Can your social networking profile pass the 10-second test?

How many times do you read somebody’s profile at a social networking site, and then devour everything they’ve written because the profile sounds so interesting?

Almost never. But last week on Twitter, I stumbled across Judy Lederman’s profile:

It clearly passes the 10-second test. That’s the barometer that social media strategist Nancy Marmolejo uses to determine whether she stays on somebody’s Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn page, or bails out.

“Within 10 seconds of visiting your social networking profile, a prospective client, alliance partner, or media contact must be able to understand who you are and why they should follow you,” Nancy says. “Most people’s profiles are a hodge-podge of information. A good number are unsure how to balance personal and professional details, so they either leave them out entirely or throw in the kitchen sink. Both are bad strategies.”

Help is on the way

Nancy, of Viva Visibility, will be my guest during a paid teleseminar called “Can Your Social Networking Profile Pass the 10-second Test?” From 4 to 5:10 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Feb. 11. You’ll get the tools you need to spruce up your social networking profile so it’s crystal clear who you want to connect with and why you’re a valuable, attractive contact. We’ll discuss:

• 5 simple things to remember when creating your social networking profile
• How to tweak a profile so it fits the culture of different sites like Linked In, Facebook and Twitter
• SEO tips that will generate valuable “Google juice” and draw traffic to your profile pages  , loike this this tip on how to get Google juice from your LinkedIn profile.  
• Common mistakes even the most experienced professionals are making
• Examples of great profiles
• How to write a profile for a niche social networking site

You’ll also get a link to a one-hour webinar Nancy is hosting that goes into even greater depth than what we might get into on the call, including more specific examples of profiles.

PR folks and publicists, you’d be crazy not to attend this one. Your clients need this kind of guidance! The teleseminar, MP3 download, electronic transcript and webinar link are $49.95. Sign up for the teleseminar here.

Let Nancy remake your profile

As a special treat for my Hounds, Nancy will give a live “profile makeover” to one lucky caller. You must first register for the call in order to be eligible for the makeover.  Then tell us in the comments section below at this blog why we should choose your profile for the makeover.  

See you Feb. 11.