How Are Your Social Media Profiles?

Property of Lisa  Ladrido

Early on when we began using Social Media, Myspace was the go to site for many of us. Today there are so many social media communities and networking opportunities available that it is hard to keep track of them all.  New ones are being created what seems daily, like the new Google+!

However, they all have one thing in common, building relationships.  Relationships with people you most likely haven't even met yet!  Whether you are trying to build a business or are just starting out, how you communicate with the people on Social Media is so important.

Will they eventually join your opportunity, purchase your product or even read your blog?  It is hard to say, there are no guarantees.  However, as in life we must follow some simple rules if you are looking to build relationships on the web.

Whichever site you have joined, whether it is Facebook, Twitter or Google+, to name just a few, there are some basic steps that you should consistently follow. 

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Profile Picture

Your profile picture is so important to be the first thing that you personalize as soon as possible.  Do not leave the default avatar up for very long.  Try to post a professional looking picture as soon as possible.  Studies have shown that you will have fewer followers if you do not have a picture on your profile.  That doesn't mean that you need to spend money on a photo shoot, but picking a decent picture of you is important.

Your picture is the first impression people will have of you. If you are in a bikini, that pretty much sends the message of the niche market you are targeting, whether it is intentional or not!

You will be recognized on other sites if you use the same picture on all the Social Media communities you belong to.  

    
Information About You

On Twitter you have to be creative since they only allow 160 characters to write your Bio, however make sure you add one.  When your following request is received it will just show your name if you have not taken the time to attach a Bio.  The keywords you choose for your bio are very important.  Most people will not follow you until they read something about you!  

Facebook and Google+ offer enough space to write a little about you and your business.  Try not to push your business opportunity right from the beginning.  There is room for you to add your links to your sites if you so choose to.  On Facebook that would be on the Contact Information section. 

Add as much information about you as possible.  You can always come back and change your bio later.  Like your profile picture, having a complete bio will offer your potential followers an opportunity to learn a little more about you and your business.  

Photos

If a location is available to do so, add photos to your profile. The more you offer to potential followers to learn a little about you the better. You become a real person to a stranger, and that is what we want isn't it?

On Google+ and Facebook there is a section on your profile to add pictures. If you use an aggregator like Tweetdeck for Twitter you can add videos and photos to your tweets! 


This also gives you the opportunity to add your website information as part of the description of the photo.  For example, if you were a photographer you could also place your company website as part of the description of this photo.  

Interests

If space is offered try to add your interests as well. This helps you relate to more people who are searching to add more followers.  


For example, in some of the networks you have a location that you can add movies, books and music that you enjoy on your profile.  We recommend that you add as much about you as possible. 

Privacy Settings 

All of the networking sites have an area designated so that you can adjust your privacy settings.  If you are looking to increase the size of your business and exposure then we recommend not keeping your profile too private. If you are in the Witness Protection Program please ignore this information!

Under the Account Settings on Twitter you will see “Tweet Privacy, Protect my tweets”.  It is best not to select that option.  This does not allow your tweets to be public; they will only be visible to your followers. 

Most people will not spend much time trying to see your profile, many will not even try.  You can choose who sees what; we recommend at least your posts, contact information, interests, bio and websites to be open to everyone. That decision is a personal one of course.

Take advantage of all the opportunities each site offers to you to complete your profile as much as possible. It is the first impression your new followers will have of you. Have fun networking!

The photos used on this post were either created by Lisa Ladrido for the purposes of this blog or stock photography from Dreamstime.  Please request permission prior to using any photos or information on this blog.