Visibility: Social Media
This week, we discuss harnessing social media for professional visibility as a software engineer.
If you want anyone to read the things you write online, check out your side projects, or hire you for cool new jobs, being visible on social media can make a huge difference. But as someone who's historically kept a low profile on social media, it's something I have never previously understood.
I had been under the assumption that having a presence on social media just comes naturally to some people, and that is how they have been able to create an audience. It turns out, that's not the case. Setting up a social media strategy that will share your best professional contributions takes work, but it's a skill that can be learned just like any other.
February Theme: Visibility
This month, we're diving into the topic of visibility—a key aspect of building your career and influence as a software engineer. Visibility is how much attention you attract to yourself, your work, and your contributions. It influences your career trajectory, helps you build relationships, and opens doors for new opportunities.
My Social Media Journey
I witnessed the evolution of social media from the MySpace era through Facebook's rise. By 2014, I had largely stepped away from most social media platforms. The common advice to "get on developer Twitter" has followed me throughout my remote engineering career, but my initial attempts never stuck. The overwhelming presence of advertisements and promotional content always felt off-putting.
However, in the past six months, I've approached social media with a fresh perspective and finally found my rhythm. After researching social media strategies, I've discovered some things that might make this space a bit more meaningful for some folks.
As a caveat, if your social media goal is: "to get the most followers possible", then I'm probably not the best person to listen to.
Principles of Social Media Presence
1. Authenticity Is Everything
Before diving into social media, it's crucial to examine your motivations. While it's perfectly fine to use these platforms for promotion, focusing solely on self-promotion often leads to limited engagement. Users can quickly distinguish between those who are genuinely interested in community interaction and those who are just there to broadcast their content.
The key to meaningful engagement is:
Actively participating in conversations
Sharing and amplifying content you find valuable
Engaging in direct messages to have deeper discussions
Contributing your unique perspective to ongoing discussions
2. Consistency Matters
While many social media experts emphasize maintaining a specific niche to optimize platform algorithms, I advocate for a more balanced approach. Regular posting and engagement are important, but not at the expense of authentic expression.
Consider the following tips on consistency:
Try to be consistent in the amount of times you're posting each week
Balance professional insights with personal interests
Engage consistently with your network
Create value through both original content and thoughtful interactions
3. Crafting Your Digital Identity
Your social media profile serves as the primary view into who you are. Take time to:
Make sure your bio clearly communicates your identity
Create an "elevator pitch" that resonates with your goals
Maintain consistent images and messaging across different platforms
Regularly update your profile to reflect current projects and interests
Platform-Specific Optimization
The two primary platforms I use are Bluesky and LinkedIn. And I'd love to connect with you on both! Here are some tips that I've learned to have a better experience on each of them.
Bluesky
Bluesky offers a unique approach to content curation through custom feeds. Here are some valuable feeds I recommend:
Women in Tech: This is my list, let me know if you'd like to be on it!
Quiet Posters: Highlights less frequent contributors you're following
Ruby + Rails : Distilled: This is a fantastic curated feed of Ruby and Rails knowledge from Gregory Brown.
Web Development Trending: This is an awesome web development feed that was created and curated by Andrew Lisowski.
To transform LinkedIn from a noise-filled network to a valuable professional resource:
Audit and unfollow irrelevant business pages and connections
Switch to chronological feed view for more relevant content
Engage with content from industry leaders and peers
Share insights from your professional experiences
The Deep Dive
I recently read an article by Aaron Francis titled "Reputation is Portable" that perfectly encapsulates my approach to professional social media presence. The key takeaway: Focus on doing what you love and let your reputation grow organically from your genuine contributions. Follower counts are secondary to the value you create and share with your community.
Remember, professional visibility isn't about becoming an influencer – it's about connecting with folks interested in the same things as you, sharing knowledge, and having meaningful discussions online.
Thank You!
If you’ve made it this far, then thank you! Next week we will be wrapping up the topic of visibility with our final topic: writing!
I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and hope you have an awesome week!
Here’s a silly web comic I made this week:
Have comments or questions about this newsletter? Or just want to be internet friends? Send me an email at brittany@balancedengineer.com or reach out on Bluesky or LinkedIn.
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