( Cross Posted From The All Facebook Blog )
We all want to express our individual selves, be it in person or online. Here are 7 guidelines to establishing your very own personal brand on Facebook.
We all want to express our individual selves, be it in person or online. Here are 7 guidelines to establishing your very own personal brand on Facebook.1. Be True To Yourself
Posts and photos that illustrate your well-rounded life offer others an instant glimpse into your own personal brand.
However, you don’t have to use the social platform as a tell-all. Just as it is in real life, a little information well said goes a very long way. Don’t shout out everything you’re doing. After all, most social media users are discussing life, not walking into a crowded room and shouting out their life story.
Also, your virtual and real lives should be in sync. If you’re a jokester in real life, follow true on Facebook; established friends need to recognize you, too.
2. Develop A Following
Reach out to your existing circle of friends by liking what they do. It shows support and usually, they’ll return the favor. If they’re really following you, a pattern will emerge weaving together your activities, photos, slogans and other content that sharpens their perception of you.
It’s a good way to develop friendships that have languished for a while and develop a support system in case you have to look for a job or need a reference.
3. Keep Your Friend Numbers In Line
The number of friends should represent what you want your personal brand to say. If you’re interested in a very high number, you’re showing a propensity to gather a crowd, but can you manage them all and stay close?
A recent study cited by Good Mobile Phones of 1,500 users showed that 60 percent of users don’t know one fifth of the contacts listed as friends. Conversely, maintaining a reasonable number of friends says you’re interested in quality relationships and that you’ll take the time to appreciate what each has to offer.
4. Refresh Your profile
Usee a profile picture that really represents who and what you are. This is the first thing visitors see when they visit your page and it also shows up in Google searches, so make sure it’s a good one… and good means different things to different folks.
Refresh often through new posts, stories and photos. Stick to a specific schedule on posting and change it up by using pictures that are unexpected, funny and different from the same old, “here we are at Thanksgiving dinner.” Give visitors a chance to stick around.
Remember, when they’re on your page, it’s as though they’re in your home or place of business. You want them to feel welcome.
5. Get Out There… Or Not
Make a decision as to how much time you’ll spend hooked into the social grid. It’s somewhat impossible to simply go away these days, but if you decide upfront how available you’ll be to everyone, it will dictate how much time you spend on your Facebook presence.
Whether you’re a professional out of work or just making your presence known, the social media sector is moving forward, with or without you. It’s interesting to note here that potential employers and graduate schools utilize social media as a means to evaluate you.
According to one study, up to 15 percent of business and law schools use some or all of your social media criteria to determine whether they let you in as a student.
University of Maryland researchers were able to predict a person’s score on a personality test within 10 percentage points, based simply on activities, quotes, music and what political organizations they admired.
6. Don’t Be Manic
Some people post so many daily activities that you begin to wonder if they’re living a 27-hour day rather than the 24 other mere mortals have to spend. It’s not a laundry list of what you’re doing. Social media butterflies carry the same unbearable lightness of being that real life social butterflies do.
7. Protect Your Personal Brand From Bullies
If and when you see negative posts on your page, stay calm and don’t give the bullies the attention they’re craving.
Deal with it on Facebook just like you would in person — with a clear head and no buy-in to the negativity game. Make a decision to either confront the individual or remove the post. Either method is right, if it’s right for you.
Remember, you’re leaving a life-long trail, so blaze one that makes you proud, but is intriguing enough for others to follow.