Social media has become a vital social tool for individuals. From Instagram to LinkedIn, a person’s social media is how they represent themselves to the world. It can be more challenging than it seems to keep your personal brand consistent. Here are some tips to help you put your best foot forward when representing your personal brand on social media.
“Today’s the day!! We can’t wait to see you at @virginia.tech’s Gobblerfest this afternoon. Stay tuned for more information about our booth location!”
Post by @vtprism
Know Your Network
Facebook may be where you find your largest audience, from high school friends to family members. Instagram seems to attract a younger crowd with powerful users who can influence their followers. Twitter has provided a space for regular people and celebrities alike to voice their opinions in real-time and sometimes with a sense of urgency. LinkedIn is a virtual professional community where you can connect with industry colleagues that can help build your network as you develop in your career. It is crucial to cater your content to the platform and target the audience that you are trying to reach.
Mix It Up
We all have favorite accounts that we follow. Their voice matches ours and we find ourselves constantly sharing their content, but switching up the sources helps to vary our feed. Posting original content as well as sharing posts from other accounts allows us to diversify the information that is being shared with our followers. If you have roughly the same followers across different channels, aim to vary the content that you share.
“Gameday BABY”
Post by @azitapeters
Caption This
A picture is worth a thousand words… but including a caption can make a big difference in your Instagram game. It seems that a lot of people do not know what to caption a photo, so sometimes they simply do not post it. A clever caption can grab your audience’s attention and keep them engaged in your content. Write something that relates to the photo or video your posting. When in doubt, emojis and hashtags are your friends!
“yeehaw @uniqlousa”
Post by @dariustjboles
It’s All About the Tags
Using hashtags or tagging other accounts can help your posts get discovered. Take time to learn how to use the features offered on different platforms. Even tagging brands on Instagram stories can help you interact with companies you support.
“The wrong side of Valencia”
Post by @bri_ehle
Quality Over Quantity
Posting everyday is great if you have great content to share. As we aim to maintain active social media accounts, we have to remember to share quality content. Think about the viewers of your content in order to understand how they may respond and engage.
Are You #TeamFollowBack?
If you are, you may have a fairly balanced ratio of followers to the amount of accounts you are following. Look at your profile and see what your ratio is. Maybe you follow a lot of accounts because you like receiving content rather than creating content. Are there people who you follow that don’t follow you back? Do you value their content? If you find that you simply scroll past their posts, don’t be afraid to unfollow that account. Time is valuable so focus on what you like to see!
“Thumbs up👍 to all of those who took the time to apply to PRISM! We look forward to reviewing your applications, and are excited to be taking the next step with you towards joining the next generation of marketing. #PoweredbyPRISM”
Post by @vtprism
Evaluate Engagement
Who are your followers? When are they most often using social media? Being aware of who is on the other side of your posts and shares can help you have your content seen.
Be a Social Media Sponge.
There is so much to learn and explore on social media pages, especially through the discover features. Take some time to get an idea of who is a part of your following on social media accounts. Seeing what works and what doesn’t on other profiles can help you predict interest and engagement for you.
“Giggles for my last day of interning, thanks for an incredible summer- I’ll miss you peeps ❣️"
Post by @alanaclaarkis
Timing is Everything
It seems that timing is everything in many aspects of life, but it is especially important when it comes to making sure you’re “seen” on social media. Learn when your followers are online and what content they want to see at those times. Posting at “peak hours” and joining relevant conversations can help boost your engagement. Busy when your followers are getting social? Consider using Hootsuite or Hubspot to amplify your voice.
Your social media should reflect who you are in the best way possible. With these tips, you have all the tools necessary to define your personal brand and take your social media to the next level.