Customize Social Media Profiles to Win Social Fans

Marketing is all about reaching out and forming a connection. Whatever product you market and whoever you target (e.g., youth, mothers, honeymooners, local businesses, big corporations, etc.), it’s all about people. This is why social media is important. It allows you to have a direct dialogue with those who matter to you. As Kelly has noted, social media might influence different categories of business in different ways but there is no question that they do influence.

With that in mind, how do businesses build and customize their social media profiles to stand out and attract “key decision makers” and “influencers”? Brands need to create images that are transparent, inspire trust and allow open communication. The first step is building customized social media profiles that provide insight to the actual businesses.

Here are some examples how you can keep your social media profile fresh, leverage the latest platform designs and support larger brand objectives.

Spruce up Google Plus profiles:

Use Google+ plugins: Tell your website visitors that you're on Google+ with the Google+ badge and let them follow you with a single click. You can also help them quickly recommend your brand and content with the help of +1 button. Mashable experienced a jump in followers after rolling out the Google+ badge on its homepage, which increased its Google+ page audience by 38 percent. Mashable also uses the +1 button on articles and across the site to empower sharing on Google+.

Upload high-resolution cover photos: The Google+ design requires an image size of 480×270 pixels. A high-resolution picture enhance the images of brands and a short and smart tagline sets the right mood for the audience.

Post content for maximum visibility: As Google+ is all about visual appeal, post updates, blog posts, promotions and more with images and/or videos. Make sure you select “public” for all posts, so they’ll be visible to everyone. Updating your page regularly with new inputs increases your chances of high ranking in Google searches.