A profile on major social media channels can be a huge boost for your company’s brand—if you use it correctly. If it’s been awhile since you evaluated your LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Crunchbase profile, it’s time to evaluate what’s there, make changes and update the company information.

Follow these tips to create a more powerful company profile.

Pay Attention to the Basics

You’re looking at your Crunchbase profile and find a glaring inaccuracy. The phone number is wrong. How long has your profile been wrong? How many potential customers or investors have you lost because they couldn’t reach you?

You’re probably kicking yourself right about now, but you can’t change the past. The future’s in your hands, however, so fix the phone number right now. And, while you’re at it, take a critical view of the entire listing. Does your listing, as this LBF Travel profile does, explain your company’s place in its industry and distinctly describe its function and services for customers? Is it categorized correctly? If not, fix it.

And while you’re at it, make sure you’ve linked your other social network channels, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter in the appropriate field. You’re building a brand. Connecting your social media accounts adds continuity and helps you build a strong online presence.

Take Advantage of What Social Media Network Offers

Online business profiles are not a one-size-fits-all concept. Each channel has its own unique purpose and targets different segments. So to reap the rewards, you have to gear your profile to fit each channel’s users. Of course, your brand—your logo, company colors, company name and specific detail—should remain consistent throughout. But your content should target the most likely channel user.

ALSO READ  How to keep a millennial in the workplace

For example, Crunchbase is where investors come to search for leads and possible prospects. Numbers and company details matter here. Your Facebook focus, however, should be on customers. LinkedIn is ideal for networking and finding talented people to add to the team. Twitter is great for product and service announcements. Make sure your business profiles target the specific audience most likely to use the specific network.

Let Them See Who’s Behind the Curtain

The beauty of doing business online is you can reach customers and investors, find colleagues and talent and network on a global scale. The downside of this, however, is the human factor often gets lost behind a corporate brand. That’s why it’s so important to use your online business profiles to include the people behind the brand.

Business profiles, particularly on LinkedIn and Facebook, also give you the chance to tell the story of your company. In the designated section, explain how and why the business was founded and what the business does differently from others in the industry.

Your business story should not read like a resume. Write it in the first person in a conversational style. Business profiles on social media channels are all about making connections with people and building trust.

Business Profile Tips You Can Use

In addition to updating your business profiles and writing effective summaries and descriptions, there are actions you can take to get even more out of your listings. Follow these tips for better management and greater returns.

    • Add videos and graphics: Users are much more likely to read and interact with a business if the profile includes related graphics and videos. Graphics may include photos of staff, products and accomplishments. Videos may include behind-the-scenes activity, how-to information and welcoming  words from the CEO.
    • Write and upload high-quality content related to your business: Avoid hard-sell language in your business profiles. Instead, build your reputation as an industry expert with supplemental information. For example, if you sell flooring, articles about how to choose the right floor and how to keep new floors clean is exactly the type of information customers or potential customers want. They now see you as an expert and are more likely to purchase from you than someone else.
    • Write strong headlines with keywords in mind: Headlines for your profile as well as any content should not only be powerful and make people want to learn more, but should also incorporate an SEO phrase or two as well. In doing so, you’re not only building a reputation with people, but making it easier for search engines to find you.
ALSO READ  Searches for local volunteering opportunities have increased 124% in one year — is the UK becoming more charitable?

 

  • Make the time: Devise a plan to not only update your business profile often, but time your content uploads. Think of your business profile as an opportunity instead of a chore. It takes work, but effective social media profiles are key to building a trusted online reputation as well as a strong company brand.