So, you have a dozen social media accounts, but do you know how to use them well? Social media networks are a great place to connect with friends, family, and even network with other people in your industry. In order to make the best use of social media that you can, you need to be smart about how and what you post.
Some social media networks make it easier to have only one account. On Pinterest, for example, you can make separate boards and people can follow the boards they like and ignore the ones they don’t. On Twitter, you have one feed, so you have to be careful about what you post. Today, I am going to share with you what I have learned from using social media both for personal and professional reasons.
PERSONAL
Most likely, you have a few social media accounts that you use for personal stuff. These accounts are where you connect with friends and family and keep them updated. You might post an update every now and then about professional (such as blog or business) related things that seem relevant.
Facebook
I use Facebook primarily as a personal social network. Most of my friends and family members have a Facebook account, so I can post updates about my life and more personal things in general there. Facebook is my oldest social media account, but I still keep up with it so that I can stay updated on what my friends and family are doing.
Snapchat
I have recently been getting into Snapchat, and I post pretty regularly on there now. I love using it to post funny things that happen throughout my day that don’t necessarily warrant a whole post on Facebook. I can be a bit more personal, but I still try to remain professional, since I do have a public account.
PROFESSIONAL
Unless you have a business or are working for a business where you need to manage a professional social media account, you probably don’t think all that much about using social media for professional reasons. You totally should, though. Social media is an important part to networking, especially if you want to have a career in the online world.
Facebook
Yes, I also use Facebook for professional stuff, but in a different way. I have my own Facebook page for my blog and business, which I tend to neglect, but I need to work on updating it more. It is the page where I have the least following, so I need to build that following first. I also love Facebook groups. They are a great place to ask questions about things related to blogging and business, and just questions about your industry in general. Finding Facebook groups that you like is a good idea if you want to learn a lot and get more involved in your industry.
Instagram
I mostly use Instagram for professional promotion, but I am more personable there than I am on my blog. I don’t really post a ton of personal pictures, but every once in awhile, you can find one. I used to use Instagram as a personal account, but I don’t know a ton of people in my life who use it, so I found that it wasn’t really benefiting me in that way. For my blog, I post behind the scenes pictures as well as a few day in the life things when I see fit.
BOTH
You might think I’m a little crazy for sharing a social media account for my life and biz, but I think that it can work if you do it well.
Twitter
I do post some personal updates on Twitter, because I know a decent number of my friends are on there, but I also like to post blog and business updates, too. I have a public account, so anyone can follow me. For this reason, I try to keep my location pretty private, but I will post tweets regarding my university (very occasionally). I also like participating in Twitter chats. It is a great way to get your name out there, plus like Facebook groups, it is a great way to connect with people and get questions answered!
Pinterest
Pinterest is literally a blogger’s best friend. Do not neglect Pinterest if you are a blogger. I started out, as with most other social media, using Pinterest for myself and the few friends on there. Now, I use it to promote my blog and biz, too! In order to clear up my account, I did make some of my out-of-niche (non college, blog, or otherwise related) boards private. I can still see them, but you will not be able to see these boards if you go to my profile.
Snapchat?!
I know, I know. I listed Snapchat under personal, but I am starting to post more about my blog, and am starting to promote my Snapchat. I post daily fun pictures on there, and sometimes they might include blog previews that I won’t post anywhere else, even Twitter or Instagram! So, follow me if you want these exclusive updates: HannahHaefele
So, what does this mean? Social media is a great thing, but you need to be smart when using it. I know some bloggers prefer to make separate accounts for their blogs so that their personal friends don’t get too annoyed. I understand this, and maybe I will make separate accounts in the future, but right now, I see no need. I love being personable on social media, because I can show people that I am a real person. I am not just some random blog post that you may come across.
Do you have separate personal and professional social media accounts or do you combine them? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter: @HannahHaefele
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