There is no denying that social media has taken over our lives. How many times have you heard someone say, "I saw this on Facebook", "I've got to Instagram that!", "Did you see 'so-and-so's' tweet on Twitter?!". There are so many different forms of social media to choose from that you can join and connect with friends, family members and colleauges. Social media is a great form of personal expression as well as staying connected with clients and promoting your buisness. Social media may take a lot of heat for things that end up on these platforms, but if done right social media can make a huge difference for a business. There's no need to be scared of social media. Think of social media as if it were like a high school. It has it's own cliques, and you can choose a group or multiple groups that are best for you (or your business):
- Facebook: The popular kids who like to show off their lives in photos and statuses. People like them, they really like them.
- Twitter: The group of kids who aren't so popular and don't show off as much. You can choose to follow or be followed a group to really make your mark on who you are.
- Bloggers: The "nerdy-straight A" kids who have great information that they hardly get the credit they deserve
- Instagram: The "Hipsters" or "Artsy" type
and then there's LinkedIn: The Forgotten type - that actually has more to offer than you think.
Yes, its true! LinkedIn is actually really awesome if given the chance. For those who live under a rock and aren't familiar with this type of social media, it's a online profile that basically appears as a online resume/portfolio. You can connect with colleagues, classmates, and friends who can endorse you for the skills you posses. They can even give you a recommendation.
This is a great tool for those who are looking to be hired, no matter what field of expertise that is being pursued. LinkedIn allows you to search for and apply for jobs and your profile serves as your resume. Your employer can even export your profile as a resume file.
Some of you may be thinking, "I'm not looking for a job, I love my job. I'm just looking for a new way to connect to our clients". Business owners - this is a "clique" you can join to and connect with clients in a new way! Staffing Robot recently posted a blog that explains it best on how to connect with your clients. Think of it like being the principal of the "school of social media" and you want to be fair to all, so why leave out LinkedIn?
So choose to be "liked", "followed", "hip", "nerdy" AND "linked" in with all of your acquaintances.
