Do you have a custom URL for your social media sites?

As a small business owner, we are frequently reminded of how important it is to create our online branding. There are many platforms available for our use and based on your industry not all are worth the investment of your time. Keep in mind, each business has its own culture and clientele. Prior to joining every single network, take some time to research its audience and see if it is a good match for you. Additionally, you should spend some time creating a content marketing calendar and create a different strategy per social media platform. A social media content strategy will help you stay focused and organized.

I wanted to give you 3 tips on how to customize a vanity URL on:

1. Facebook

2. LinkedIn

3. YouTube

FACEBOOK

Chances are you already have a Facebook business page. If not, this is definitely the time to stop reading and go create one!

Things to keep in mind when you are looking into creating a customized URL on Facebbook:

· You must have at least 25 fans to set a username for your Page

· You must be an admin of the Page in order to secure a custom link

· Usernames can only contain alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9) or a period (“.”)

Step-by-Step guide of how to change your URL on Facebook:

1. Login to Facebook with the account that administers your Facebook Page
2. Go to http://www.facebook.com/username/
3. You will see the username for your PERSONAL profile. This is not related to your Page username.
4. Below, you will see a link that says, “Set a username for you Pages”
5. Click on that link
6. A box will appear, and if you have more than one Facebook Page which you administer, you will see a drop down menu with all of your Pages displayed. Pick the desired Page from the list.
7. If you are eligible for a username, meaning you have at least 25 fans and have not yet set your username, you will see a box that says “Enter Desired Username”
8. If you select a page that does not have 25 fans, Facebook will tell you that you are not eligible. If you pick a page with already has a username, Facebook will display the current username, which cannot be changed.
9. Once you enter a username, you can click “Check Availability.” If your desired username is available, you will see a box reminding you that you cannot change your username once it has been set.
10. . If you are ready to set your username, click “Confirm.”

Now you have a custom Facebook URL! Share it on your other social networks, and you can even have it printed on your business cards.

LINKED IN

LinkedIn is a great platform to professionally connect with your network. It is a great tool for networking, job searching and referrals. Just like with Facebook, there are different ways of reaching the ‘edit profile’ screen, however, I want to show you the route via the privacy and settings page. While working with our clients, we found out that many do not realize this page exists!

Step-by-Step guide of how to change your URL on LinkedIn:

1. Click on your name in the upper right corner of your LinkedIn home page and then click on “Privacy & Settings.”
2. Click on “Edit Your Public Profile” on the bottom right of the settings page under “Helpful Links.”
3. On the right side of your Public Profile page, you will see your current URL. Immediately underneath it you will see a link to “Customize your public profile URL.” Click on that link and you will see a box where you can fill in your new custom URL.
4. Type in a new URL comprised of 5-30 letters or numbers with no spaces, symbols or special characters allowed.
5. Click on “Set Custom URL” just below the box and you will be all set with your new custom LinkedIn profile URL.

YouTube

In our opinion, YouTube is an ‘under-used’ platform as creating videos might be a bit overwhelming for many of us. Spend a few minutes researching how videos help SEO and you will quickly see the benefit of having a channel on YouTube.

Step-by-Step guide of how to change your URL on YouTube:

1. Below the “Tags” field is the “Channel URL” link. This is a unique URL for your YouTube Channel. Right now, the link is fully functional, but it’s comprised of a long list of random numbers and letters.
2. Click on the “Edit” button to create a much easier and customized URL for your channel.
3. Click on the “Create Channel URL” button to establish your custom YouTube Channel URL, which will take on this format: http://www.youtube.com/[your custom channel name].
4. After confirming your unique, custom URL, an “Overview” screen will be displayed. From here, you can edit your username and password, plus adjust a handful of other account settings, as well as turn on or off the YouTube functionality that allows you to display ads from other companies on your channel page and within your videos so that you can potentially earn revenue.

If you are updating your URL and come across a problem, feel free to send Ania Fiduccia a message. If you are interested in finding out more information about our team of Personal Assistants we would be happy to schedule a complimentary meet-n-greet. Let us handle your social media needs while you focus on growing your business. As always there are no minimums to utilize our services. Please note, on average it takes us 4-6 weeks to on-board a new client. Contact us early to make sure you give yourself plenty of time to go through our process. We look forward to hearing from you soon!