It’s springtime. My husband did a ton of yardwork and trimmed back our azalea bushes. I washed kitchen cabinets and removed dust jackets from my hardcover books, but I need to paint one of our guest bedrooms. We have a million other projects to complete around here, but while I have a few minutes, let me tell you about my social media spring cleaning campaign.
LinkedIn.
First up, you need a new LinkedIn photo. So do I, actually. I’ll work with my friends Kathy Howard and Joanne Maye to lock down a new image. If you don’t have photographers and make-up artists in your lives (and why would you?), go ahead and clean yourself up and find someone in your personal network with a camera and a good eye. You don’t need much. You are beautiful.
Then go clean up your LinkedIn account itself. Make sure there’s enough information to tell your story but not enough for LinkedIn to sell your data over and over again. I like the “name, rank and serial number” approach. Be a minimalist. Leave people wanting more. Prove that you’re a real human being and not a psycho to recruiters without giving away too much information so that they won’t call you.
Facebook.
Jesus, Lord, the Facebook. It’s a beast, isn’t it? I have a new spring goal: only “like” animal and kid-related content. Maybe check in on a few groups. Say “happy birthday” to my friends, get my daily dose of Lil Bub, and then get the heck off. Might I suggest the same?
Twitter.
It’s my go-to social platform, but it’s so noisy. I’m part of the problem. I use Twitter to talk to myself and sort out what I’m thinking, which is why my social profile looks like a schizophrenic retelling of my anxieties. I recently cleaned up my tweets. Dumped everything. You know why? Because sometimes you need a fresh start. Even my funniest tweets weren’t all that funny. And while I’m probably not going to change my behaviors, it’s good to unload.
Instagram.
I follow what I like, ignore what I don’t. Mostly animals, babies and art. That’s the magical trifecta.
The rest.
I’m 41 years old, and I have some pride. I’m not a podcaster or a video blogger. While I want to be loved, I’m already accomplished enough. There is nothing out there for me except dull Donald Trump voters and needless scrutiny. No thanks. I ditched all the extra audio, video and photo apps. My only exception is SwarmApp, so I can humblebrag when I travel.
Working and living human is the new social, which is why my social media spring cleaning campaign has been good for my computer-strained eyes and overwhelmingly exhausted soul. You might want to clean things up, too, before spring cleaning turns into a summer of procrastination.