Social media is used in a multitude of ways, from the average person to businesses, celebrities and politicians alike. Platforms that currently gain the most traction include, but are not limited to Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook.
Depending on which capacity you want to run successful social media accounts, whether as a personal account, an influencer account or a business account, there are some basic points to take into consideration that will help highlight ‘BRAND YOU’.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?:
For platforms like Twitter and Instagram that allow you to be creative with your ‘handle’ (username), less is definitely more. You may think ‘@badbiatchxxoo’ is the coolest handle, but if you’re looking to make a good impression on potential employers or dates alike, definitely reconsider. Choose something more neutral that you won’t be embarrassed by in the long run. Many people decide to have a version of their legal name as their handle, especially if they’re keen on looking professional.
Undoubtedly some people have very common names and won’t be able to allocate their name as their username. Here’s where you can get a tad bit creative with underscores, numbers or abbreviations. Whatever username you choose to have, make sure its available on other platforms as well. Keeping usernames synchronised makes it much easier for people to find you on other platforms.
For businesses, it goes without saying that you should secure your business name or an available version of it as your handle.
If you’re a start-up and are just setting up your business, you have the advantage of testing out different business names to see which is available on social media platforms. The more unique your business name is, the higher chance that you’ll secure your custom handle. The key here is to appear professional and as an actual person or entity, not a bot.
If your business name is too long, go for an abbreviation that will be memorable for your audience and yourself.
Again, make sure the name is available on all platforms you choose to use and secure them. There’s nothing worse than having someone else with the same name/business name. Confusion galore!!
A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS:
The next aspect to consider for your social media platform is your profile picture.
Rule of thumb is to have a headshot as your profile picture on personal accounts and your business logo for your business profiles.
But you don’t HAVE to have a headshot for your personal account. You can also choose to display an artistic image that depicts your personality if you’re not comfortable in putting your pictures out there.
Whether you’re a business owner or social media influencer, just make sure your profile pictures are also consistent on everything platform. The goal here is to make it very easy for people to identify your brand and follow you on platforms you choose to be on.
‘HI, MY NAME IS…SLIM SHADY?’
Maybe not, but now that you’re well on your way to settings up your profile with your super unique handle and drop dead gorgeous profile picture, your next focus has to be your bio. Just think of your social media profile as a micro CV. Let people know who you are and what you do.
These three elements are the first few things that formulate someone’s opinion of you and what you’re about within a matter of seconds, so make them count! Does your profile give the impression that your likeable, trustworthy and genuine? If not, fine tune it so that it impresses employers, clients, customers or dates, depending on your account type and purpose.
In platforms like Twitter and Facebook, you also have an option for a cover photo, which is essentially a banner for your profile.
You can be a little more creative here and have a picture of what you like the most, your products or events you’ve spoken at.
Use this space wisely and make sure its in line with your brand identity. Just don’t leave it empty darling!
BE A STORYTELLER:
No matter which platform you’re on, remember these fundamentals:
‘A picture is a poem without word’s (Horace) and ‘Writing is the painting of the voice’ (Voltaire).
Whether you’re on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, the two main mediums of communication are the written word and images. Even in a ‘photo centric’ platform like Instagram, you have the ability to write descriptive captions for your pictures. Make good use of this space and formulate your brand identity through your captions, tweets, posts and your brand aesthetic through images.
Videos have fast become a very important communication method as well, so make sure you incorporate them as well.
BRAND YOURSELF BEFORE OTHERS BRAND YOU:
Now that you’ve got the basics down on your ‘micro CV’ portion of your social media profile, it’s time to discuss just how to bring all of the elements together. It’s important to have a cohesive strategy to truly show off your brand aesthetic and generate brand awareness.
Set the tone of your profiles by determining how you want your audience to see you: happy, friendly, informal yet professional or serious and strictly educational. On Instagram, you would do this by following a colour theme that you would maintain throughout your profile. Do you want to work with bright colours or muted tones? You decide! It takes a lot of meticulous planning, both pre and post production of images, but the end results are truly worth it!
If you’d like to know exactly how to create such a visually appealing Instagram profile as well as 20 other secrets about making it in the influencer world, grab my book, ‘#FBlogger: 20 Secrets to Fashion Blogging & Attracting Brands to You’. My book guides you on how to set up your influencer business from A-Z! Available on Amazon on Kindle and Paperback.
BUCKLE DOWN AND JUST HAVE FUN!
After your initial planning is all set in place, it’s time to have some fun! Don’t expect to get everything right straight away. Trial and error is the name of the game. Experiment and see what works best for you as a brand. Remember to communicate with your audience. Their humans, not robots, so keep the human aspect alive!
You’re going to be amazing and I know it! If you found my article helpful, please let me know! I would love to hear from you! My personal Twitter is @thekryptikrose
By: Mia Rose