As almost everyone knows, social media is a huge part of our lives, both personally and professionally. Whether you’re in the job searching process or just want to maintain a professional social media presence, there are best practices to utilize for success.

There are many benefits of social media, the main one being the ability to communicate and connect with so many people.  In today’s world, social media can truly help you grow personally and professionally, as long as you’re utilizing it with professionalism and skill.

Give a Status Update

Especially when utilizing LinkedIn, the most professional social network, be sure that you’re updating professionally and frequently. Whether you use the brief status update tool or the publisher tool for longer posts, create your updates consistently. Keep your updates professionally-focused and relevant to your business or area of interest.

By posting updates that provide value, information, and solid content for your followers, you’re establishing yourself as an expert in your given area, while also providing your audience with a great reason to follow you. Giving value to your followers is a much better way to sell, show your expert status, and keep your readers interested in what you’re doing.

Keep it Professional

It’s best to keep your Facebook page informal but professional.  While you can certainly keep personal photos, information, and status updates, be sure that all information is kept at a professional level that would be okay if viewed by potential employers.

Facebook and Twitter are excellent places to share your life and personality, but since we’re in the workplace, it has to remain professional as well.  Also, business information on a small scale is okay, but if you have your own business that you’d like to post about daily, create a separate Facebook business page to keep audiences separate.

For professionalism on LinkedIn, utilize a professional headshot.  While you don’t need to go to an actual professional photographer for the photo, you can use a sophisticated headshot.  Dress nicely and have a friend take your photo on a neutral backdrop.  There are numerous resources online for sample headshots and examples of what to wear for your photo.

Have a Professional Name

If you’ve had the same email address since middle school, it’s time for an upgrade! It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, something such as your firstname.lastname@domain.com is perfect. Do your best to keep it easy, memorable, and of course – clean and professional.

Once your email address is professional, use that email address signature to place your social networks. Place social media icons along with links to your different pages, as this encourages contacts to add you elsewhere, expanding your connections and business network.

Up to Date

On all of your social networks, it’s important to keep all information up to date. Even on Facebook, do your best to keep job positions up-to-date, and fill in relevant information whenever possible.

Although we don’t typically view Facebook as a job lead source, it can be! Sometimes recruiters contact people via Facebook due to their jobs, so keep them updated, especially if you’re in the market for a new job.

(Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)