Improve Your Social Media Profiles in One Hour or Less

Last Updated on April 24th, 2019 at 12:09 pm

improve your social media profiles

What? Improve your social media profiles — in one hour. Really?

Yup.

I get it—you are busy. Or maybe lazy (no judgment).

Either method, you have got posts to review, schedule, and post. Campaigns to declare, release, and handle. Emails to write and reply to. Countless deadlines for this and that.

And… a boss to please so they will feel at ease because ‘you got this’. So your brand shows up just right, for all of your social media profiles.

This guide is for you.

Each tip should take only a few minutes. Altogether, about an hour. Schedule it for this week. You could improve your social media profiles, right?

The clock’s a ticking… what are we waiting for?

1. Ensure you’re using the right size photos

So your brand face will look skilled and beautiful—no matter where you show up.

Optimize your profile photos on each network to improve your social media profiles. Often, this only takes a fast crop, which you could do in minutes.

Think about, too… where else these pictures may show up.

For example…

How will it look expanded? Or small, when showing up in people’s streams? How will it look on a desktop compared to mobile?

Each social network states the sizes of the optimal photo. Because they know all thy methods they will be seen. Trust them.

I will summarize a few because you’re on the clock.

  • Fb profile image: 170 X 170 pixels
  • Fb cover picture: 828 X 465 pixels
  • Twitter profile picture: 400 X 400 pixels
  • Twitter header picture: 1,500 X 500 pixels
  • Google+ profile image: 250 X 250 pixels (minimal)
  • Google+ cover picture: 1080 X 608 pixels
  • LinkedIn profile picture: 400 X 400 pixels (minimal)
  • LinkedIn custom background: 1584 X 396
  • LinkedIn cover picture: 974 X 330 pixels
  • LinkedIn banner picture: 646 X 220 pixels
  • Instagram profile image: 110 X 110 pixels
  • Pinterest profile image: 150 X 150 pixels
  • YouTube profile image: 800 X 800 pixels
  • YouTube cover picture: 2,560 X 1,440 pixels on desktop

2. Use the same profile picture on every network

Your brand logo or picture needs to be consistent across all networks to improve your social media profiles.

Hootsuite's Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn social media profiles all with the same logo

The more you appear the same in feeds across social media platforms, the more likely you will get and stay top-of-mind. People will consider you before your competitor once they need your services or products.

However, when you use different images and logos you will dilute your brand’s visual identity (and recognizability).

3. Ensure your handles are consistent, too

For images, appearing consistently increases brand recognition.

Same for handles. Also… it makes it simpler for others to search and find you.

Want to raise the chances for people mentioning your brand? And, help them find and follow you?

Then make it obvious when they type the ‘@’ sign.

With an easy handle, as close to your personal or brand name as possible.

Twitter window with multiple @Hootsuite handles

Just about every social media platform drops down a listing in place to help you be clicked.

Now how will you appear in such a listing with a mishmash of name, city, place, and any other secret codes? That may work for 007, however, you aren’t in the spy game, you are in the buying game.

4. Untag yourself from bad images and inappropriate posts

Tags are good for talking with more followers to improve your social media profiles. If used right.

However, when you are tagging inappropriate images or posts, you will look like a beginner, instead of a pro. You may face legal woes too.

So… two approaches to be sure you’re utilizing tags greatest.

Check your photo tag settings

Ensure that your settings align with your social media policy.

For your networks you could do a few of the following:

  • See where you have been tagged
  • See who can see your tagged images and posts
  • Approve images you have been tagged in before they appear
  • Remove tags from unwanted images and posts
  • Restrict who could tag you in images

Check each network for what is available for your strategy.

Review tags regularly

Make a routine to check and review the posts you are tagged in. Then untag yourself from any bad images or inappropriate posts.

You may ask. why not just shut down tagging?

As a result of:

  • It’s like listening to your identity known as out from the group
  • Tags elicit a response from others
  • You possibly can bounce into pertinent conversations
  • You’ll present up in additional locations

Tags exist for these causes, so don’t lower your self or model off from being seen extra.

