To Post or Not to Post?
Today’s social media communication is mainly dependent on the written word, meme, or suggestive emojis. Along with countless others, you have probably encountered a “Did you see that” moment. Ah, longing for the joys of viewing cats on YouTube, today’s communicators valiantly remind us of the good ole days—yep, when caves were our castle and images on a soapstone wall summed up the happenings of the tribe. Alas, how far have we come, and how far will we go?
Let’s face it; there are so many social media platforms that sometimes it’s hard to keep up. One’s social media image can create barriers to employment or even cause one to lose a job. For example, a professor posting about how they hope they can stay ahead of their students this term may appear incompetent or unprepared by the University. An employee calling in sick but then posting they are at the red sox game can create a warning, or even a termination of this has happened prior. However, it can also open up doors. Today’s leaders need to think about their branding and what their followers/friends/connections are seeing. Branding includes the content you share with others and the frequency of your postings. One should post one to two times per day to stay relevant and not overlooked. So what should one consider when trying to maximize or create their social media image?
1. Think twice before you post
Before you press send, submit, or post…ask yourself, “Is this something I would say to someone in person?” Does this align with the image I want people to have of me? If you have any doubts, don’t do it. Another alternative to posting is for you to read aloud the written word. If it doesn’t feel or sound right to you, consider a better way of expressing yourself. Remember, digital footprints exist in infinity. Consult with others, ask for feedback and always give it a second thought before putting it out there.
2. Think about your audience
Every digital medial platform has a different audience. There are many other social media platforms, but we will compare the most popular ones: Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Each one has a different vision and purpose. Pinterest is a place people go to share DIY ideas. Twitter is for microblogging your thoughts referred to as Tweets. Facebook offers various features, but people set up a profile to network with others in its simplest forms. Instagram is also for connecting with people in your network but only by sharing pictures and short 60 second videos. Snapchat is a variation of Instagram. Users can send photos and videos, but the big difference is that they disappear after being viewed. LinkedIn has become a professional networking site where people put up their professional profiles and connect with other professionals. So, when creating your content, you want to think about which platform it applies to and how you want your image viewed (or perceived) on these platforms. While you want to maintain consistency, you can still have variation while maintaining your personal theme.
3. Create Full Profiles or Update Existing ones
Each social media account has a purpose and focus. Determine what you want your personal branding to look like and focus on those accounts. Make sure your profiles are complete and up to date. When people are viewing the profiles, they should see updated information. Your main goal is to network and drive traffic to the content you want to have visible. Ask questions, create surveys, share pictures and create digital content daily. One should be posting a minimum of one to two times per day but not more than three to five posts daily.
4. Create Content to Engage Your Followers
What makes each of these social media sites unique is their content variation. While Instagram and Snapchat only share pictures and videos, Facebook has many more features. Group pages can be established for people with like interests to gather and share. You can have private and secret groups. There is the ability for file sharing on Facebook. They also have a private messaging system. LinkedIn is where you go to post your resume or CV. You can network with other professionals in your field, search for jobs, or even take a course for professional development. There are many different ways to use social media. However, the one common factor is that it is now unavoidable. If you are a business and do not have an online presence, you will be missing out on connecting with your current and future consumer base. It is constantly evolving, so this is a challenge for businesses to keep up with to meet consumer needs. We also need to be using social media proactively than in a reactive manner. For example, some people only join LinkedIn when they lose their job or are job hunting. It would help if you were on LinkedIn during your entire professional career building your network. It takes time to build networks, so maintaining an active presence is better than being reactive. LinkedIn has professional development tools, recommendations, and advertising tools to maximize your social media image and make yourself more marketable. The more extensive your LinkedIn network, the more influence and reach you have, and this only comes over time and being consistent.
Creating your social media image is just as important as having a resume. Whether you want to use social media for fun or build a professional brand, you want to think twice about posting and how that may impact your reputation. The line between our digital and real lives is becoming increasingly blurred.
