We all have a digital footprint. Whether it’s slightly embarrassing personal posts from your school days, or your latest scientific discovery, it’s available for all to see. It’s true that you can’t control everything that’s posted online. However, you can take some preemptive steps to put your best professional foot forward.
Curating an online persona means presenting yourself in a way that is attractive to the audience you want to engage with. You are essentially managing how others can engage with you and your professional portfolio online.
Think about what kind of information about you is online. When others Google you, what do you want them to see? When they view your professional profile or webpage, what do you want them to learn?
Curating a persona and maintaining an online presence might feel like extra work, especially if you are less extroverted. But, if you put in some effort, you can build a strong network and professional reputation.
What is an online persona?
An online persona is an identity developed through creating and sharing information about yourself on virtual platforms. By “branding” yourself, you create a story of who you are to pique the interest of others.
In the case of academic networking, an online persona is a kind of professional identity. It provides a clear image of who you are as a scholar or researcher. It’s also a chance for you to showcase your authentic interests and personality.
Curating an online persona helps you to increase the visibility and discoverability of your work. It can also strengthen your connections and encourage networking and future collaborations.
Building a suitable persona to help meet your goals can take some time and consideration. Reflecting on how you want to curate and present yourself is an important step.
You can start by asking yourself what kind of connections you are hoping to make, and to what end. Who is your intended audience? How do your goals and interests align? What are you hoping to achieve with this online presence?
In order to shape an online identity in academia, it’s essential to consider the context of your professional work and how you present yourself.
Steps to curating an online persona
There are some steps to take to help you make an intentional and strategic plan:
- Define your brand;
- Research your audience;
- Select online platforms;
- Make a plan.
In the end, curating an online persona allows you to share your ideas in a targeted manner. It’s your chance to make a strong impression and draw people to your work.
Define your brand
Curating a persona involves a process of branding yourself and your work. It allows you to manage how people view you, to a certain extent.
In other words, it’s you, and what you have to offer, that’s being marketed. You and your work are the “product” being sold. In a sense, your online brand is a kind of “elevator pitch” of your professional interests and aspirations.
Part of this includes building consistent messaging across platforms that supports a broader picture of your professional trajectory. In addition to your SciProfiles account, coordinate the branding of yourself on other sites, like your institution-affiliated page or your own professional website.
Research your audience
When others find you online, you want them to be able to locate key information about you. You also want them to take an interest in your research. Tailor your academic profile to the specific platform you are using and the audience you are targeting.
Spending some time researching your intended audience and how best to reach them is essential. What platforms does your intended audience use? How can you connect with your audience, or encourage them to connect with you?
With your SciProfiles account, for example, you may be hoping to catch the eye of like-minded scholars in your discipline. Building an online professional network can lead to future opportunities like collaborating on a research project or co-authoring a paper.
On the other hand, when creating your own website or building a presence on social media, you might present yourself differently because you are trying to reach a broader audience.
Select online platforms
Joining popular academic networking sites, such as SciProfiles and LinkedIn, is common. You may also want to research platforms that are specific to your discipline, institution, or other academic association.
No matter what you decide, you get to choose the level of engagement. Some scholars maintain a minimal online presence. This might include making all social media accounts private and only sharing things related to their professional life.
Others may embrace the virtual world by being very active online. Some scholars may even desire to be a kind of academic “influencer” on social media. This brings their personal and professional lives more into the non-academic sphere.
Make a plan
Users are likely sorting through multiple profiles at once or skimming their news feed. The sheer volume of content available can be overwhelming, and it is impossible to take it all in. This is why it’s so important to build a distinct presence that draws in your audience.
On any online platform, your profile is often the first thing that others see. What might seem like an afterthought is an important opportunity to brand yourself. For instance, select a profile photo that positions you as professional and approachable. You might already have a recent academic headshot that you can use.
A good way to get started is to update your profile and share ideas on your feed regularly. Be sure to post with intention, always keeping in mind what you are representing. Be careful not to overwhelm with too much information. Keep it clear, focused, and easy to understand.
Take the time to respond to those who do reach out. Doing so in a genuine and collegial way will build more meaningful relationships. All of this helps to boost engagement on your own page.
Of course, it’s essential that once you make a plan, you stick to it.
An online persona is especially important when it comes to networking and making connections within the academic community. Harnessing its potential supports you in achieving your own goals.
Whether it’s colleagues, students, collaborators, or potential employers, all may be looking to find information about you in an online search.
And, if you’ve done your job right, your audience should be able to cut through the dearth of information available and find you.
Last updated on: July 25, 2026