Lenders Checking Out Borrowers Social Media Accounts: 4 Ways to Make Sure Your Social Channels Are In Good Shape

Did you catch the news in the Wall Street Journal this week? A new trend has emerged in lending--checking out borrowers’ social media accounts in addition to their credit history. Now if you’re handling your social channels with expert finesse and have fan engagement on lock down, congrats! This is good news for you. If the thought of being judged by Twitter followers and Google reviews makes your palms sweaty, read on.

While having lenders make a decision about you or your company based on your presence on social media may seem unusual, well, get used to it. This is just the beginning of a new trend that I guarantee is not going anywhere. Your online image is your public persona. And for some this might be good news. If you have not so good credit but an impressive online presence, you may get the dollars you need.

In the meantime, here are a few tips for making sure your social media presence won’t get in the way of your future:

1. Be consistent--and honest. Have a consistent image across social media and in person. Make sure the story that you’re giving the lending company and the story they’ll read on your Linkedin and Facebook page all match up.

2.Address criticism on your page-don’t ignore it. This is major for a business page. You don’t want the conversation to go somewhere else where you don’t have the control. There’s nothing that’s worse than a disgruntled customer except maybe an ignored disgruntled customer. Engage with customers right on your pages. You don’t want them taking it to another media outlet or creating yourcompanysux.com.

3. Hire a professional. You may not be able to afford a full-time social media manager but you can certainly hire a consultant to support your social media channels. Get expert advice. Let a social media company--like us--help you improve your social media presence. We have something for every budget so email me.

4. Engage with fans on each platform. Engagement. Engagement. Engagement. This is the name of the game. Connect with your audience. Show them you care. Give them useful content. Humanity is the key to succeeding online.

Have questions or comments about what should be happening on your social media pages? Leave a comment below.