I don’t need to tell how you important social media is for your personal brand. Not only does it help you raise your brand awareness but also helps you expand your network.
The best part of being social is that it doesn’t cost you much other than your time. I remember the day I decided to join them and created my personal accounts. It was all new to me and I had to literally learn everything from scratch. Now, it’s a habit: login, post something or comment on someones picture.
Whether you’re just starting out or trying to improve you social presence, you must not ignore certain networks if you plan on being effective with your social media efforts. I believe it’s as important as creating a personal website.
Here’s a list of the 5 most important social media networks you should be using which will help represent your personal brand:
1. Linkedin.com
Use your Linkedin profile as your professional social media account.
That’s where you display your experience, education as well as your professional network within your industry. Most of the time, I bet that your Linkedin profile will show up first on Google when someone searches your name.
Here’s an example of my own well-optimized Linkedin profile.
2. Twitter.com
Consider Twitter as your headline channel.
Share a 140 character tweet describing something valuable or share content (image or link). It’s pretty simple to use but also easily ignored since there are lots of tweets going on every second. You need to post something multiple times a day if you really want to benefit from this network.
Use Twitter to post:
- A blog post
- An visual image
- A thought or quote
- Respond to other tweets
- Share tweets from people you follow
Here’s an example of my Twitter profile.
3. Facebook.com
This is where you display who you are, your skills & knowledge within your industry.
I love Facebook but it has changed over the years. You see more ads, but relevant ones. It’s a lot harder to get noticed since Facebook constantly changes its newsfeed algorithm.
Here’s an example of my Facebook profile & Facebook Page
4. Instagram.com
Instagram is perfect to display the visual side of your personal brand using images and 15 sec videos.
I use it to share all sorts of things I do in my personal life. It’s a great way of letting people know how you go about your daily life. People love it since it’s very visual and instant. I love Instagram because when you post something, you know for sure your followers will see unlike on Facebook where it’s controlled.
Use Instagram to post:
- A delicious food pic
- Pic of yourself at an event
- Doing something related within your industry
- Your passion (hiking, fashion, sports cars)
Here’s an example of my Instagram profile.
Click here to get create your personal Instagram account.
5. Periscope.com
Although it’s the newest network out there, it’s being adopted like crazy. Think of it as your LIVE video stream social network where you get to share the ultimate experience of being present with you at major events such as a conference or live interviews.
I recently created my account and plan on using it myself within my social media strategy.
You will need to download the iPhone app or Android app to get started on Periscope.
What is your favorite social media network?
