Take a look at any breakdown of social media stats and it’s clear (insert Beyoncé’s “Run the Worldâ€), women’s usage outpaces men’s on all social networking sites except for Twitter, according to a 2013 Pew Internet report
. Given our influence across the social landscape, power women have a real opportunity to leverage social media to take their brand to the next level.Black Enterprise has tapped social media expert S. Lynn Cooper to provide tips for taking your stellar real-world reputation and packaging it in the digital space during our 9th Annual Women of Power Summit. In addition to serving as Chief Social Officer at her company, Socially Ahead, Cooper regularly contributes her insights to BlackEnterprise.com, and has been featured on MSNBC, CBS News, Huffington Post, Bloomberg, Redbook and American Express Open Forum, among many other online outlets.
Here, we’re highlighting three of Cooper’s tips that’ll get your social media rep in order:
Ways to brand yourself as an online thought leaders…
Contribute Guest Blog Posts
Once you’ve been actively publishing on your blog, it’s a great tactic to reach out to other bloggers in your field. Once you have begun to actively comment and share their articles, contact them via e-mail or social media to inquire if they accept guest posts on their blog. Gaining recognition by established leaders as a contributor will provide you with credibility.
For more branding tips, click here.
Rely on a social media arsenal to execute your plan
HootSuite has launched Conversations, a tool that brings social networking into the workplace. Forget e-mail chains, members can collaborate in real-time by posting on message boards similar to Facebook.  The great thing is this tool is not limited to the immediate team; in fact, others can be invited to join the conversation. Need to pull in legal or marketing, one click and they are brought into the dialogue.
Looking for social media networks to consider? Click here for several helpful suggestions.
BE in on the conversation
Absence on social media is a no-no
Imagine walking into a restaurant and no one is there to greet you. What would you do? Would you stay or leave?
This scenario also applies to your social media profiles. Make sure you keep your profile and feeds current. If you do not have original content to share, then source others such as news or partner organizations.
Click here for more social media pitfalls to avoid.
As our annual Women or Power Summit
approaches, we’ll be providing our power women with winning strategies to take their social networking skills to the next level. If you have any strategies you’d like to share, be sure to tweet @blackenterprise using #BEWomenofPower.Embrace Your Power: The Moment is Now! Attend the Women of Power Summit hosted by State Farm, and explore all the ways you can achieve your professional and personal goals. This four-day event caters to executive women of color. It’s your opportunity to connect with other powerful women, develop professional strategies, and get expert advice from today’s leading female executives and decision makers. Register today!