Social Media Design For Dummies

Learn to design professional and effective social media profiles!

Whether you're trying to attract a new employer or get new fans to notice your brand, your social media profiles need to distinguish you from the masses. Packed with the secrets behind the hottest Facebook timelines, Twitter backgrounds, and LinkedIn profiles, this fun-but-straightforward guide shows you how to create eye-catching social media profiles with a professional, cohesive design.

• Includes online resources and downloadable templates that allow you to make your own profiles quick and easy
• Reveals techniques for making a memorable and unique Twitter background, Facebook profile and page, LinkedIn profile, Google+ profile, and more
• Details ways in which to use Pinterest boards and cover photos to showcase your brand
• Shows you how to make the most of Rebelmouse and YouTube.

Social Media Design For Dummies is a must-have introductory guide to creating a professional, effective, and cohesive design that will better communicate your brand's story to future partners, employers, and customers.

Part I: Getting Started with Social Media Design 5

Chapter 1: Creating a Consistent Design for All Your Social Sites 7

Chapter 2: Checking Out Design Tools 23

Chapter 3: Advanced Design Concepts 51

Part II: Creating Designs on the Top Social Sites 77

Chapter 4: Fashioning a Fantastic Facebook Profile 79

Chapter 5: Polishing Your Look on a Facebook Page 107

Chapter 6: Tweaking Your Twitter Profile 123

Chapter 7: Channeling Your Look on YouTube 151

Part III: Extending Your Social Reach 175

Chapter 8: Upscaling Your LinkedIn Profile 177

Chapter 9: Generating a Google+ Profile 193

Chapter 10: Setting Up Pinterest Boards 211

Chapter 11: Creating a Flickr Presence 229

Part IV: Integrating Your Social Networks 251

Chapter 12: Compiling a Tumblr Page 253

Chapter 13: Aggregating Profiles with a RebelMouse Page 269

Part V: The Part of Tens 295

Chapter 14: Ten Social Media Management Tools 297

Chapter 15: Ten Social Media Analytics Tools 305

Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Build Social Media Engagement 313

Index 324

Our primary target audience are the over 1 billion people and brands using social networks. Everyone using social networks has an opportunity to showcase their personal or professional brand in the form of images and text. A professional, effective, and cohesive design will better communicate your brand′s story to future partners, employers, customers, and more.

Some 80% of active internet users regularly visit social networks (Source: AllTwitter) and those users spend 22.5% of their online time doing social networking. 42% of LinkedIn users regularly update their profile information, and more than 65% of Facebook users have opted in to the Timeline design features.

Janine Warner is the creator of DigitalFamily.com, a full-service interactive design and training agency.

David LaFontaine is an author, multimedia producer, and social media strategist whose work has earned him invitations to lecture all over the world.