Prior to the online and social revolution, your store front at your brick and mortar business location was a cornerstone of your brand. It was often the “first impression” a potential customer had of your business. But as the marketplace has grown online and become social, the number of touch points a potential customer has with your business and brand has increased dramatically.

It is because of this that you need to give extra care to how you complete your social media profiles. No longer is the marketplace one that a customer’s first interaction with your business is limited to your business’ location, or perhaps a mailer or newspaper ad. Because of this, you need to ensure that however a customer first comes in contact with your brand – whether it be through Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Instagram, Tumblr, etc. – that customer is given a strong, consistent brand impression.

5 Social Media Profile Sins You Never Should Commit

• Missing or Incomplete Social Media Profile Bios Nothing says “Please ignore me” like a missing social media profile bio. Understanding who you are and what your brand is all about is paramount in others following your social media accounts. Don’t leave your potential customers guessing and don’t make it harder on them to learn more about your brand by serving up incomplete or missing profile information.
• Missing Website URL Every social platform allows for the inclusion of at least 1 URL within your bio. Make it as easy as possible for a potential customer to reach your site by including your website URL every chance you get.
• Inconsistent Imagery One key to building a strong brand (either online or off) is your brand’s imagery. Because of this, it’s vital that the logo and colors you use for your business are present on all your social media profiles and as your social media avatars. Platforms like Twitter and YouTube even allow you to change the background of your profile pages to better align with your brand.
• Inconsistent Tone How you conduct yourself on Facebook should be the same way you chat with people on Twitter. And how you describe your business and brand on your About page should be in the same vein as what text you use to complete your social media profile bios. Craft a shortened version of your elevator pitch or of the text you use on your About page to mold the perfect bio to use across all your social media profiles.
• Missing Integration Opportunities Add linked social media icons to your website. Include your URL, Twitter and Facebook profiles in your Pinterest profile. Utilize the available fields on your Facebook fan page to include links to your website and all other social profiles. So many social media profiles allow for at least 1 additional social media profiles. Always take advantage of all available fields to include as many other online accounts as possible.

You have no control over how a potential customer first finds your brand. It is because of this that you need to work hard to ensure you are presenting a consistent brand image throughout your online presence.

What is your biggest social media profile pet peeve?