We are all on Social Media today, it seems. LinkedIn, Twitter, Google +, Facebook. Timelines, Pages, Handles. Likes, Shares, Tweets, Retweets, Comments. Engaging in social media has become a must for all career generations, from younger Millennials who are entering or building their careers to Baby Boomers, who may be at the tail end of their career or going into a second one.
So what 4 things can you do with social media to boost your career? What are some best practices?
YOU ASK?
- USE! It is not enough just signing up for Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media accounts. Make sure your profile is complete and up-to-date in LinkedIn, the largest professional social network. Get connections. Get to the magic number 500+. Make sure you establish a cadence for posting and publishing. Be consistent in your postings. Post only quality content. Have high standards. Position yourself as an SME on 1 or more topics you are an expert on. Be aware of your personal reputation and do not write anything you are not sure of. Do your research.
- GIVE! Like and share interesting articles that are posted by others. DO unto others as you would have them do unto you. IF it is deserved. Don’t blindly like and share. Do it intelligently.
- DISCUSS! Join relevant discussion groups in LinkedIn and Facebook. Become active in discussions. You will learn much and contribute some. You will learn about general and industry trends, get some new ideas, and perhaps get solutions to issues you may be facing.
- EVANGELIZE! This practice is something you may or may not be aware of. Does your company have a social media practice or campaign? By the way, most companies have one, however disorganized they may be at it. Do they need employee participation or advocates for their campaigns? If so, you may be able to jump on the bandwagon and become a social media evangelist. You ask HOW and WHY?
HOW?
If your company is using social media in their marketing campaigns, you may be able to become an advocate for your company, by signing up to become a social evangelist. Find out WHO to approach and WHAT needs to be done. You may have to go thru some training and follow the company posting policies to become an evangelist. There are several existing software platforms that enable employees to participate in social media, (for example, NewzSocial). The benefits serve a dual purpose. You can boost your career while also helping the company’s boost their products/services via social media.
WHY?
Why does it better your career to become a social media advocate for your company? Since the company feeds vital content to distribute in social media, you can reap similar benefits to doing it on your own, only amplified, such as:
- Recognition & thought leadership
- Education
- Networking
So, GET ACTIVE in social media and BOOST your career.
(Note: Image Credit: Danilo Pizzuli; Freedigitalphotos.net)
