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If you had met me a year ago, my LinkedIn profile would have told you very little.
My last social media post was from just after college, way too long to mention, and my online presence was practically nonexistent.
I had fallen into a familiar trap which included keeping my head down, grinding at my desk, focusing on client work, and ignoring social media trends. For years, that approach worked. Showing up for colleagues and clients meant delivering quality work. Attending an occasional networking event was the norm.
But while I was buried in spreadsheets, something changed. Especially here in South Florida. Networking lunches and annual conferences stopped being enough.
Suddenly, relationships weren’t just about business cards and referrals. They were about shared passions, authentic stories, and visibility beyond the boardroom.
I believe that the pandemic accelerated this change. We started viewing colleagues as real people with kids and dogs in the background. Real-life situations and challenges were on display. Authenticity became currency, and deeper connections followed. Business conversations often ended with laughter about a toddler offscreen, a dog barking mid-meeting, and a parent making panicked faces as they disconnected from the call.
That human element strengthened relationships and reminded us that behind every title is a person navigating similar challenges of the human experience. It also made something else clear– the professionals who could balance expertise with human presence, online and offline, were the ones building stronger, more resilient networks.
Around the same period, I was promoted to partner, a role that demands deeper connections, community presence, and a strong personal brand. My initial instinct was to do “more” – more conferences, more coffees, more lunches. But as a working mom with two young kids and a full client roster, adding hours wasn’t an option. And sacrificing client service? Never.
I needed a paradigm shift. I couldn’t create more hours in the day (thank goodness), but I could rethink how I showed up.
Enter social media. This was a tool I swore I’d never use and, frankly, only saw as a kid’s outlet for communicating.
Posting about upcoming events helped me create a target list of professionals to connect with. Writing short articles, despite being an accountant who once hoped creative writing ended with college, opened doors to deeper relationships.
I didn’t want to be an influencer posting selfies at every event. That wasn’t me. Yet I discovered something surprising. Sharing where I’d be and what I was learning sparked post-event conversations and follow-ups I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
My posts weren’t vanity projects. They were a way to add value and stay visible (and human) without leaving my desk.
I highlighted takeaways from panels and amplified local initiatives. I occasionally shared personal moments such as balancing client deadlines with elementary school science fairs. In doing so, I gave my network something to respond to and a reason to reach out.
After months of prioritizing my digital presence, I noticed three key benefits that have significantly impacted the business opportunities:
Attracting New Connections
By sharing stories beyond tax codes, OBBB changes, and impending deadlines, people were compelled to engage with me in a more powerful way.
In discussing the challenges we all face – the joy and chaos of parenting, the energy of our local business community, my thoughts on leadership and what it means for today’s world – I became more relatable by being more human.
People engaged with me not simply because I was a partner, but because I was a person who cared about the same things they did, and started conversations they were happy to participate in.
Accelerating Depth
At events, C-suite leaders and business owners approached me because they’d read my published pieces on The Daily Drip. We skipped the small talk and jumped straight into meaningful dialogue centered on our shared values. This led to strategic conversations around funding growth plans, operational pain points, or the realities of scaling closely held businesses.
The relationship started at level two, not level zero.
Optimization and Efficiency
An online presence worked like a force multiplier. It amplified my reach without chewing through billable hours or family time. One thoughtful post could spark several high-quality conversations, all while I was still at my desk serving clients.
And not only was my online activity attracting new connections and conversations, it was reactivating a network of people who already knew and trusted me.
If you’re a busy professional worried that online branding will dismantle your day, here’s the truth: You don’t need more time. You need a better system.
I personally have started with the recommended three posts or comments each week which have extended my visibility and network considerably over the past year.
It is important to understand who your targeted connections are and learn how to create content that is intentional. You are already building content each day and most likely your everyday conversations are the content your targets are looking for.
Learning how to tell meaningful stories and curate information into digestible content that is accessible is a very useful skill– maybe even one of the most important for this digital world!
To build these skills, I have set aside time each week to reflect on entertainment and educational content my connections might find interesting and comment accordingly. I am far from perfect but have only been doing this for a year and already seeing incredible results.
Here is a practical blueprint that helped me transform my presence without sacrificing work quality or billable hours.
I’ve had business owners introduce themselves at events because they recognized a story I shared and the conversation jumped straight to meaningful dialogue. The compounding effect of consistent online presence is real. My reputation precedes me. My articles and posts provide context. Our first conversation starts at a deeper level. All of this accelerates trust, which is often the longest and most critical part of any sales cycle.
So, if you’re thinking about social media in terms of selfies or as an overwhelming side project, let me assure you, it’s simpler than you think. And, based on my experience, social media can be incredibly more powerful than you could imagine.