The calendar told me it was spring. However, I’m looking out the window of my Toronto office and all I can see is freezing rain. Instead of dwelling on the reality of the harsh Canadian winter winds that are STILL blowing I’ve decided to be proactive and write as if the birds are chirping and flowers are blooming. I’m going to discuss how you can spring clean your social media accounts and wake your online presence up from winter’s hibernation. 
Keeping your associations social media content fresh, up to date and interesting is only one of many tools to keep existing members engaged and invite potential members in. Here are some of eConverse’s top tips for Spring Cleaning your social media.
Add a New Cover Photo Banner: An easy and effective way to inject a little more life into your online personality is to change up the look of your pages. Simply adding a new banner or photo will insure that your page pops up on members’ news feeds as well as adding a welcome change to your brand’s look. Personalize your association’s page by adding a candid photo from your winter conference, an updated logo, or something seasonal to add some extra panache.
- Change Up Passwords: As employees come and go from your organization it is important to know that only the right people have access to your accounts. The most effective way to do so is to routinely change passwords and only alert those who are currently working positions where they need access. Now is the perfect time to clear out the system and insure the safety of your social media accounts.
- Verify Your Account: All of us in the Twittersphere are desperately seeking the validation of that little blue badge beside our handles. Let your members, clients, and contacts know that you can be used as a trusted resource by applying for verification from twitter. It also just adds a little professional touch to your account. for more information on the verification process, click here: https://support.twitter.com/articles/119135
- Delete Outdated Pictures and Information: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are great ways to connect and build relationships with your members and clients however outdated posts can lead to misinformation and bury more relevant new information. Go through and delete any outdated posts. You can part ways with links to conference itineraries that have already happened or pictures of your first ever office spaces. Use that extra space to have the most up to date information available to users.
- Update Contact Info: Contact info is an often overlooked part of social media because people can use it to connect. However, it is important to have your associations current phone number, headquarters address and web address to direct your members to. A lot of members will use your social media accounts as a resource to connect so be sure to give them lots of options to do so.
- Become friends with the Unfollow Button: If you’re relatively new to social media new followers can be very exciting. But, be sure to carefully curate who you follow back. You put quality into your work and your online presence and who you follow is a big part of that image. go through your lists and pair them down online to the people you truly want to connect with.
Most importantly have a little fun with your social media presence. It is a great and informal way to stay connected to your members and to build a sense of community around your network. Feel free to show a little more personality than you may on your website or in meetings.