It’s easy to get lazy with the upkeep and appearance of so many of our various and vast social media accounts. Why worry when posts are here one moment and buried beneath new posts moments later?
Answer: two things. The internet is forever. Anything you post, even if you delete it, can often be linked back to you — so make your posts count. And secondly, social media is about now. Posts and tweets must be frequent, topical, and interesting — or else you’re doing it wrong. A boring, outdated Twitter or Facebook account is almost worse than none at all.
Think of it this way: Every day you comb your hair and brush your teeth, even though the effects of grooming are transient. Think of posting as something that must be done. So post and tweet frequently! To your online audience, which likely numbers in the thousands, your Facebook page and posts are you — so liven it up!
Cover Photo:
Design something exciting and relevant for your Cover Photo – I know many of you were resistant to Timeline but it’s here and you have to admit, it provides some fantastic space to show off visually. So whatever you do – do not leave that space blank! Visitors will be met with a huge blank space on your page – and most likely the impression that you aren’t tech-savvy, proactive, or up-to-date.
Profile Picture:
For companies, the biggest mistake I see is not using the company logo as a profile picture. Use your company logo as your profile picture! Although it is tempting to be creative with this space – this is NOT the place to do it. When your business pops up in your followers’ feed, you want it to be instantly recognizable. Perhaps a museum might be tempted to fill this space with a photo of a dinosaur, but for someone quickly scrolling down their feed, they may just mistake the poster as their 12-year-old nephew.
Posts:
If you really want to start gaining attention for your account you should post an image to accompany every post. Yes – that’s right. EVERY POST. With Timeline allowing more real estate for images, there is no better way to grab someone’s attention for your post, links, and articles than to pair them with an interesting and relevant image.
Extra Credit:
Keep page visitors’ attention with custom pages. Custom pages now allow you the full 1,000 pixels to create fun activities or unique content for a follower. Design a custom page that entices visitors to like your page, leave comments, share photos, or even play an interactive game. Don’t be afraid to be creative! If you can dream it – someone can certainly develop it! Be sure when your page is in place to make and eye-catching thumbnail for your Facebook landing page so people will be sure to explore your new custom page.
