Social Media Profile Checklist

So as we approach 2020, every business person truly knows the power of social media, for their businesses AND themselves, especially if you ARE your brand, which many solopreneurs are, or you are employed by a company. Who knows when your personal feeds are going to be checked out by future employees!

Step up your presence by following my 10 point checklist….

Follow these 10 steps to set up your social media profiles in a professional manner.

• Select your username. Ideally, this will be your name. Do not select something you like, such as TulipGirl197. Use your full name. Your username typically is also the URL of your social profile. Ideally, you want to keep your username the same across all the social networks.
• For Facebook, set up a professional page, not just a personal profile. So, for example, your Facebook page username should be www.facebook.com/yourfullname
• Select a secure password. Ideally, this password should be a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols that are impossible for anyone to guess. Don’t use an easily guessable password such as your last name or your birthday.
• Upload a professional headshot. Hire a photographer to take your headshot and ensure that it’s professional looking. I use a caricature out of choice as this is also my branding, but it’s up to you what you use
• Upload a cover photo. Your cover photo is the landscape photo that sits behind your profile photo. If possible, include your slogan that describes what your brand is about on the cover photo. Canva is a great tool that makes it really easy to add text to photos.On Facebook, you can also upload a video in place of your cover photo. This could be an opportunity for you to talk about your brand and the specific ways that you help people.
• Thoroughly fill out your “About” section. Include website links and your bio. You should also include your USP (Unique Service Proposition). Talk about your brand and specifically how you help people. Also, if you have space (it depends on the social network), tell the story of your business and how you arrived at where you currently are.
• Enter all your contact information. This should include your business email (not personal), website, business phone number, business address, and links to any other social media profiles that you have.
• Enter your resume (LinkedIn). Enter all the dates of your previous jobs, as well as the job you currently have. Also, enter your education, as well as any awards that you have received. Also, if you’ve been published in any high-profile outlets, remember to add those as well. This is your place to show off.
• Enable two-factor authentication to keep your profile safe. Two-factor authentication requires two different factors, such as a password and a pin from a text message, in order to login. Enabling two-factor authentication keeps your profile from being hijacked by hackers.
• Adjust your privacy settings so that everyone can see your account. Because your goal is to build your brand, you want as many people as possible to be able to see your account. Don’t keep it set to private. Allow anyone to see your profile and posts.