Review your social media goals

What are your plans for social media? What do you want people to learn when they visit your profiles? What feeling do you want them to have? What do you want them to know about you — or NOT know about you? What do you want them to DO when they land on your website? Take the time to audit your profiles to ensure youâ€re putting out the right messages.

Ask a friend or a coach what they think when they visit your social media profiles and when they look at your streams of information. Make sure you aren’t missing the mark when it comes to shaping a reputation you want to own.

Google Yourself

At least a few times a year, you should Google your own name. You want to know what comes up when people search for you online. What pictures show up? Are they of you? Is there someone who has your name and comes up before you online, even in LinkedIn? Make a note of things that show up high in search, and make a point to spend extra time making those things the best they can be. (For example, LinkedIn likely comes up high in search. Manage your profile there first, before you spend time anywhere else online.)

Update Your Bios

When is the last time you reviewed your bios? Whether they are short (like Twitterâ€s) or longer (such as your LinkedIn Summary), now is the time to give them a once over. Make sure to include new accomplishments and look over your materials with fresh eyes to update them.

Be sure you keep everything consistently updated. If you update LinkedIn, be sure to also update your resume.

Once youâ€ve addressed the big picture: scrub your profiles!

Review your “tags”

Itâ€s a great idea to look into what photos youâ€ve taken over the past year and de-clutter. Be sure photos where other people tagged you are appropriate and speak to your brand. If not, find the “Untag” button. In Facebook, get started by “viewing your activity log.”

Un-follow

Is your LinkedIn feed getting too spammy? Are you tired of seeing the overly politically charged updates in Facebook? Weed out people you donâ€t want to hear from. In LinkedIn, you can block people (which means you wonâ€t see their updates, and they wonâ€t see your content, either). LinkedIn wonâ€t notify the blocked people! (Just click on the arrow next to the endorse button on their profile.)

In Facebook, if you donâ€t want to “unfriend,” people, you can unfollow and they wonâ€t be any wiser! Choose the  “following” button on the personâ€s Facebook page and select. “unfollow”

Disconnect from apps you arenâ€t using.

Have you given “permissions” to apps you donâ€t use anymore? Disconnect them!

In Twitter: go to settings and apps – disengage from anything youâ€re not using now.

In Facebook, find apps behind the Activity log button.

Change Your Passwords

Update and change your passwords.

If you have trouble keeping track of passwords, you can use a password management program such as LastPass. Also, be sure you are using your personal email for LinkedIn; itâ€s not a good idea to use a work email or an email you never check!

Manage your brand

How are you engaging?

Check how youâ€re engaging in your networks. For example: look along the left side of your Facebook profile – are there groups you arenâ€t using? Feel free to remove yourself.

How about LinkedIn groups? Did you join a bunch and never engage? Consider focusing on a few groups for the next few months.

If you use Twitter, click on settings, and check apps. You may want to revoke permissions for some if you are not using them.

Your visuals:

On one hand, a consistent photo makes it easy for people to follow you, but this is a good time to consider a change. IF you have a business, make sure you check your logos and other visuals to make sure they still fit and are on brand.

Your email addresses and notifications

Are you checking your LinkedIn email regularly? Sometimes, people forget what emails theyâ€ve listed for different networks, use a new email address and miss out on opportunities.

What now?

Now that everything is clean and tidy, commit to creating a stream of content that will demonstrate your expertise and grow your influence and presence in your field of choice!

The post How to clean up your social media accounts appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Think about it — if you have no picture, don’t you think people will wonder why?

Hereâ€s how to choose a photo for your LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other avatars:

1. Use a current, close-up picture of your face. Choose (or take) a close-up picture of your face. Dress professionally, so any clothing that appears in the picture enhances viewers’ impressions of you as someone they would want to hire. Avoid avatars including your dog, your fiance or your children.

There are other options for avatars — cartoons or illustrations, logos, QR codes — all are clever, but none are as personal as a picture of you.

2. Post a high-quality picture, taken in good light, and make sure itâ€s sharp and clear. Most avatars appear very small on screen. If the photo is taken in poor light or is at all blurry, it will not represent you well. Ideally, you’ll have a professional photo taken, but if thatâ€s not feasible, do your best to create as professional-looking a portrait as possible.

3. Pay attention to the background. Avoid distracting backgrounds. Make sure there isnâ€t anything too busy preventing people from focusing on you. Look at other avatars, especially if you use Twitter. Scrolling through, itâ€s always easier to identify avatars with where there is a sharp contrast between the subject and the background. You may want to create a backdrop to distinguish you from the crowd.

4. Donâ€t wear a distractingly large piece of jewelry or other accessory. You want people looking at your face, not the large, geometrical shapes dangling from your ears or neck. Sunglasses or a hat may have been the order of the day, but if no one can recognize you in your photo, itâ€s useless.

5. Evaluate the picture. In my book about social networking for career success, I suggest using a picture of you smiling, looking friendly and personable. If your picture resembles an ax murderer or someone you wouldnâ€t want to meet in a dark ally, donâ€t expect to garner many interview invitations.

6. Unless you are an actor or actress, thereâ€s no need for an overly dramatic pose. Try to appear as natural as possible, keeping in mind “natural” does not need to mean what you look like after a ball game. You may want to arrange to have your hair professionally styled or cut and consider having an expert apply makeup if you plan to wear it. You want the photo be be recognizably you, but you on your best day. (Note: if you post a new photo and everyone says it looks great, but they donâ€t recognize you—you need to start over!)

7. Choose an avatar and stick with it. Itâ€s easier for people to keep track of their social networking contacts when their avatars are similar across the board.

8. On LinkedIn, your picture may be a JPG, GIF, or PNG file. (File size limit is 4 MB). When you upload it, you have a choice to make it available to your connections, your network, or everyone. Select “everyone.” Remember, if people canâ€t see your avatar when they land on your profile, theyâ€ll wonder why not.

Following these tips will help you come across as professional and personal all at once, which can only help your chances of landing a job.

The post What’s the best avatar to use on social media? appeared first on Keppie Careers.