Have You Checked Your Social Network Profiles Lately? 7 Tips for Those Enhanced Profile Pages

In the last few months, three major social network platforms in the b-to-b space (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) have offered enhanced profile page options.

(When you work for a few b-to-b clients like I do, one can spend an awful lot of time thinking about this minutiae each week.)

By enhanced profile page options, think in these terms ... each one of the platforms offers more availability for business-to-business marketers to:

• upload images
• provide product details
• create company timelines
• link to blog posts
• link to videos
• link to webcasts, other multi-media
• provide product reviews, recommendations, endorsements
• more stuff I’ve probably missed

To be honest, these changes are a lot to keep up with, and there are certainly changes I’ve missed.  Some good background on the LinkedIn company pages can be found here. Profile tips and techniques to take advantage of the most recent Twitter changes can be found here.

7 BtoB Tips

With the expanded opportunities to post more content, graphics and multi-media, branding across all social media platforms, as well as a company’s website, becomes a key issue. 

It simply doesn’t pay to haphazardly update profile pages with a random assortment of content that doesn’t relate to other online marketing outlets.

In the spirit of best practices, please keep these 7 tips in mind when adding content, imagery and information to enhanced company profile pages:

1. Keep it Simple. While it's great to take advantage of the ability to post videos, timelines, webcasts, and add product descriptions, don't over-do it.  Online readers are an impatient lot, make it easy for them to browse your profile pages. 
2. Contact Info, People!  When updating social media profile pages, don’t forget the basics like company URL, email and phone number. Keep this info front and center! Yes, people still like to cut to the chase and call! PS, use the same phone number offered on the website contact us form. 
3. Spit & Polish. Get your graphic designer involved to optimize how graphics look, with consistent branding in terms of colors, fonts, look/feel.
4. Strategic Messages, People! Don’t waste words on cute phrases or ad copy – use keywords wherever possible when populating product pages and keep “Key messages” front and center. Use strategic hashtags in Twitter bios and profile descriptions.
5. Brand Consistency. Avoid the temptation to introduce new branding, new taglines or other new elements – instead, reinforce social media profile pages with the same, consistent branding on the company’s website.
6. Device, Browser Compatible? View a company’s Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn pages on various browsers or devices to make sure all looks well.
7. Return Often. Don’t set it and forget it, be sure to return to profile pages at least quarterly to take advantage of any recent enhancements.