It’s that time of year again: the time when we shake out our rugs, restaurants open their outdoor seating, and that one neighbor finally decides to take down their Christmas lights. That’s right, it’s April and it’s time for spring cleaning. And for us today, that means more than just cleaning our desk and home. In fact, it’s time to “Spring Clean” our social media accounts. Because, just as it is important as it is to clean your physical life, you might also want to consider cleaning up your digital life as well.

Social media spring cleaning

So, what does a “Social Media Spring Cleaning” involve? Well, it looks a lot like the normal spring cleaning that you’re used to. First off, you should check your cupboards for expired food, or in social media terms, make sure your “About Me” is up-to-date. A lot can change in a year, including contact information, addresses, and even organization descriptions. Making sure that your Facebook friends and Twitter followers have access to accurate information that isn’t “expired” is crucial to interacting beyond social media.

Social media policy

After cleaning the cupboards, it’s time to change the batteries in the fire alarms, or in the social media realm, make sure that your organization’s social media policy is current. Just as fire alarms are there to ensure that you and your home stays safe from fire, social media policies also protect against harm to your organization from inflammatory posts or practices. Changing the “batteries” in your social media policy includes ensuring somebody is accountable for the social media sites, there are appropriate managing tools in place, and that appropriate-use policies reflect corporate policies as a whole.

Updating your profile and cover photos

Finally, it’s time to plant the garden and spruce up the front yard, or, in other words, think about changing your profile picture and cover image. Many people’s first interaction with your social media presence is with your profile and cover images. However, if you have neglected these for a while, it might be time to give your friends and followers a fresh face to kick off the season.