (below).