Social Media Platforms to Optimize as you Build Your Personal Brand

Personal branding is crucial for all professionals because it boosts your reputation and helps build trust. Social media plays a significant role in personal branding efforts, so most executives, CEOs, and founders post on a range of networks.

Remember: you don’t have to post on all networks. Before you begin actively engaging on social media, look into where your target market spends the most time online. You’ll want to make sure you are engaging on the platforms your target demographic is the most active on.  For high-level personal branding efforts, most people try to be active on between two to five social media networks, but that is all dependent on the time and resources they have available. depending on time and resources.

If you’re wondering what the options are or just want an all-encompassing look at today’s most popular social media networks, here are six to consider when working to actively increase the visibility of your personal brand. 

1. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an absolute must for any professional. Get started by creating a profile that lets others know who you are. Be sure to also create a company profile if your business doesn’t already have one so you can add it to your profile.

To be recognized on Linkedin try to post at least once a week, but no more than five times a week. Consistency is crucial in growing connections, so you should post articles and engage with groups and connections regularly. Pick a schedule (daily or alternate days) and stick with it. 

2. Instagram

Instagram is a visual platform, so it’s important to come up with a personal branding strategy for sharing your expertise via photos, videos, and text captions. Create an Instagram account that is a blend between your personal and business life.

Founders should try to post on Instagram once or twice a day. Using hashtags is one of the best ways to help others discover your content. This generates new Instagram followers, potentially leading to new clients. Just be careful not to overuse hashtags, as your content may be mistaken for spam. Try to stay within 5-12 hashtags. ‘Liking’ and engaging with others’ content will also help increase your following.  

3. Twitter

Twitter is a powerful personal branding tool for startup founders. Nearly 40% of Twitter users say they’ve made a purchase as a direct result of a tweet from an influencer. Being active on Twitter every day is a good rule of thumb. One to five posts a day will increase your audience engagement dramatically.

Following people is one of the best ways to gain followers. It’s a good idea to follow at least two people a day in your industry, especially when you are first starting out. 

4. Facebook

Facebook is a popular social networking website where users can post comments and share all types of content, from photos to news. Keep your audience interested in your brand by sharing updates regularly. Posting once a day is ideal, but at least three times a week is fine and more manageable.

Inviting people to like your page is one of the easiest ways to increase your followers. You can also run Facebook ads and target your demographic by gender, age, or location. 

5. Medium

Medium is an online publishing platform where users can read and write articles. The website allows anyone to create content and establish their brand as an industry expert without dealing with the details involved in setting up their own blog. Use Medium to publish content focused on topics related to your brand or business. Plan a consistent blogging schedule, whether it’s once a week or once a month, to ensure you stay relevant and grow your audience.

6. Pinterest

Start growing your personal brand on Pinterest by setting up a business account, which is necessary to track analytics. Be sure to confirm your website so your Pinterest picture will automatically appear on all pins from your site. The main goals of your profile are to drive traffic to your site, store all original pins from your site, and appear credible and knowledgeable.

Pin consistently to build your personal brand and increase website traffic. Pinning a handful of times every day or every other day will be more effective than mass pinning once a week.