Having a top notch social media profile can get you more exposure on the web, help you interact with your followers or customers, and improve your online reputation. Except if you have a major site related with your name, your social media profiles are generally the first results Google shows when somebody searches for you.
Begin thinking about every social media profile you make as a landing page for your own brand. Your social media profiles are presumably the primary experience that somebody will have with your brand, and you need that first impression to make the visitor interested in finding out more about you. So, it is important to make sure that your social media profile is top notch.
And how would you do that?
By including some features in your social media profile.
In today’s article, I am going to talk about ten features of a top notch social media profile
10 Features of a Top Notch Social Media Profile
Here are ten features to make your social media profile top notch
1. Name of your profile
Alright, this appears to be very essential. The name that displays on your social media profile should simply be your own name, correct? Generally, that is right. However, sometimes that doesn’t bode well. On platforms like Twitter, where you don’t need to utilize a real name, a pseudonym might make more sense.
2. Username and URL of social media
On majority of the social networking sites, the username is included in the URL, and it’s often different from the display name. Generally, you cannot change your username so you have to choose it carefully. It is normally best to just go with your own name if possible. But, if you are representing a company, the name of the company may work better. Well, it may not always be possible but still, you have to try to keep your username same across all the platforms.
3. Profile picture
One of the most common questions among many business owners is whether you should go with a logo or a personal picture as your profile picture. Definitely, you should always go with a headshot if it is for a personal account. But what if it is for a company? It can be a tough call, but it depends on your goals. If you are running a smaller operation or you are the face of the company, headshot will be the best take for you.
This also applies to individuals that are brands themselves, like singers, artists, or politicians. If your brand is more recognizable or you don’t want your company to be associated with this specifically, the best way forward is to go with the logo. You should be easier to recognize on different social media platforms. You can ensure that by keeping the same profile photo or at least a similar photo across different social networks.
4. Link of social media profile
This may not be the same for the entire social media networks, but it is always better to take any opportunity to get your link on the main page of your social profile. For instance, you can include a link on the front page of your profiles on Twitter and LinkedIn. People should be able to find your link quickly in order to be able to click through to your website. That can be done by making sure that your link is in front and center.
Another great way for your links is to create a social network-specific landing page so you can track which profiles are drawing the most traffic to your site. You can utilize these pages to offer special deals or discounts for people who have found you on Twitter or share information that is specific to a network, like latest blog posts you have written about Instagram.
5. Social media profile bio
You main bio should generally include one or two sentence about yourself or your company. This is the place to put your elevator pitch and include keywords. You have to introduce your business or brand in a few words. So you should realize the importance of bio and use your bio to its fullest potential.
Different sites allow you to write different length off bio. Like Twitter allows you to write a short description. While in LinkedIn, your “about” section can have up to 2000 characters. This gives you a huge opportunity to explain and convey what you are all about in order to make a great first impression. So to utilize it fully, you should be adding more than just a simple description of what you have done in the past and your latest projects.
Instead, craft a story with a clear and basic call to action. For instance, you can share how you started with your company. What were the things that got you interested in it, and what makes you stick around and keep learning? At last, you can end your bio with a simple call to action. This can be a link to an offer, a free report, or even a mission statement asking “will you join us?”
6. Interests On social media profile
Some social networking sites allow you to add additional extended information about yourself, like your favorite books, movies, television shows, sports, or music and so on and so forth. Many people skip this part, mostly when it comes to business profiles but that is a huge mistake. You should look at these fields as an additional way to get some great value and connections.
There cannot be a niche out there that does not have at least one or two published books or one or two released songs or documentary etc. So, find documentaries, books, and profiles of influential people in your industry and include those in these additional fields. This enhances your credibility and the level of connection that you can build with people who are learning about you for the very first time.
7. Background or cover image
Different networking platforms have different requirements, but majority of them today have some value to add a larger image behind your main profile page. Some users, especially on Twitter and LinkedIn, prefer to use the default background image, but this is a mistake. A customized background will allow you to share extra information and give personality to your brand.
You should not make your cover image distracting or look more important than your profile picture. A great cover image can go a long way to personalizing your social page. On Facebook, this can even be a video. This can be a more engaging way to connect with others, so if you have the option you can go for it.
8. Privacy settings of your profile
After completing all the basic steps of setting up a top notch social media profile like uploading the profile picture, setting the user name etc. The next thing to do is to take a look at the privacy settings. These also vary from one social media platform to another, but you have to make sure that the information you would like to be public is viewable. This depends on the nature of the profile like, if your profile is business related, you can make almost everything public. But if your profile is personal, you may want to hide some things.
9. Social media activity
Now that you’re done with the setting up of your profile, your mission should be to maintain an optimum level of activity on your social media. It is not good to leave your profile blank. You have to contribute to the platform and build connections. Because isn’t it what we are here for in the first place? The basic guidelines applies everywhere regardless of the social media network you are on.
You will need to connect with friends and followers by asking questions and responding to their comments and feedback. You have to provide some value to them. This you can do by posting interesting content or at least share something interesting and relevant. If you are in any group, make sure you are an active participant. Be helpful; connect with other people in the group, and share things with your group members.
10. Promotion of social media
At the end of the day, everything is about promotion of your social network profile to help more people find and connect with you. You can do this by adding your social networking profile links to your website, email signature, and business card. Besides that, do not forget to interlink your profiles to each other. Many social media networks have places to add links to other networks. You can and should use them whenever possible. So stay connected, be an active member on the social network of your choice, and then you will start gaining good following.
Wrapping it up
The first step to do when you’re starting with social media marketing is to set up your account and profile correctly. If you have already done that, it is perhaps time to take a look at the profile you set up. Because there is always room for improvement. Check whether the profile picture that you uploaded last year is still relevant or not. Check whether your bio or link needs update or not. Social media profile creates the first impression on majority of your potential customers. So, it is worth spending some time to improve your social media presence and make it interesting and compelling.
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