If you want some extra visibility for your business, it’s worth considering (but not necessarily essential) to have a basic presence on some popular social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and others too.
Even if you don’t want to be regularly active on social media, it might help to just have a profile posted in a few places and make sure that profile has some key information so that people can find you.
Maybe you at least have started with a profile in LinkedIn but not sure what to do with it. What now?
Even if you’re active there, you won’t actually get much out of social media without some optimization of your profile. So let’s focus there for this post.
As a business coach and as someone who sometimes gets a lot out of social media, I often get asked how it works.
Both beginners and regular users of social media can benefit from these profile optimization tips. I see even the most advanced users skipping key steps.
At Least Do These Things for All Your Social Media Profiles
- Link to your website within your profile description.
Can’t believe how often this gets left out! Add a link even if there’s no stated place for a link. For instance, use the About area on your Facebook Page to include a link, or a link in a YouTube video description area. - Add links to your social media profiles in your email signature and on your website.
You’ll need a custom URL to make it look nice in email. See below. - Include a real photo of yourself to make it more human.
Virtual world connections increase when there’s a real face, not a logo or a blank square. - Use real names so people can find you.
Use your real name and your real business name wherever those fit. Avoid abbreviations and lesser known names for your business. (If you or your business have common nicknames, use those in the description so that you’ll be found by those names too.) - Use your target keywords throughout.
Use them in your profile description, tags, your “interests,” your summary, video tags, and in some of your posts. Don’t stuff with keywords. Use them as would be helpful for a real member of your audience. - Connect with others; be helpful; recommend others.
The more you give value to others, the more they’ll do the same for you. You link to them, they’ll often link to you. Play nice. Kindergarten rules still apply. - Focus on connecting with influencers in your niche.
Focus more attention on people who might influence your ideal customers. This includes popular bloggers in your subject area. It also includes people who might commonly refer to you. Consider where your influential folks are active on the web and focus more attention there.
Some Specific Instructions for Your Profiles
- LinkedIn Profile Essentials: Why and How
- Where to Get Your Custom URL for Facebook (Facebook)
Facebook Pages have long URLs that are tough to add to your email signature. Here’s how to change that.
Taking It to the Next Level
- Ask for ratings, comments, and “likes.”
Don’t just sit there and wait for them to come to you. Suggest it by doing things like adding a Facebook “like” widget on your website so people can spread the word about you with one click. Also, send people to your online videos, slideshows, online business listings, and other postings and invite them to post reviews there. Reviews, ratings, and “likes” lead to higher ranks. - Don’t forget blogs (your own and others’ blogs).
Blogs are social media too. Blogging puts your website on steroids. Even if you don’t have your own blog, you can comment on other people’s blogs and include your website link, and gain visibility that way. It’s amazing how much blog commenting can do for your findability. (Here’s why I blog.)
Where to Learn More
Of course there are zillions of resources about getting the most out of social media. Here are a couple starting places:
- Search YouTube for your particular question and you’re bound to find answers.
- Social Media Mindset Webinar – address the concerns and learn basic principles.
See you online somewhere. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and of course here on my blog. (See how I cleverly threw that in. Just trying to be a good role model.)
7 thoughts on “Optimizing Your Social Media Profiles To Get Found”
One of the most common mistakes I see brands making is failing to optimize the design and images of their social media accounts. This is problematic for several reasons, the least of which being aesthetic.
Some users will be unique on these social networking software. They will
only want to be placed in the social circles of the company to advertise other
products and services. You will be able to spot their posts right away.
Thanks SO much, Val! There is so much useful information here! Because of you, I now have a custom url for facebook!
That’s great Lisa. Yes, I packed a bit much into this one but I needed a “handout” to go with a presentation so I threw it all together on here instead of wasting paper.
Glad it was helpful.
Great information. What about links from blog post comments?
Hi Dan. Thanks for commenting. I assume you’re asking if blog comment links (such as the link from your name or in the comment itself) matter for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes.
Some blog comment links give direct SEO benefits and some don’t. (Smart bloggers do pass on those benefits so you could simply focus on more experienced bloggers if you want.)
However, I recommend not worrying about direct SEO benefits. Just comment in the right places for your goals and it will make a difference in the long run.
Blog commenting matters in many ways, not just for direct SEO benefits. It helps your visibility, credibility, and direct traffic to your website. PLUS you are more likely to have someone influential notice you and link to you from their blog (which will most likely give you SEO points).
Remember that the underlying goal of SEO is to have more results online, and therefore blog commenting definitely fits with your underlying goal.
I guess I should write a post just about blog commenting! More to say.
Blog commenting is really a bust link these days as Google knows that they get spammed like crazy so that does not play into your favor. Using social media to gain traffic is much more better. Imagine the billions of people that use these social medias. 😀