Treat Your Social Media Presence to a Tune-Up

Your social media strategy is at the heart of your success as a professional communicator. A social media marketing plan, a thing unheard of fifteen years ago, is now de rigeur for successful PR, for information sharing, and even for finding a new job in the industry. Establishing a vibrant online presence is only the first step, and you're all but certain to make a few mistakes along the way. Here's how to give your social media strategy the kind of tune up that will get you the attention you need as a serious communications professional.

First, there's no substitute for good content. Without good, clean copy in every post, all the tricks in the world will leave your social media strategy holding an empty sack. Go through your existing social media marketing plan, check up on your Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest accounts, and proofread every line. Make sure that your pictures and videos are within the recommended parameters. If a post could stand revision, revise it immediately. If a tweet is boring or contains something your target audience might find offensive, delete it. Remember that a new client or employer is likely to see your entire history, and it's just as easy to strike a false note with a post from six months ago as it is to stumble during a job interview.

Also important is to write engaging content. Add new posts, pictures, and videos frequently. Remember that you're aiming for fresh, engaging content that will make potential customers, clients, or employers want to follow your feed. Even if your current prospects decide against hiring you, making eager followers of them will keep you in mind for the next job.

Another key element in a successful social media strategy is consistency. Irregular communications can create a disconcerting effect on your followers, and few things are as irregular as internal inconsistency. Regularly compare your tweets with your status updates on Facebook. Comb through every element of your social media strategy and check for disagreement and contradictions. If your LinkedIn profile has a set of dates that aren't in agreement with your Facebook timeline, you have to assume that will be noticed by someone. It's best to catch the inevitable little slips and fix them before a client does.

A social media strategy is only as successful as the attention it attracts. As a professional communicator, you already know the value of a large audience. Getting that audience—and keeping it—is essential. Try adding "like" and "share" buttons to every post, so your Facebook readers will be able to share your work through their own network of social media profiles. This is where a consistent online presence really comes in handy, as your most devoted followers work to share your posts, videos, and tweets across multiple platforms.

Your online presence is, in many ways, all you are to most people. Companies and individuals who might never know you in any other way may become intimately familiar with your insight, opinions, and personality through your social media strategy alone. Taking care to upgrade and extend that strategy with an eye toward improving your prospects is one of the best favors you can do for yourself.

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