Building a Strong Social Media Profile

By Michelle Hacunda,

Digital Content Specialist,

University News at BSU

About Michelle Hacunda

My main responsibilities:

Improve and grow the university’s digital presence

Spot trends in the digital world and react to them

Work across functions to plan content strategy

@MichelleHacunda #bsulife

Goals for Our Session

Help you understand how to set up your account

Provide insight on social media security tips

Emphasize the importance of your bio & photo

So before we start…WATCH THIS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs

Setting up your account

Think about these two things:

What are you trying to do?

Who are you trying to reach?

Checklist for creating accounts

Dedicate one email address for organization

Fill out your social profiles completely, 100%

Be keyword specific always in your profile

Claim your usernames across channels

Think about profile photos, cover photos, etc.

Image size cheat sheet (Google)

Example of complete profile - Twitter

Twitter

Example of complete profile - Facebook

Facebook

Real Name or Fake Name?

Think about what you want to do on social media

Personal brand = real name

Online persona = alias name

*There are pros & cons to both approaches

Tips for staying secure online

Internet never forgets (realize this early on when sharing info)

Guard sensitive info when posting

Beware of con artists on networks

Set up login verifications for accounts

Be selective (who you add as a friend)

Examples of social scams

How to maintain security

Sign in and out of your accounts

Use a password on your devices

Put a Google alert on your name

Facebook: Know the tagging policies

Foursquare: Check in when you leave

Importance of your social bio

You can be creative, BUT…be precise

URL to your website or related account

Basic spelling is important for credibility

It’s a conversation…not all about you

Paint the full picture of who you are

Best Practices for Bio Descriptions

Changing your profile pictures

High quality photo that represents you

Be consistent across all social channels

Make photo easy for users to find

Posture speaks volumes about you

Keep the photo’s background simple

Consistency in profile photos

On a final note…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA