How to Build a Positive Teen Instagram Profile

We caught up with Samantha Wormser who is the Public Relations Manager at Power Digital Marketing to ask her for her top 5 teen Instagram tips to help students safely brand themselves on social media.

Key Takeaways from How to Build a Positive Teen Instagram Profile

• What you post on social media can make or break your career. When you’re posting online, think about who will see your posts in the future. Once something is posted online and on social media it can’t be deleted. Employers like to check candidates’ social profiles to ensure they’re appropriate before making any hires; that applies to interns and full time hires.
• Consider the bigger picture. In addition to what you’re posting, think about how you appear in general online. That includes pictures and posts you’re tagged in. Strive to always put your best foot forward.
• Your social media presence becomes your resumé. So, it’s important to keep in mind that everything you post is a reflection of what you can do in your future career.

1. Think about your future job

As someone who will look at our intern applicants on social media (going all the way back to high school) before we make a hire, it’s so critical to have a clean social profile. We’ve denied candidates for being crass or inappropriate on social media – classy goes a long way.

2. Shining on social isn’t just about your personal profile!

Your digital footprint isn’t just your Facebook account or Instagram account, it’s really about everyone who’s talking about you online as well. This means your friends' tagged photos of you, the comments you make on other friends’ social posts reflect back on you. Your social presence isn’t just about what you’re posting directly, but how you’re interacting with others online.

3. Go for quality in who follows you, not quantity

Strive to build a like-minded community who has the same values as you. Don’t engage with people who you don’t know and who seem sketchy. Creating a supportive community on social media is critical to representing yourself in the best light possible. Just like who you surround yourself with in person is a reflection of you, so is who you engage with online!

4. Create quality content

Social can give you a leg up if you establish well-rounded and polished content. If you want to go into social media in the future, it’s essentially your resumé, so make sure it’s appropriate but shows your personality and creativity.

5. Pause before posting

Think about if your parents are following you what they would think or if a teacher who you look up to saw your social profile. If you’re uneasy or nervous about posting something, it probably means you shouldn’t. Go with your gut and what it’s telling you on if your post is appropriate or not.