How to Build a Social Media Brand as a Student – And Why It’s Important to Have One

Building a “brand” on social media sounds like an abstract concept, like something that only applies celebrities, public figures, and companies. Not true! Surprise, anyone with a social media presence should be thinking about their personal brand. Everything you post, repost and like on social media says something about you as a person, and future employers and professional peers are increasingly looking at your social media post-graduation.

 

Let’s talk about what a “social media brand” actually means. Social media or online branding can be defined as the way you present yourself online. This covers everything from who you publicly follow to the content you create and repost from others.

 

Think about your social brand. How do you appear to the outside world? By looking at your public social media profiles, you can see exactly what other people find when they search for your name. Everything that they can see is the social media brand you’ve created, intentionally or unintentionally.

 

Having and sticking to a personal brand across the board in your social media presence is the key to creating the digital reputation you want. Not only does it show your audience and following what you believe in and stand for, but also provides examples of how you engage with others in an online space.

 

Think about the ways in which this can influence employers and your online audience. Maintaining a brand can help you gain credibility as a voice and influence in an online space as well as helping you to build a reputation for yourself.

 

Building a social media brand while you’re still a student can be the key to helping you build a professional image post-graduation. If you keep your future industry in mind as well as staying true to yourself while creating your personal brand, you can create an authentic image that will appeal to both employers and general audiences alike.

 

Here are some things to keep in mind while building a brand as a student.

 

 

It sounds like a no-brainer, but it really is important to keep up with trends and current events in social media. From news stories to politics and issues regarding privacy settings, it’s important to keep up with what’s going on in the world. Being informed allows you to choose how you engage with your audience and others online.

 

Staying informed can help you to know what to post or repost. In our current political climate, it can be hard to decide how to interact with politics on social media. In many cases, an original tweet about why you support a social movement can be much more productive and effective than tweeting about why you can’t stand a political candidate. Remember that every piece of content you post and repost is representative of you: if you’re posting it, you’re putting your stamp of approval on it. However, you do need to stay authentic in order to represent yourself effectively. If something is important to you, talk about it.

 

Be mindful of what you post and engage with online, and know that deleting content from your accounts doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. Think twice before posting to make sure you’re representing yourself in the best possible light.

 

 

Almost every social media platform has a way to track hashtags, phrases and events that are rising in popularity. Whether something is trending, waiting to be discovered or is recommended on your timeline, it’s important to participate in the online conversation. Getting involved with trends on social media can help to build your following, but actively choosing how and in which ways you interact with trends will help you to maintain the most professional and genuine brand possible.

 

Let’s use Twitter as an example. You can track local and worldwide trending topics as well as keep up with trending stories with Twitter Moments. Tweeting and retweeting about a trending news story or about an event in your community is a fantastic way to participate in the conversation. However, be wary of online arguments or negative language. Picking your battles and choosing what you engage with can help build your reputation in the ways you want. If an issue is important to you, you should absolutely stand up for your beliefs on social media. However, know that there are companies and employers out there that may not like the fact that you are standing up for what you believe in. That being said, make the choices that best represent you. Your social media brand is an extension of you as a person, and your choices should reflect that.

 

Mindful interactions on social media are the key to developing social credibility as well as establishing a sense of familiarity with your audience. Building a social media brand that represents you as a person creates authenticity online and can place you a step ahead of the competition.