Sometime last week, I was listening to Jen Gottlieb speaking on the importance of #personalbranding in the digital world. She used the “online dating” analogy to describe why strategically building a brand is the most important thing an individual or business will do in these transitioning times we find ourselves in.

If you saw a message from a relationship prospect on a dating site, asking for a date. What’s the first likely thing you’ll do?

Check their online profile. Right?

If you checked and found a blank page, what’s the first thought that’ll come to mind?

Most of what Jen said echoed a lot of my ongoing thoughts about the current realities of lasting resonance in the contemporary world.
I've consistently emphasized the vital role of individual branding. It's quite interesting to still see skepticism linger in this regard.

Not only is personal branding essential for a person’s lasting contribution, but it has also increasingly becoming the cornerstone for the lasting recognition of organizations in today’s marketplace.

It's crucial to be recognized.

Without an online personal brand, people can’t find you. And if they can’t find you, they can’t work with you.

Let me rephrase that, if people can’t find your digital footprint, they won’t work with you.

Most of the business conversations I have had over the last couple weeks have sounded something like this:

"Hey Tina, yeah, so I was checking you out online…”
“I was reading one of your blog pieces, and it got me thinking..."
“I watched your video on blah…”

This is how I have secured two recent speaking engagements, business meetings and partnership conversations.

We are in transitional times in business.

Before meeting someone, what do you do?
You look them up online.
Before you hire someone, what do you do?
You look them up online
After that meeting, what's next?
You look them up online.
When figuring out how to collaborate, what's your first move?
You look them up online.
When choosing between two individuals to work with, what guides your decision?
You look them up online.

Over the next few years, this behavior will become even more rooted in our #business practices. We can't help it. Our decisions are influenced by what we see and what we see informs how we feel.

The digital world is going to keep influencing our choices, and having an #onlinepresence will be a requirement to get in the room. The stories we tell about ourselves will have a big impact on how our professional paths unfold.

In these changing times, the importance of #personalbranding is loud and clear, we are right here in the future where being seen, trusted, and remembered is closely connected to the capacities with which we have been called to serve. Being able to create an appealing digital presence isn't just a skill; it's a vital tool for contributing and making impact in a world where the online and real worlds blend together.