How to Optimize Your Social Media Profiles in 2017

Social Media is such a consuming yet integral and inspiring part of our daily world. We use it for getting real time news and alerts, finding information on a particular topic, finding communities of niche interests, or staying in touch with family and friends.In fact, we turn to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, blogs and several other platforms for just about anything we need.
How we maintain relationships and communicate with each other both personally and professionally will never be the same because social media has made it all so much more accessible, effective and fun.
Consider this sampling of impressive social media data:
- 49% of small businesses found social media marketing effective for their business
- 80% of small businesses prefer to connect themselves to brands through Facebook
- 58% spent 10 minutes on social media daily
- 46% of online users count on social media before making a purchase
With regard to social media, there is a right way and a not so right way to use these tools. And making the right choice can get you impressive results like this too.
Get more serious and focused, have a better plan and strategy and follow these rules of engagement to get better results from social media.
Commit
If you are doing “it” because you think you have to, you will fizz out and people will too. Post less but make what you post about more meaningful and purposeful not only to others but to you too.
Be Consistent
The more you suit up and show up on social media and bring some value to people’s day, the more loyalty you will build. Think about people you actively follow and understand what they are doing that makes you look forward to engaging with them.
Focus Your Content
Stick to what you know, what you want to be known for and what you want to be associated with. Pick two or three areas of expertise and stick to them no matter what they are. There is an audience and niche for everything. Simplifying your social content makes it easier for people to remember you.
Customize Your Content
Customize your social content for each of the social media channels that you use. They all have a best practice and application with regard to content and strategy. Observe people that get a lot of engagement and action. Watch what they do and say and emulate their approach.
Use the right Social Media Platforms
One of the smartest things you can do is figure out what social media channels are best for you and your customers and community. Using the pillars — Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google + — is usually the best. But there are other niche platforms including Vine, Instagram and Pinterest that can be very effective.
Don’t spread yourself too thin on too many platforms. Less but consistent and focused content on a few of these channels is the better way to go.
Think Strategy
This is where who you are, what you do and how you can help comes in. Post social content that is thoughtful and shows you can be trusted, are knowledgeable, authentic and results oriented.
First Educate, then Inspire and then Sell
It’s the 60–20–20 formula. Use your social content 60% of the time to educate and serve and 20% of the time to inspire. That earns you the opportunity to sell the other 20%. Notice the order this is in.
Be Personable
Be real, be kind, be whom you say you are as much as you possibly can, but know your personal boundaries when sharing online and always respect others’ boundaries.
