Next on the list of ‘jobs saved for a rainy day – or in this case, a lockdown’ is tidying up your social media.
It can be easy to set up your social media pages in a hurry, promise yourself you’ll come back to them later and then just never get around to it. But they’re often one of the first places potential customers visit to contact you and check out your latest news, so it’s important they set the right tone.
Here are some useful ideas for making your online business profiles look…well, the business!
- Less is more
Don’t feel you need to have a profile on every social media site. If you’re more of a Tweeter than an Instagrammer for example, then focus your efforts on Twitter and close down accounts you don’t use. It’s better to utilise one well than have several neglected profiles. Do think carefully, however, about which site is most appropriate for your target audience. If your product is very visual and consumer-focused, then Instagram is a must. Twitter, on the other hand, is more useful for staying up to date with, commenting on, and sharing news and is focused on verbal communication. It is sometimes described as a ‘micro-blogging’ site.
Everyone in business should be on LinkedIn – it’s full of resources, content and opportunities that could really help you in your business to make connections and ultimately, find work!
- A picture paints a thousand words
Does your profile include an up to date picture of you or the face of your business? And what about your background image – is it high quality and still relevant? Could it be more appealing/eye-catching?Make sure your profile picture isn’t an old holiday snap or with a drink in your hand (unless your business is drinks, then it’s OK!). Look like you would at a professional meeting, as you do now. If your hair is long and blonde in your profile picture but you’ve now got a brunette bob, change the photo so it looks like you. Make sure your photo looks like you most days – not all done up or underdone so that people don’t recognise you or when you looked a lot younger!
- Keep it consistent
Try to make sure that any images, logos, fonts and branding are the same across all your profiles and website. It gives a polished, professional appearance. When people see you on different channels, they will recognise you visually each time – which is so important. - Post regularly
A well-maintained profile doesn’t necessarily mean you need to post several times a day, every day, comment on everything and share 100 things. But it should be regular – whether that’s daily, every few days or a couple of times a week. A little time every month spent planning a few posts ahead of time can be invaluable for keeping your feed active and engaging. It will also stop you from posting ad-hoc things that look a bit scattergun. A content scheduler such as ContentCal or Hootsuite is a really useful tool for doing this. - It’s not all about you!
Don’t just post about your news and updates – be sure to comment on others’ too, whether they’re your customers, contacts or key players in your industry. Engage with them and make conversation; this is a great way of attracting attention and new followers. You will also keep an eye on your industry and may spot opportunities for collaboration or promotion too. - Follow the crowd
Find out who your target market is following and engaging with, and check if there are other groups you can join. Don’t forget to follow appropriate journalists, too. It’s a great way of keeping abreast of what they’re interested in and potentially spotting opportunities to be featured in their articles. We keep an eye on a couple of Twitter hashtags every day to see what journalists are looking for. It might be a case study, opinion, information or an expert – you just reply and they’ll get back to you if they need you.
#journorequest
#prrequest
Of course, keep an even closer eye on your competitors – you can learn a lot by seeing what does and doesn’t work for them!
Need help giving your social media the once-over? We’re more than happy to help, find or help you to plan your content.
If you liked this blog, you might like to read our other blog about tidying up your website here.
