Branding Your Social Media Profile (BSMP) is a new 1-on-1 program that helps brands bring their social media profile and presence to the next level. This series of articles is an introduction to some of the techniques and experiments that have been proven to make this underutilized real estate work for you. Brands and others looking for customized analysis and guidance specific to their profile(s) can register for 1:1 coaching here.
So far we have proposed ideas for leveraging YOUR** unique branding using underutilized real estate on your social media profile: your profile photos, extended name, profile description, hashtags, update line, the use of SMI (Social Media influencers), and even a URL in the profile. Now it’s time for me to show you how NOT to do it right…
1. Merchants – Two in the Wrong
Let me show you two examples of doing BSMP* the wrong way, this time from the merchant retail industry. I’m talking about The Vitamin Shoppe and its (somehow) competitor Walgreens.
*BSMP = branded social media profile, a term that was coined by… me.
For those that have read my BSMP series, or did a 1:1 session with me, I hope you can see the numerous mistakes on both profiles. Here are some radical mistakes:
❌ Don’t try to make yourself the hero, your audience is
❌ Consider adding one sentence that will create a dialogue
❌ Where are the hashtags?
❌ Walgreens is missing an update line. Vita’s update line sounds disconnected.
😞 Result:
Needs improvement. Likely leads to a very low engagement rate, as well as low interest.
2 – Merchants – Two in the Right
To compare, see their competitors that, while they do not have perfect BSMPs, they did do some things right:
Old Navy did well on BSMP: they’ve managed to tell their story AND update line via hashtags, short sentences, and (xmas for e.g.) emojis.
As for Starbucks – they’ve managed to tell their story update via a URL, which is an awesome technique.
Do you see the big difference here?
😀 Results:
As a result, number of followers and engagement is way higher for those two than the previous two.
Pro Tip: You don’t need to have a perfect bio, but at least get your story right and make it interesting for people to come back…
What Do We Mean by YOU**
**YOU= Since it’s your name, it has to be…you. What I mean is that – yes, you can add attitude, special characters, emojis, a unique photo, wording, crazy URL, whatever, as long as it comes from you, and as long as it reflects your brand, who you are, and where you want to be. You should revisit this constantly, persistently, and methodically. If you need 1:1 personalized consulting on how to do this and what makes sense for your brand, you can sign up now.
Now it’s your turn, my heroes!
Branding Your #SocialMedia Profile (BSMP) Series: Your BSMP Bio Photo Your BSMP Extended Name Your BSMP One Sentence Wordings Your BSMP Hashtags Your BSMP Update Line Your BSMP URL How to optimize your “Branded Social Media Profile” area kick-ss CTAs for your branded social media profile Doing your profile the wrong way Coming soon: Your BSMP Emojis Your BSMP Location Your BSMP Social Media Influencer Private, personalized 1-on-1 consulting on YOUR social media profile strategy is available now.
Sincerely yours,
