Do you feel your social media posts are being lost in the shuffle? As a student enrolled in Northwestern University’s Social Media Marketing Specialization, I have found two recent articles that will help you realize the importance of updating your profile portrait often to encourage brand engagement and recognition within your networks.
Contributing editor of PC Mag, author Jill Duffy, explains why you should Get Organized: Update Your Profile Picture. Jill states that updating your personal and professional profile portrait indicates you are active on social media. Other benefits of an updated profile photo include the appearance that you are organized as well as current with ever-changing technology. The importance of having a new and consistent profile photo helps others identify you and your brand. Jill goes deeper with follow-up articles as well as online videos giving her readers very specific tips for success.
Source: bit.ly/2loMgC6
Another authority, Sarah Perez wrote, Twitter’s latest feature prompts you to tweet your updated profile picture for Tech Crunch magazine’s January 2017 issue. In December 2016, Twitter was rolling out a new feature encouraging its users to update their network with the hashtag #NewProfilePic when they updated their profile picture. This feature is auto populated yet fully editable by the user. As a reference point, Facebook alerts all followers of profile changes automatically often generating many likes and comments immediately upon updating. Twitter’s profile update feature is not mandated by the platform as they are merely encouraging their users to use the hashtag more frequently.
As a photographer with a specialization in portraiture, I recommend three actions items to increase client engagement with your social media platforms.
Keep your profile image current: An updated photo shows you are topical and organized.
Consistency is key: Using the same updated photo across all your social media platforms increases brand identity.
Share with your networks: If your platform doesn’t automatically alert your followers, consider sharing your update proactively. (i.e., use Twitter’s #NewProfilePic hashtag to increase awareness and engagement.)
Implementing these three steps will help your message gain momentum as well as increase your brand awareness while establishing your ability to be current with social media changes.
About the Author
Photo by Josephine Donatelli
Amy Boyle is an internationally published portrait, theater, and commercial photographer. Currently enrolled in Northwestern University’s Social Media Marketing Specialization, Amy is recognized for her ability to pair imagery and data to drive results. Find Amy on Twitter as @amyboylephoto or on LINKEDIN.