January 30, 2017 | Magnetic Leaders
As Independent Nikken Consultants look to social media to grow their business, professional etiquette comes to question. A generous application of common sense can guide anyone into deciding whether their existing personal profile should represent their business, but some objectivity from an outsider never hurts.
So let’s explore the basics!
If you already know you don’t want to draw your market to your personal life, you will need to create professional channels across your choice of social media platforms. Facebook offers business pages which can be managed from your personal profile without exposing it. You don’t need a profile to open and manage a business page, but those who are less savvy with managing Facebook advertising campaigns can benefit from supplementing their business page with a profile since profiles reach a broader audience. This also allows you to join, utilize, and network in group pages.
If you don’t mind drawing your market to your personal profile, be sure that your posts fit their interests and aren’t arguable. Unless religion, political movements, and controversial causes are a part of your business, avoid engaging these topics. Remember, even if you like or comment someone else’s post, you are leaving a digital footprint that can be traced – especially on Facebook.
Limit expressing strong or offensive opinions, even if they’re relevant to your business. Consider a salon owner posting a humorous meme that pokes fun at women whose eyebrows are painted on or who use ‘box dye’. She may be having a bit of fun pointing out a stylist’s challenges, but she has unwittingly turned paying customers away. Keep your focus on the benefits of your service or product. Your professional page should never double as a sounding board.
Use a nice face shot for your profile image or a branded graphic. Interchanging between the two is also a good idea as long as consistency is maintained. Avoid using selfies, low resolution images, and use good sense in general. You want to be recognized and remembered.
Write a bio that highlights your background and what you offer. If you are on Twitter, use #hashtags in your bio. Keep it short and to the point. For more tips on writing a bio, read ‘Writing An Effective Bio’ on Magnetic Leaders Blog Spot.
So when is it advantageous to use your personal profile for business purposes?
If you want to market to your existing friends/followers and your conduct on your profile is geared to attract the results you want, then it might be a good idea to put your personal profile to use. If you are an Independent Nikken Consultant, you should be showcasing the product on your personal profile as a way to attract buyers in addition to a professional suite of social media pages, but you should never draw your market to a profile that does not represent you as a professional they can trust and want to do business with.
If you are new to Facebook and only looking to build a social media presence for business purposes, then resist using the profile to engage in online conversations that you wouldn’t want a potential customer to see. Limit what you do to the message of your brand and service, and speak to a general audience.
Social media is a tool that if put to the right use can yield surprising results. Do your homework, and put some good thought into how you present yourself online. Your success will depend on your consistency, your strategy, and a polished presence.