These days, social media is ubiquitous. For many professionals, it is a powerful tool for businesses and sole traders alike to market themselves and their products to a wide audience all around the globe. Putting yourself out there in the social media space can seem intimidating at first, especially if it’s part of your career, but having an online presence may be crucial for you to get your foot in the door in your industry. No matter what industry you’re in, there’s a niche for it in the social media sphere. Let’s go over some tips for how you can build the professional social media account of your dreams.
1. Have a purpose in mind
The first thing you should do is to determine what you are looking to achieve. Entrepreneur and business coach Simon Sinek famously said that it’s advantageous to think of the “why” behind doing things as it will make every action you take more intentional and goal-driven. If you find it difficult to narrow in on your vision and purpose for establishing your professional social media account, try a make a moodboard of images or words to brainstorm your ideas. Are you looking to make your brand based on your personality, or are you looking to market your product? After completing this step, the next four steps will flow easily.
2. Think about the vibe you want to put out into the social media landscape
Another question that you must have in mind when utilising social media, is “who is your audience?” Are you looking to cater to a specific age range, profession, or region? For example, if you are someone who is looking to market your skills, then an Instagram profile can be beneficial for you in bringing in an audience.
If you are someone who is more into creating a brand based on your personality, then TikTok might be the platform for you. If you are working within the business, technology, STEM, or economics sphere, then LinkedIn might be where you find your network. All in all, the most important thing to take from this tip is to consider who you want to reach and how they can access your product or service, and target your content output from that perspective.
3. Make the most of the algorithm
Depending on the social media platform of choice, you may find yourself up against the ins and outs of an algorithm. Whilst the algorithm of particular platforms like Instagram and Facebook tend to be elusive as to how it works and what makes certain posts have a wide reach, there are some clear pointers for how to ensure that your posts can be out in the world of social media. Try to maintain an “aesthetic” to your content, but don’t let it restrict your creativity! Certain colours and fonts, like muted colours, have been proven to not overwhelm the user browsing your content and are more accessible. The algorithm is mysterious, but you can make it work for you!
4. Data is king
It’s always more motivating to pursue your dream career when you can see real, tangible results through feedback. One of the greatest things about having a presence on social media is that it comes with its own analytics either through the means of “Likes” “Shares” and “Saves”, but you can have access to more in-depth data about the content you’re sharing. Instagram and Facebook both have built-in analytics tools that you utilise as well. If YouTube is your jam, then YouTube Analytics can show you data about your viewers – where they are watching, the age range and gender of your viewers, and the “Likes” and “Dislikes” – very clear metrics you can use to guide you in building success on social media.
5. Engage with your audience
People love to feel like they are part of a community. This feeling is infectious and it carries over from real life to the social media sphere. Engaging with your audience on your social media platform of choice can. It doesn’t have to be very in-depth – liking comments or commenting on your network’s posts can show that there is a real person behind the account and not just a soulless figure. Remember – you can still be professional and have boundaries with your audience on social media while engaging with them in a friendly and respectful manner!
Social media is an extremely powerful platform for you to advertise your business, services, or products. Social media boasts a wide range of users and you are sure to connect with a community who believes in your message. It doesn’t really matter what the platform is, be it Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Threads or even LinkedIn, but it always counts to have a savvy approach to maintaining a professional account.
If you want some more tips of how to make your mark in your industry of choice, take a browse through our blog or have a look at the current vacancies for internships with Premium Graduate Placements.
