Social media has long stopped being a quiet intimate place for you and your friends to hang out. Nowadays it’s a powerful tool for marketing yourself and what you’ve got to offer. So, why not take advantage of this free, common and easy to use platform? An expert from PaperCheap will share a few insights on the topic.
Self-Presentation
There are different ways to present yourself. It all begins with a name. For a social media profile, you may want to utilize your own name or the name of the company. However, there is a catch: both of them need to be easy to remember. If you buy a domain name, make sure it is catchy and relevant to your content.
You can also introduce yourself in a short biography. Do not just list your accomplishments in the alphabetical order. If your potential employers/customers want to learn about them, they will just go read your LinkedIn profile.
Try to be friendly and personable. Do not brag, but at the same time do not resort to false humility. The rule is to strive for sincerity, while providing relevant information about yourself, such as your main occupation, skills and aspirations.
Photo for Profile
Photos are the most critical in terms of the first impression. Whenever somebody stumbles upon your profile, unless you are their best friend, they will take a couple seconds to evaluate your picture. If this is not the best photo you’ve ever taken, you risk never gaining more followers.
Make sure the focus is on your face. You may be an artistic personality, but your potential followers are interested in you, and not in your paints and easel. So, do not try to think something up. Just take a good-quality photo of your face. It is better to look friendly in it, unless the content of your blog contradicts such a disposition.
Please invest in a good camera or take a shot in the studio. This is especially important for those looking to expand their business via a social profile. A dim or cropped photo is only going to annoy your potential customers: why would they trust somebody who cannot invest time and money into such a simple detail?
Also, do not stand still with a blank look. Such photos give an impression of a mug shot and should be avoided unless that’s the effect you are going for. Asymmetrical photos are always more attractive as they add a touch of realism and make you look more personable.
Photos for Posts
You will not get far with a simple text. If you want to catch your audience’s attention, you need to add videos, pictures, infographics to your post. This rule works for all social media, and only suicidal marketers would disregard it.
If you’ve got funds or creative spirit, try to avoid stock photos. Multiple studies have confirmed those do not sell well. It is always better to upload your own pictures or resort to help from graphic designers and photographers. This will make your post look more professional.
Some websites like Canva allow you to try their free graphic design tools. Maybe, in the beginning you can get away with stock photos, but sooner or later you will need to invest either money or your time into the overall look of your posts.
Content Rules
Even though the visual features of your profile matter, the content is and will always be the king. If your content does not fulfil the needs of your target audience, no matter how impressive the cover is, you will not gain popularity.
First and foremost, you need to choose one particular topic. If you want to market yourself as a journalist and write about politics, you cannot engage in celebrity news (unless they are politically charged). If your subscribers are used to you posting puppies, you cannot suddenly start posting cats.
Secondly, you’ve got to be organized. There are certain tools like Buffer which can help you with this challenge. Create a calendar where you can mark the dates of content release and, what’s most important, stick to it. If you post irregularly, your users will not take you seriously and will not develop a sense of anticipation before your next post.
Finally, do not put all your eggs in one basket. Do not post your valuable content all at once. Even if you’re brimming with ideas, it is better to wait. (Unless those ideas are on current news. Then go ahead, let the world hear you). Spread out your posts throughout the weeks and months. This will only make your subscribers hungrier for your content.
Sharing Rules
There is one major rule: share on as many platforms as you physically can. This way more people will have a chance to stumble upon your blog or website and interact with it. This is how you get the word out and let the audience decide whether you are worthy of their attention.
Share a couple times throughout the day. You do not need to share something new. You can just to repeat your old post. You may change the title, but this is not a must. Some may perceive you as a spammer, but it is actually done to reach as many people as possible.
Also, know when to make short reads and when to go long. Some platforms like Twitter will not allow you to go all the way, on others you can write to your heart’s content. However, keep in mind that long reads are harder to sell. Therefore, your content needs to be really valuable for people to persist.
Curation Websites
If you want to become a content superhero, curation websites can lend you a helping hand. Curation websites can help you gather all your favorite blogs and websites on one platform, thus enabling you to narrow your information stream and choose only among the most valuable sources.
Even the most creative personalities cannot come up with fresh and original content every single day. Curation websites can provide you with ideas for posts to keep your profile active. You may write quick comments on burning issues and let your followers learn more about what moves, excites and angers you.
This way you can take a break from the mind-wrecking activity of creating your own content and let your brain relax. This is especially helpful for those who have full-time jobs and do social media as a way to promote themselves rather than as a permanent occupation.
Brace Yourself
Not everybody is going to like you. You should be prepared for negative feedback as it is inevitable even for the best bloggers/social media personalities. People are different, and it is simply impossible to cater to everyone’s needs.
There will be days when you will not want to continue. There will be days when you will feel tired of constant posting and reading never-ending comments. However, these feelings are temporary, and there is no need to do anything drastically. Just take a break for a day or two. You are a human after all.
Hopefully, these tips will help you increase your social media presence and achieve all your ambitious goals, whether they are job or business related.