5. Be discoverable in a search

Use the right keywords in your profile to be found for your business, industry, or niche to improve your social media profiles.

When people do web searches, you want your brand logo to show up above the fold.

It’s simple (and quick) to add the right words to your social profile.

Here are a few methods:

Identify the right keywords

Find out what people seek for most when looking for professionals in your area. Keyword tools such as SEMrush and Google Keyword Planner will assist identify the right words and terms.

Use those keywords

Update your social media profiles with the words and phrases identified above.

For: LinkedIn job title, description, experience, and skills sections. Do the same type of factor for all of your social accounts. In your bio, for images, interests and more.

Do not just stuff a list of keywords into these sections.

Work them in naturally, like how you talk. The search engine gods will reward and rank you higher. So you will show up, not down, the outcomes page.

6. Fill in every field

While you are including keywords to your profile, be sure that all of the fields are filled in.

Why?

So readers will not perceive you as unprofessional and lazy.

And do not write gibberish. Write succinct and clear sentences, explaining…

  • What you or your brand does
  • What people who follow you may expect to see
  • Perhaps even a clear call-to-action for what they need to do next (however that’s outside this hour of energy)

Make your phrases participating, too, not boring.

Additionally, check this over time. Social networks remove, add, and update fields.

7. Cross promote

There is probably a field ‘Website” to improve your social media profiles.

Most people enter their site. Makes sense, right?

However, you could do better. Use this field to link to your other social profiles—as another form of cross-promotion.

  • Fb permits you to add multiple site fields
  • LinkedIn permits you to add your Twitter account
  • Pinterest permits you to connect to Fb and Twitter

For the social networks that provide you with only a single “website” field, mix it up. State a current landing or promo page. Or a new downloadable guide. Update and change it around over time.

8. Test your links

Hey, when you are in there updating your links—ensure they work, too.

Typos occur. It takes just a sec or two to test them. Otherwise, you will confuse users and look lame. And worse, not get these cross-promotion advantages.

Test every link on every profile.

That’s it. Next…

9. Build social trust

How? By asking friendlies for reviews, endorsements, and recommendations.

This consists of friends, family, past and current clients.

It shows others you have succeeded. Readers trust that more than an advert.

You will not get all these up on your profiles in an hour. That is about asking.

Here are a couple of methods.

Use LinkedIn’s endorsements section. People could click to endorse your skills.

Even more highly effective are LinkedIn recommendations. If you do ask for these (and you need to) make it simpler for them.

“Hey Joe, it was great working together on our last project. Think you may write a recommendation for my part? If so, right here’s a couple of questions to make it simple for you.”

  • What talents, abilities, & characteristics describe me?
  • What successes did we experience together?
  • What I’m good at?
  • What could be counted on?
  • Are there any other distinguishing functions you think I possess?
  • What was my impact on you?
  • What was my impact on the company?
  • How did I change what you do?
  • What’s one factor you get with me that you could not get anywhere else?
  • What are 5 words that describe me?

Pro tip: Give love, too. Use these questions to write advice for somebody, without them even asking.

For Fb pages, use their visitor post section. So people could highlight the great work you’ve done.

For Twitter, pin positive tweets to the highest of your stream. This permits you to control what visitors see once they first arrive.

There’s plenty of goodness you may create for you and your brand in a few minutes.

10. Pin your best content to the top of your profile

More about pins.

Not like other posts, pinned one’s stay put. They’re the first things people see when looking you up. Twitter, Fb, and LinkedIn support pinning.

Pinned tweet on @Hootsuite

That is your opportunity to showcase your greatest work. Choose wisely. Maybe a key message, a new landing page, a hot offer, or a cool video? Take advantage of pinning.

How did that go?

Did you get all these done in an hour?

However, I do know it was still worth your time. Feels good, right, to have all of your social profiles tidy and optimized for your business. I bet your boss will improve your social media profiles, too.

Share this post