How to Add Polish to a Social Media Presence
- Engage in Conversation
- Remain Polite
- Focus on Content
- Write Properly
- Be Real
Maintaining a polished social media presence is increasingly important for both individuals and companies. Social media is the public face of an individual or an organization, and the tips below can help maintain that public face while attracting followers and interaction.
You may also like: Top 25 Best Sports Management Bachelor’s Degree Online Programs
1. Engage in Conversation
Some people mistakenly approach social media as though it is a megaphone, a one-way advertising vehicle from which announcements are made. It is better to think of it as a medium for conversation and genuine connection with other people. People can do this both by being a conversation starter, asking questions that will get followers talking and by engaging in conversation with others. In this way, social media is not very different from a social or business gathering in which a person circulates and chats with others.
2. Remain Polite
Even when people are complaining or being difficult in some other way, it is important to remain polite, particularly important for a business or professional account which can turn customers or client complaints into an opportunity if handled correctly. Entrepreneur recommends that a business simply ignore or delete rude comments, but this advice can apply to any type of social media account. With some types of accounts, it may be appropriate to engage in debate, but this should still be done in a civil manner.
3. Focus on Content
Like conversation, content is also important for a polished social media presence. The content should be both interesting and varied in subject matter, length and tone. No one wants to follow a social media account that is content-free or one-note. What constitutes good content depends on the nature of the account and its purpose as well as the platform. For example, people might write professional articles on LinkedIn while a Twitter or Facebook account might have more informal content. It is also important to stagger the content so that followers are neither overwhelmed with too many posts nor wondering whether an account has been abandoned.
4. Write Properly
Correct grammar, spelling and sentence structure is critical for a polished social media presence. Everyone makes typos on tweets or posts sometimes, but these should be few and far between and corrected whenever possible. People should also aim for concision in writing. Followers do not want to read rambling, confusing posts that seem to have no focus.
5. Be Real
Some people may do all of the above but still find they are getting little interaction. Often, the reason for this may be that they do not seem genuine. A polished social media presence means striking a balance between being too serious and overly flippant. People should aim for humor, warmth, and sincerity as well as being informative.
Navigating social media can be tricky because it often conveys a false sense of intimacy. This can cause people to forget that it is actual a very public form of communication. Understanding how to create and maintain a polished social media presence can help avoid these types of missteps.
