When do you need a professional social media account?
You probably have an account on a few of the more popular social media sites—but do you know which platforms require you to have separate accounts for your personal account and your organization’s account?
Whether you’re a nonprofit or a business, there are a few platforms where you’ll need to create a separate account for your organization. You’ll have different features and capabilities with a business account, and it will boost your credibility.
Not everyone who sees an organization using a personal account for professional purposes will make negative assumptions about your business, but it’s possible they could think you don’t care about your online presence, aren’t well-versed in online marketing, or are just lazy.
Those things aren’t true of you, or you wouldn’t be reading this! But online marketing best practices change frequently, and there’s so much to keep track of that it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re up to date.
Here are some of the most popular platforms that offer different types of accounts for businesses and organizations.
Having a separate Facebook profile for your business—called a Facebook Page—is a must. Facebook has been known to shut down personal accounts used as a business, so that’s a strong reason to set up a page for your business. But having a Facebook Page for your organization also lets you measure analytics, run ads, and have a branded, consistent presence on the platform. Find out more about Facebook for Business here.
In addition to having a personal account on LinkedIn, you can create what’s called a Company Page to give a presence to your organization itself. Within your Company Page, you can even create Showcase Pages to highlight a specific brand or division of your company. LinkedIn offers tips and best practices for Company Pages on their website.
Google Plus
Google Plus allows users to create a separate account for their business, called a Google Plus Page. This lets other users subscribe to your updates on Google Plus and recommend your organization. You can create a Google Plus Page for your company here.
Other social media platforms, Twitter being one example, don’t currently have different types of accounts available, but have other ways to promote your business on those platforms (like Twitter ads or brand channels on YouTube).
Either way, it’s always a good idea to have one account for personal use and one for your company—you’ll avoid confusing your audience that way and it helps you maintain brand consistency.