Fix Your Social Profile And Make People Follow You

When you first look at someone's profile, you make an assumption about what type of person they are just by looking at their headshot.

Is this the best way to judge someone? Of course not. Do we do it anyway? Absolutely. It's human nature.

Headshots are meant to evoke a feeling:

• Kind
• Tough
• Playful
• Powerful
• Empathetic
• Professional

Your headshot should align with your brand. 

If you have a clear banner and a great headshot, you're ahead of about 50% of the profiles I see on social media.

But, your "tagline" is often a make-or-break moment.

The goal of the tagline is three-fold:

• Tell people who you are
• Tell people what you do/who you help
• Tell people what they should expect if they follow you

Nobody needs to know that you're a "Director of Marketing" or "Account Executive" or "Software Developer". None of those things is helpful to the reader. Alex & Books is clear and to the point. He helps you "find amazing books & develop a reading habit."

This is your opportunity to spell out precisely what people should expect if they hit the follow button. So, again, be clear. I tell people exactly what to expect when they follow me.

If you have a smart banner, a solid headshot, and a clear tagline, you'll probably earn a lot of followers from your content.

But one of the most overlooked ways to increase your chances is through showing off your expertise at a deeper level.

On Twitter, you can do this with your pinned Tweet. On LinkedIn, you do this through the Featured Section of your profile.

This is a great place to tell your story (pinned Tweet) or show off your newsletter or projects (featured section on LinkedIn).