Last week I was in Sydney speaking at the WIICTA Mentorship Program on, “Your Digital Leadership Advantage.
As I shared with the attendees, before you meet someone in person, the chances are that they have already looked you up. And what they find shapes the conversation before it even starts.
In fact, more than 80% of people will search you before reaching out, and around 75% say what they find is credible. So, your digital presence is no longer a secondary consideration. It is part of how people decide whether to trust you, contact you, or move on.
In today’s digital-first world, much of your professional reputation is being formed before you even have the chance to speak.
During my presentation, I shared a story about Alex. A lady who I have spoken to around 6 months ago about a role she had gone for. The role made sense. She had the experience. She had done the work. It was a logical next step in her career.
But she did not get an interview. She was frustrated, and she could not understand why. From her perspective, everything lined up – she had done all the right things.
So, I did what most people would do. I went to Google and I looked her up online
What came up did not reflect the person I had just spoken to. There was very little that clearly showed her experience. Nothing that gave a strong sense of how she thinks, how she approaches her work, or the value she brings.
It created a gap. A gap between her capability and her digital presence.
And when that gap exists, people rarely go looking for more information. They make decisions based on what they can see in front of them, in that very moment. For people across all industries, that is the environment we are all operating in.
In the session, I broke it down into three areas.
- Profile. Can someone quickly understand who you are, what you do, and where you add value? If that is not clear, people will not spend time trying to figure it out.
- Content. What conversations are already happening in your community that you can step into and add value to?
- Communication. How are you showing up in your network? Are you part of the conversation? Are you engaging with others? Are you visible in a way that reinforces what you want to be known for?
But honestly, my favorite part of the entire experience was not the presentation itself. It was what happened in the hours, and days afterwards.
Seeing people who had never posted before deciding to share something for the first time. Because the thing is, it’s not just a post. It’s putting themselves out there in a way they haven’t done before.
We know the first step is the hardest and they do it anyway. And this is what they need for them to realise they can do this. That they’ve got something to contribute. That people are willing to engage when they show up.
And that’s where it starts to build. Because once that very first post is out there, they’re no longer sitting on the sidelines. They’re part of the conversation.
Over time, that consistency creates familiarity. It builds a clearer picture of who they are and how they think. And that’s where the opportunities come from. Not from one post, but from being visible in a way that didn’t exist before – and that becomes their digital leadership advantage.
Thank-you to the Foundry and ARN – Channel News teams – Charlotte Woodward, Julia Talevski , Janice Tong for putting on such a standout event that is having a very real impact on the community and showcasing such amazing talent. Thank-you for having me.
Kylie Chown is a Certified LinkedIn Strategist, speaker, and trainer who helps professionals and organisations strengthen their digital presence and build confidence in how they show up online. With more than 15 years of experience, she is known for helping people translate their real-world capability into a clear and credible digital first impression.
Her work with women in leadership focuses on visibility, representation, and influence. Kylie supports leaders to articulate their experience with clarity, position themselves with authority, and build a presence that reflects both their expertise and their values.
As Australia’s first Certified Social Media Crisis Advisor, she also brings a strong understanding of reputation, trust, and leadership communication in a digital environment. Kylie has supported more than 12,500 professionals globally and delivered over 450 workshops and presentations. You can learn more here.