Social media has great power. It is into this space that a significant part of our private life, commerce, business has moved. Everything we publish, comment on and how we maintain our profile builds our image.
Social media is today the main platform for communication, reporting on life and keeping in touch with loved ones. Beyond the private sphere, social media is a platform for professional life, making sales and establishing business relationships with potential partners and clients. When we realize that social media are de facto our business card, we wonder what we can do to create our image in the right way.
Of course we can delete an unfortunate post or photo, but how many people will see our content or take a screenshot is a different matter. If we want to build a positive image online, every action should be well thought out. This also applies to commenting, reposting and sharing other people’s posts. For our observers, such actions will be visible. They will become a component affecting how others evaluate us.
Prudent content creation on social media is not about losing yourself and creating a false image. There is also no need to outsource your profiles to external companies. However, let us look at our profiles from a distance and through the prism of our business partners, contractors and target group. Let us think in what way a given content may lead to deterioration of our image – loss of credibility, lack of professionalism.
It makes no difference what social media we have in mind – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn… Each of them has a designated place for our business card. We should introduce ourselves to the followers, write who we are and what we do, what we offer. The description should be accessible and understandable for our target group.
Social media profiles, unlike websites, are a free tool for advertising, promotion, building customer awareness. They also provide a wide range of possibilities for creative account management. So let’s take care of good quality photos, visible logo, appropriate cover photo and profile picture. Use the possibility of pinning important posts at the top of the board, add links to bio, etc.
Comments from authentic profiles, recommendations and recommendations are another element building our image in social media. This phenomenon is known as the social proof mechanism. In simple words it means that as customers/consumers we look for support of outsiders.
For example, if we find a handicraft jewelry store on Facebook, we check customer reviews before we buy. We want to make sure that the profile is not a scam, previous transactions were successful, and the goods presented the highest quality. So let’s ask for comments. Let us encourage customers e.g. with discounts for the next purchase after issuing a recommendation. Each such entry is almost worth its weight in gold.
Social media gather in thematic subgroups enthusiasts of almost every field. In order to gain clients or collaborators, it is worth joining closed and open groups. Pushy advertising is not the best option. It is worth substantively joining discussions and offering advice, building the position of an expert.
Main photo: Tracy Le Blanc/pexels.com
