{"id":227,"date":"2016-07-28T09:43:04","date_gmt":"2016-07-28T09:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/socialmedia\/?page_id=227"},"modified":"2019-06-20T17:10:27","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T17:10:27","slug":"platforms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/socialmedia\/social-media-guidelines\/platforms\/","title":{"rendered":"Platforms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Platforms<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are loads of social media platforms to choose from. By now, you’ll hopefully have a really clear idea of the one that’s right for you and your audience.<\/p>\n

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Whichever it is, familiarise yourself with it. Dig around, watch what other people are doing with it, look for the FAQs and how-to sections (usually found via\u00a0the platform’s ‘help’ button) and speak to colleagues about it. Buffer has some really helpful resources<\/a> to help you get a feel for each social media platform.<\/p>\n

When you set up your account, make it really clear what it’s for. That planning you did earlier pays off now: your clearly-defined purpose outlines why your target audience should follow you. Put it in the bio.<\/p>\n

Your username should also represent who you are. If you’re a person, be that person. If you’re a team, call your account the name of the team. If it’s a community, or group of people, make the username about that community.<\/p>\n

But remember that, in general, people like to hear from other people. Acronyms and logos can be scary, faceless, or boring. It’s better to be human.<\/p>\n

What’s your profile photo? If your profile or cover photos don’t feature the people you’re talking about in the bio, it’s probably not the best representation. Ask someone to take a photo of you, and keep it natural and informal.<\/p>\n

There’s a handy spreadsheet of image sizes for some social media platforms here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Do you have a website where all of your content lives? Include it. How about offline contact details? They can be useful too.<\/p>\n

Some final tips on your social media bio:<\/p>\n