Social media is something anyone can be good at, but mastering it, like any skill, takes time and patience. From Facebook to Twitter there are some platforms you can utilize to extend your personal and professional brand and here are a number of ways to do so.
So, the first thing to note about social media is that it revolves almost entirely around updates. From a photo that is posted to Snapchat as a story to a 140 character tweet, social media is about the latest statement you want to make.
Engagement is King
Now, no matter what the site – your followers and you have a special bond. They have chosen to follow your updates, so you mustn’t take advantage of this. If you post pointless content too often, you will lose the interest of your audience, and they will leave. Do not try to occupy a soapbox here and scream to your followers. It’s a two-way relationship, and frankly, you are not in charge, and you can quickly overwhelm with too many updates.
5 Social Media Management Tools to Save Time
There are a number of tools you can use to manage your profiles from a computer. Hootsuite is one of them that brings many profiles into one piece of software. You can also access something like Snapchat online, so you’re not always fixated on managing your output from your phone.
You’ve got to be quite flexible with social media and able to update the sites you use often. You can combine them, and post a photo from Instagram instantly to your Twitter, but you probably want to keep them separate so people can visit each site for specific content relating to you. Twitter should be for now, and reacting to what is going on; Facebook should be for video and long form content, and Instagram can house your arty snaps. It’s best to pick a bunch of sites that you can actually put some time into, rather than every account you can manage.
Be Yourself Online, Seriously.
Social media should be an extension of yourself. Don’t be fake or phony, just be yourself and pore over your interests. Share your favorite music and indulge in your passions. After all, you and your life are what is being followed, nothing else. If you exaggerate or lie or act fake, you’re going to lose followers and be at square one. Don’t be fake!
You should be adding value to the content of others. If a news story interests you, talk about it and share it. Get involved in conversations. Social media does not revolve around you, but the updates of millions. Speak to people, follow them and share their content – you do have to give to receive in this world.
The 5 Keys to Building a Social Media Strategy for Your Personal Brand
It’s all about the simple steps really. You’re not being asked to dedicate your life to social media, but if you want to boost your skills, it’s easy. Add value, get involved and don’t overwhelm people with updates and you’ll see your influence and follower counts rise. Just do not let it all get to your head when you’re at the top.