Does your social media profile show what you do?
Want to have a social media account that stands out from your competitors?
After defining your niche, you know who is your audience. Your social media profiles should communicate with them and tell about you and your business.
Even if you just starting out and want to share your work, consider your profiles as your brand.
Building an online presence, you should deliver your core message through all the channels. It also requires choosing what you are going to promote: your personal or your company brand.
For individuals and freelancers, better to create the personal brand around your name, as people like to work with people.
1. Pick your name and URL
When you register your social media account, there are two places where you may set your name: One is the name of the page, and another is URL. Don’t mess it up; your name isn’t your username. Username is often part of the URL.
The name of the page is shown as the title of the page near your avatar.
If it’s your personal page, it may have your name. If it’s your business page, then you may choose the name of your company. Pick a good one, simple enough so people will remember it and easily find.
Check it out www.facebook.com/MarinaBarayevaPhotography
URL is the web link. On social media, you can set your unique address, which goes after the name of the network. If you leave it as it is, then often it looks like a set of numbers.
For your page choose your name.
2. Use the same name for all social media profiles
Keep your social media profile names the same across the platform. Thus, when people followed you for example on Twitter, they may look for the same username on Instagram, Facebook or other social networks.
Use knowem.com to check available names through all the channels.
Register your name in all leading platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube. You may not use everything right now, but it will protect you if you want to use them later, so nobody else registers them.
The same if you register social media profile for your business.
3. Choose an avatar
Every platform has a section where you can add your avatar. Here are three options to choose:
1. If you are building a personal brand this is your page – add your photo. Maybe you do not think about branding now, but if you are an artist, writer, blogger, etc. start with your picture. It is a part of you online persona.
Get a good quality headshot with the professional photographer.
Have you heard, that there is no second chance to give a first impression? That’s your time to show that you are proficient and trustworthy.
2. If this is your company page, then add a logo of your business.
Check it out www.facebook.com/worldartistnetwork
3. Some artists, who already developed them style, use their signature picture as avatar. However, people should know your work to recognize you by the picture.
You may change your specialization, work, interests, but you still will be you. If you are not sure whether you are going to stay with your artwork for many years, then the photo with your face is better.
4. Tell the story with a cover photo
Whether you are using your social media profile for yourself, your work, or business, the cover photo is the great way to tell the story around your profile.
Check it out www.facebook.com/Wetravelandshare
Check it out @anntran_
Check it out @DanielaUslan
Different networks have different cover photo sizes. Check this guide to find the right social media image sizes.
Use Photoshop or create it with the online design services like canva.com.
5. Write an interesting Bio
A bio for Twitter and Instagram is short. Write one-two sentences, which are describing who you are, what you do or what you post about.
Check it out @theinstagramexpert
You can link to other accounts within the network in your bio.
Check it out @mei_pak
Also, if you want to have a short introduction on the side of the Facebook page, you need to use ‘Short Description’ option when you edit your page. Then it will be shown in about section.
The entire Facebook information people can see only when they click ‘About’ tab.
For LinkedIn and Pinterest the bio can be much longer.
6. Use the keywords
Use relevant keywords when you write your bio. The definition of the keywords from wordstream.com:
Your SEO keywords are the key words and phrases in your web content that make it possible for people to find you via search engines.
Thus, keywords are the words, which people type in the search field, and the result shows relevant accounts. That’s how those, who look for your service or information will find you.
7. Add links to your social media profile
Give links to your site, blog, landing pages or other social media accounts in your profile.
Some platforms, like Instagram, allow you to add only one link to the individual ‘website’ section, but many of them let you insert the links to description too.
Conclusion
Creating your social media profile is like creating an online persona. You give it a look, you share content with your audience, and you communicate with people through it.
What other ways do you know how to improve the social media profile? Leave me a comment below with your results as well as anything that did or didn’t work well for you.
Marina Barayeva is an international speaker and coach who helps women entrepreneurs become recognized experts and confidently sell their services. She is also a TEDx speaker, has presented to audiences in Asia and North America, and has been featured in such media as ArtPeople, CCTV, China Radio International, and others.
Nice post, Marina! I like the visuals.
How important is it, would you say, to ensure that profile pics, cover photos, bios and vanity URLs are consistent across all platforms?
Thank you, Brent! I’m glad you like it.
To have the same profile picture and cover photo across the platforms are important as you create a visual association with your brand for your readers. Then they will know you not only by the name but by your photo or your brand logo.
The URLs help people quickly find you across the platforms. People knows that this name belongs to you, and even they don’t see your avatar somewhere (e.g. in the comments or social media share), they will recognize you by the URL name.
The BIO can be a little different between the networks, but should keep the same core message which you build around your name. Depending on the platform I would also add relevant hashtags, keywords or tag other accounts from the same network.
PS: Have a safe and fun trip to Halifax 🙂
Thanks Marina. 🙂