In part one, we discussed about methods that could be used to establish a personal presence on the internet. However, we did not discuss about the purposes and benefits of establishing an internet presence in detail. There are various benefits of establishing a personal presence on the internet but these benefits vary according to the objectives, career and phase of life of the individual trying to create an internet presence. 

In my opinion, there are two major purposes of creating a personal internet presence. They include;

1) To exhibit skills or interests:

People have created a personal presence on the internet in order to expose their skills or interests to others for the purpose of appreciation or business. A good example is the renown photographer; Jide Alakija (www.jidealakija.com). He is a professional photographer of Nigerian descent based in the United Kingdom. He has his personal website on the internet to exhibit his work in terms of photography. He has his portfolio of previous works on the website for people to appreciate and for his prospective clients to see the kind of work he can do for them. He is achieving his purpose for creating his personal presence on the internet to exhibit his skills for appreciation and business.

 

His friends and prospective clients can come across his website and contact his for possible reunion or business propositions. Jide Alakija has a personal dedicated website and this kind of internet presence is not necessary for everybody. Jide Alakija is a creative professional and as a result, he is his business. He makes a living out of photography, his name is his brand and he needs a credible personal internet presence to communicate that fact to all his visitors. In the case of regular people like you and I that simply want to express ourselves, the same effect can be achieved by running a simple blog or set of blogs to write a diary or to express opinions. This can also be backed up by a good social networking profile on credible and popular social networks. A good example of a person who has been able to express himself through blogging is Niyi Tabiti (niyitabiti.blogspot.com). Niyi Tabiti is a Nigerian celebrity journalist who writes about various things that happen among celebrities and in the entertainment industry. He has a blog and at the same time projects his social and professional personality through his presence on Facebook (www.facebook.com). Niyi Tabiti also has a dedicated website (www.niyitabiti.com) but most importantly, his presence on Facebook and his blog are sufficient enough to give us relevant information as to his skills in writing and his interests in entertainment.  

2) To create awareness or improve public image:

Another benefit of having a personal presence on the internet as an individual is for positive public image and awareness. Various people in high placed positions of the society and enterprises in Nigeria have become a walking brand for the institutions they represent. As a result of this, they always have to make sure they are projecting a positive image to the populace in order to earn credibility for themselves and the institutions which they represent. The most straight forward and cost effective method of creating awareness and positive image to a large exclusive audience is through the internet. This is due to the coverage of the internet which encompasses almost every country in the world and the increasing availability of fast and reliable internet connections to a larger audience in Nigeria. Various individuals; mostly active participators in the entertainment industry have used this opportunity to carve a niche and create exposure for themselves to Nigerians both at home and abroad. Musicians such as Lagbaja (www.lagbaja.com), Ty Bello (www.tybello.com) and 9ice (www.9iceonline.com) have had a fair share of exposure and hype by their presence on the internet through personal websites, social networks and blogging. The internet is a powerhouse which everyone should take advantage of while its still prime in African countries. Politicians, entrepreneurs, creative professionals and people whose careers rely on media and information technology most importantly should make it a point of duty that they have a personal presence on the internet. The major benefit of this is the fact that as an individual, you do not need to have a physical contact with people both home and abroad before you earn their credibility through the internet. The internet is increasingly becoming adopted as a standard for research, communication, commerce and many more things. Usage of the internet is spreading and becoming a standard among the middle to high class households in Nigeria. Giving people the ability to find out information about you or contact you through the internet is cheap and easily achievable exposure. Do you make use of these tools available to you? Remember, its cheap and its almost free.

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• 23/09/2008 07:59 - Unwind and Leave the Stress Behind
• 23/09/2008 07:37 - The evil called Procrastination
• 13/09/2008 13:23 - Is Social Media Marketing relevant for the Nigerian Business Environment?
• 13/09/2008 12:28 - Business and Social Responsibility (BSR): When Two Ends Meet
• 03/09/2008 13:06 - Bright future for the growth of online businesses in Nigeria

• 29/12/2008 12:41 - Why the Passwords?
• 01/09/2008 13:14 - Social Networking - Blessing or Curse?

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