Your LinkedIn profile’s curbside appeal could be killing your personal brand. And, your Twitter profile may look like an abandoned house.
You’re always working on your home’s curbside appeal. You need to pay attention to your reputation on social media, too.
Think about it. You would never sell your house without making sure you presented it in the best light. Mowing the lawn, painting the exterior, and keeping the property neat have a positive impact on its value.
The same goes for your small business, big company, and personal brand on social media. You need to shine up your profile to make sure people know you are home and ready to engage. Having a professional profile and sharing relevant and compelling content on social media channels are the equivalent to taking care of your home!
You say you can solve problems with your services, products, or knowledge; but, can you back up this claim on your LinkedIn profile? You need that curbside appeal in your social media footprint.
The last thing anyone wants after their profile is reviewed is a snicker, a laugh or any doubt about the validity of their profile.
5 Reasons Why It’s Important to Fix Your Personal Brand on Social Media
- 49.5% of LinkedIn profiles are incomplete, rendering some searches useless. This research shows almost half of everyone’s account looks partially abandoned. Source: LinkedIn
- 67% of B2B buyers rely more on content this year than last year. Social media channels deliver much of that content. With this understanding, you need to share more to get on your customer’s radar. Source: Demand Gen Report
- 84% of B2B buyers use social media to research their purchases. They reference multiple sources like company and personal social media profiles. Would your profiles and posting hurt your chances of a sale? Source: IDC
You’re always working on your home’s curbside appeal. You need to pay attention to your reputation on social media, too.
Gerry Moran
- If you are looking for a new career or position, 84% of recruiters use social media to find potential candidates. The more complete and value-add your profile conveys, the greater chance you will have to make a possible career connection. Source: Jobvite
- 44% find vendors from their friends on social media. The broader and deeper your social media engagement goes, the more significant the potential impact on your success. Source: LinkedIn
This personal branding research indicates that your customers and hiring companies are checking you out before, during, and after meeting you, whether you choose to participate in an open house or not! Since your profile is your reputation destination, it behooves you to straighten it up!
3 Steps to Spruce Up Your Personal Branding (and feel like a brand new person)
1. Fix your LinkedIn profile
Ensure you update your photo. Add a value prop-based headline. Create a customer-centric summary. Refresh your job experience. Add at least five keywords that represent your strengths in the Skills and Endorsements section. These improvements ensure your profile is complete so you will be more “findable” during a LinkedIn search.
2. Fix your Twitter profile
Many say you cannot say you are innovative or relevant unless you are also on Twitter, especially if you are connected to a B2B brand. At a minimum, update your photo, include a link to your LinkedIn profile or blog, and have a keyword-rich summary in the 160 characters Twitter provides.
3. Distribute content representing your company or personal brand.
After checking out your profile, your customers will Google you, so make sure you are active on your key social media channels with relevant content. This way, you will appear above the fold of the Google search page.
Do you have another tip to make sure people will want to visit your brand? If so, please share below or email me at gerry@marketingthink.com.
The big takeaway, which supports native customer behavior, is that people will check you out. They will judge you on your social media and digital appearance. The days where you can hide behind a beeper, telephone, or even email, are gone. Your social media profile is the new calling card. And, your content is the new relationship currency.
You cannot increase your currency’s value until you get people to walk through the front door of your brand. So, get sprucing up. Let us know how we can help!
