The world of social media can be very overwhelming.  However, more people (and businesses) are catching on to the idea that it is a good thing.  There seems to be a lot of risk in putting yourself out there.  It can be intimidating, almost scary.  But like they say, with great risk comes great reward.  

Let’s start with a basic idea-  Here’s my rant, and some food for thought, on why it is important to have an online presence: 

If you are avoiding creating an online presence because it’s too much “hassle”, that’s a bad idea.  Nowadays, an online presence is not only great to have, it’s almost mandatory. 

Think about it- whether you’re building your personal brand, or that of your business, it’s important to keep up with what others are doing.  You want to stay relevant.  In elementary school, if all the kids knew how to spell “hippopotamus” and you didn’t, you would be behind the curve.  The same idea applies to the world of social media. 

If I search for a business online and I cannot find a web site, I wonder why.  It makes the business seem less credible, like either they don’t care or they are not up with the times.  Every other business is accessible online… why aren’t they? 

If I search for a person on Facebook and I cannot find them, I find it odd.  Some people don’t want an online presence because they want to avoid self-incrimination.  I’m not suggesting you go out and post every picture of you partying on main street last Friday, I’m suggesting you create a page, post what you feel is appropriate (I use the “grandmother rule”- if you would’nt show it to grandma, you shouldn’t post), then use privacy settings accordingly.  For example, I have pictures of my personal life on Facebook, but I keep it professional by posting appropriate pictures, and controlling who can see what.   If you search for me on Facebook, my name pops up, along with an appropriate photo of me, and the rest is private!  Here’s a link to my Facebook page to give you an example:

Not, that exciting.  But hey, I’m out there.  And you should be too!  It’s okay to be skeptical at first, but realize that it is necessary to put yourself out there- whether for personal, professional, or business purposes!  So my advice here is obviously, HAVE AN ONLINE PRESENCE. You may not be an expert at the stuff, but it is very useful, especially if you want to stay relevant and more easily accessible to those around you.  Because these days, If you’re not online, you’re out of place.