Social media profiles (Part three): Setting up social profiles and getting noticed online
In my previous two instalments in this series, I’ve talked specifically about your personal social media profiles (both private and professional), as well as the social media profiles for your firm. Now for the finale: a general guide to setting up your social media profiles and using them to get noticed online.
Truthfully, I could write lengthy blog posts on the set-up process for many different social sites, but you’re looking for digestible, bite-sized info that’s valuable and easy to implement. Here are the four most popular social media sites for firms, resource links to set-up processes and the most valuable pieces of advice from each:
- Your handle says a lot about you. While Twitter handles are very limited now, don’t go for something nonsensical just because it’s the only thing you can find. This may be a challenge, but I’m sure you’re up to it!
- Keep things concise. Twitter has character limits (140 for tweets, 160 for your bio), so always utilise space for linking to posts that DON’T have these limitations.
- Make sure to follow some people after you’ve created your account. Without some Followers, your account looks new and potentially spammy. To do this, list your areas of interest (professionally – if it’s a professional profile), associations, thought leaders in your space, educational institutions / academies, industry sector leaders, your clients, colleagues – then find them and Follow them on Twitter.
- Make sure your cover image looks amazing, and also make sure you’re sticking to the recommended image dimensions to avoid stretching. This is especially important for professional accounts.
- Make sure that you complete your ‘About’ section fully. Complete every field possible and make sure to add a relevant URL to your short description.
- You have the ability to add a call-to-action (CTA) button to your cover photo area – take advantage of it!
- On mobile, no one can click links you include in your Instagram post copy. Always direct browsers to a link in your bio. Change this link as necessary, and make it a link that you want to push heavily. This can be your homepage, a CTA link, a giveaway, etc.
- Make your Instagram bio interesting. Add keywords, your skills, creativity, a well-thought out emoji (only if it aligns with your, or your firm’s, brand image – as emojis can be polarising).
- Instagram is a visual social media platform. Thus, it makes sense that your profile picture should be equally visual, high-quality and eye-catching.
- Your headline is one of the more important areas of your LinkedIn profile. If it’s not punchy, you’re likely to miss out on connections.
- Make sure to get a custom URL. It’s easy to od, costs nothing, is more memorable and looks more professional.
- Never let your LinkedIn profile look stagnant. It’s not enough to log in every day – you also need to post regular status updates to complete your profile.
Now that you have resources and advice for completing your social media profiles, let’s quickly look at how you can utilise your social media profiles to get noticed online.
Standing out on social media
It’s not enough to follow the best practices – you have to go above and beyond! This is how you get your social media presences to stand out among the crowd.
- Always make sure that your bio, headline or about section contains something catchy and brief that makes your profile memorable
- Don’t just share the same link on each social profile you have. Make sure that you optimise content based on the social site you’re posting it to.
- Utilise a variety of content. Even on social media platforms like Instagram, you have the ability to post typical images, quote images, tips, images focusing on sales or ads, etc.
- Always focus on CTAs. They may not be the most original way to stand out, but they do get the attention of your audience.
My final piece of advice is perhaps the most important: social media isn’t solely about promotion. It’s about engagement and connectivity – after all, that’s why it’s called social media. If you’re only using social media to try and generate leads or revenue, you’ve got the wrong idea.
This concludes my blog series on social media profiles. Did you find my tips helpful? Did you like my resource lists? Tell me if the tips helped you punch up your own social profiles and if you have any tips or ideas of your own!