“An image is not simply a trademark, a design, a slogan or an easily remembered picture. It is a studiously crafted personality profile of an individual, institution, corporation, product or service.” ~ Daniel J. Boorstin
Your social media profiles form the gateway to your online presence. Profiles are your identity. A compelling profile spiced up with just the right amount of personality and joie de vivre beckons your audience to come inside for a look around, a friendly chat and a cup of Joe. Every action you take online makes up your social profile, from posting photos, comments and blog articles, to the videos uploaded to your YouTube account. But your official social media profiles for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms are your first point of contact with your audience. And you need to make them shine with authority and personality, using compelling text, images and media. Even business profiles can benefit from a little pizzazz.
Wow Your Audience With Facebook Applications
Applications provide creative ways to let your freak flag fly. Start by perusing Facebook’s application dashboard. PicBadges provide a free and easy way to adorn your profile photo with colorful badges that promote campaigns, events, causes and personal brands. You can add a tagline, a call to action and a provocative title. The sky is the limit! Apps can add sparkle and interest to your Facebook presence. And there are thousands of innovative third-party Apps to take for a spin. Try adding a customized banner to replace the lineup of recently tagged photos that adorns your profile, using FBanners. Instant pizzazz!
Information Week recently reported on the top Facebook Apps that help businesses and individuals boost their social connections. Some of the more intriguing Apps, include Pagemodo Pagebuilder, a free tool to create jazzy Facebook pages using pre-designed templates and Kremsa, a free Facebook poll App to engage your audience with fun and wacky polls.
Winning Twitter Backgrounds
Twitter profiles are somewhat limited, but savvy users have learned to add customized backgrounds for an extra dose of personality, visual interest and actionable text. You don’t need to be a graphic arts expert to create an engaging background. Numerous applications make it a breeze. MyTweetSpace offers a selection of free themes and badges, as well as personalized options for a small fee. TwitBacks offers dozens of free templates, with the option of uploading your own custom art. You can really go to town with your branding, by adding links to your social networks, contact information, logos and a personal photo to get the most bang for your buck. Bring out your inner artist and perk up your Twitter profile for maximum ROI.
Enrich You LinkedIn Profile
Like Facebook, the business-networking platform LinkedIn offers a slew of nifty tools and applications to add personality to your profile. Open up the gallery of LinkedIn applications and get cracking. Start by adding your blog content to your profile, using the Blog Link or WordPress Apps. This is a great way to stay connected with your audience through multiple channels. The Tweets App adds your tweets to your profile. Google Presentation is by far, the best App for adding color and visual interest to your LinkedIn profile. You can upload or create engaging, professional PowerPoint presentations that are directly embedded into your profile. My Travel is a fun, interactive way to share upcoming trips with your network, which opens up opportunities for face-to-face meetups. Try the Reading List by Amazon App. Not only does it create additional opportunities for engagement, the book graphics add color and interest to your profile page.
Remember, personality sells! And a little eye candy never hurts. Thankfully, there are numerous fun, yet professional ways to add personality to your social media profiles. With just a few little tweaks, your profiles can go from drab to fab in no time flat.
