When was the last time you analyzed your social media presence?
I mean really took a good look at it.
Once we set up our social media profiles and pages, we get so absorbed or even harried about keeping up with our postings that we forget to review our:
- avatars
- banner images
- bios
- overall review of our updates
- return on investment (ROI)
So, let’s talk about these items.
Steps to Improving Your Social Media Presence
Social Media Avatars
When was the last time you updated your avatar?
If you took a selfie in the past or had a friend snap a picture of you, it’s time for you to hire a professional to take some shots of you.
While she’s at it, have her take a picture of you writing and reading. And in other poses as well. You can use these additional shots on the back of your book.
Remember, an avatar needs to be a close-up shot of your head. Don’t wear sunglasses or hats when you take this picture. They will obstruct an image of your beautiful self and won’t let your readers see you clearly.
Banners Are Critical to Your Social Media Presence
Don’t ignore social media banners (header on Twitter) and just put up anything. Use Canva.com to create your banners or use a graphic artist or social media manager to do this for you.
Here’s a lovely carousel of images for Exchange Bank’s Facebook page. The carousel includes five images but I’ll just show you my two favorite.
Here’s another great image.
The images are fun and convey important messages.
Your banners needn’t be static. On Facebook, for example, it’s a good idea to change the images quarterly. Whatever schedule you choose to upload new banners, always keep them fresh.
La Rose Tequileria & Grill in Santa Rosa also uses a slider for four images. My favorite is this one:
Is Your Social Media Bio Still Current?
When was the last time you revised your bio? Keep in mind your bios need to be identical on all social media platforms. That rule applies to avatars and banners as well.
I haven’t changed my bio in a while, but I’m still happy with it. It includes my mission, describes what I do, and most importantly, it has a call to action to sign up for an email course.
Your bio should also include a call to action to sign up for your email list in your bio, assuming that you are building an email list for your email marketing.
Jeff Bullas is a high-powered social media expert. His bio substantiates his place in his field — at the top.
#1 Content Marketing Influencer,Social Media Marketing Strategist & Speaker,Forbes Top 10 Social Media Influencer,#1 Global Business Blog.
Mari Smith has the title of the Queen of Facebook. Here’s her Twitter bio:
Premier Facebook Marketing Expert | Social Media Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Author | Brand Evangelist for @wave_video | Columnist for Bank of America
Go to Twitter and Facebook, search for your favorite authors or writers you admire, and review their bios. Then mimic the best ones.
Review Your Social Media Updates
Now it’s time to scrutinize your social media posts.
Do you always add pictures to your Facebook updates? Images increase engagement so don’t even think about posting anything online without adding an image or video.
Next, how often do you post updates? On your Facebook page, it’s ideal to post updates twice a day. At least, post once daily.
If you use Twitter — and I don’t recommend that small, local business should use this platform, I suggest you at least tweet five times daily. Don’t use all of those tweets to talk about yourself. Promote the books of your colleagues and your followers’ tweets.
On Instagram, post once daily or at least four times a week.
Constant Contact recommends that you pin images on Pinterest at least five times a day but not more than ten. I only pin images when I publish my blog posts. In between those days, I might pin a few photos a week.
What Is Your ROI?
You spend a good deal of time updating your social media profiles and pages, right? So you need to determine what your return on investment is.
Look at your ROI in terms of engagement. Facebook pages, Twitter, Instagram business accounts, and Pinterest business accounts provide free analytics. Take advantage of them to determine if you need to change what you’re doing or if your updates are working.
A simple way to boost engagement on Facebook would be to purchase advertising. Be sure to test some ads with your selected custom audiences.
Is your social media up to date?
Frances Caballo is an online marketing consultant and the author of six books on social media. Click here to schedule an appointment with her. Writing a book can serve as the best possible business card you can possibly have and establish your authority in your field. Once you publish your book, learn to market it by visiting my other website, SocialMediaJustforWriters.com.