Self-Promotion & Branding Through Social Media: Part 2

Last week, we discussed personal branding on the top social media platforms. The best way to gain clients across social media platforms involves three key factors. First, be a resource, not a salesperson. Social media users never want to feel as if they are being sold to. Second, always share your own passions and interests, not just related to your line of work. Third, listen to your following and stay in touch with past and present clients.

There are some common do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when it comes to your personal brand strategy.

The Do’s:

• Share, interesting and industry relevant news articles.
• Offer tips that you think prospective (and current) clients would like, appreciate or use. For example, if you are a Heating and Air company, you may share “energy saving tips” such as #TipTuesday.
• What are you currently working on? Don’t forget to share your recent projects, endeavors and experiences. Think visual!
• Always thank clients by mentioning them (use the @ symbol before their name to link to their social media profile) and always repost any testimonials.
• Comment on and follow brand pages. Think of those who you’d like to work for and those who are relevant to your industry.
• Follow other industry experts in your field.
• Always respond to questions, posts and comments, even if it’s just to say thank you.
• Experiment with Facebook targeted ads to reach your ideal customer or client.
• Remember the 80/20 rule. 80% of your posts should be social where 20% should be in relation to what you are selling.
• Fill out the about section of your profile in it’s entirety.
• Follow past and current clients.

The Don’ts:

• Don’t complain about your business, clients or experiences EVER. This can give you an unprofessional appearance and make prospective customers or clients leery of working with you.
• Avoid sharing information that is too personal. Of course you want to share some details about your life, but definitely be selective in what you share. And think positive!
• Never sound like an automated business message. This goes with finding your voice. Speak on your social media as if you were speaking to a client in person.
• Don’t overuse hashtags.
• Don’t send your tweets to Facebook. Twitter users and Facebook users have a completely different way of communicating. If you decide to utilize both Facebook and Twitter, they do require different approaches.
• Be careful not to misspell things!
• Try not to forget to update your profile.
• Don’t post low quality images/videos.

Remember that you don’t have to be everywhere to build a strong personal brand. Start with your preferred social media platform (or two) and really own it!

What tips do you have for personal branding? What have you learned along the way? If you’re looking to get started, reach out for the chance to be featured in a follow up blog!