We’re not going to tell you to stop scrolling entirely – we’re just going to tell you how to scroll smarter. While laughing at cat videos may boost your serotonin levels, your social media platforms can also help you move up in your career.
We’re not joking. Think about it – with social media, you have all the access you need to network and learn from numerous industry leaders and mentors you look up to. All you need is a strong presence to build on your online brand and create a strong professional portfolio while having fun online.
Which social media platform is right for you?
Social media is constantly evolving, so in order to keep up, you need to pay attention to what’s trending to keep your profile strong and generate impressions. You also need to understand the strengths of every platform and how you can use each one to your advantage.
Identifying which social media platform will be the most important and beneficial for you is the first step.
If you’re a professional looking to expand your career and strengthen your network, you should definitely be on LinkedIn. LinkedIn currently boasts 930 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Known for being a professional platform, LinkedIn enables you to connect and even email potential mentors and industry leaders you admire. While it can help you in your job search, you want to also use it to network and learn from business influencers to level up in your career.
If you’re trying to build a brand online, you must take advantage of Instagram. This platform has over 500 million daily active users globally. You can create an online portfolio on this platform that showcases all your work, wins and growth, as well as connect with peers and other professionals to expand your network. Beyond just posting pictures, you are able to share stories, go live and collaborate with other professionals and brands to continue getting more eyes on your profile.
TikTok
As our attention spans decrease, so does the size of videos. TikTok does it right with short videos and captivating content to hook your interest. With an impressive 1 billion monthly active user base, TikTok allows you to create a profile that can be seen by anyone who is interested in the topics you choose to create content about. You can use hashtags and keywords to get your content out to your audience and connect with professionals.
Twitter has over 450 million monthly active users all over the world. A quick way to share ideas, thoughts and opinions, Twitter gives you just 140 characters to express yourself. Because everything is in real-time, you have the opportunity to respond to professionals as they “tweet” their opinions as well as look at the latest news and headlines.
You can’t beat having more than 3 billion users (just yet). While used socially to connect with old friends and family members, Facebook’s Business features allow you to create a brand online, share your updates and get your brand shown to your audience. You can see what others are putting out there and use this platform to leverage your social networks and your professional networks to truly start building your profile.
Using Social Media to Boost Your Career – 5 Tips
Here’s how to build a social media platform for career success and grow your online brand.
1. Comb through your profiles regularly
One rule of thumb is to audit your social media profiles regularly and make sure that there is nothing inappropriate or distasteful that you would not want your professional peers or others to see. Additionally, you also want to take this time to update your profile with any recent wins or successes as well as new projects you have been working on to keep your profile up to date. See what’s working and what your audience is enjoying, and continue to build on that.
2. Connect and reach out often
In order to network successfully, you should follow and keep up with the peers and industry leaders you want to network with. Don’t be shy to reach out and send a message to showcase your interest and what you have learned from them. The more research you do, the more you’ll be able to find your niche and build your platform around that. Also, follow-ups matter. If you connected with an industry professional at an event, reach out by mentioning where you met and that you enjoyed meeting them. This is a great way to add to your network and keep building connections.
3. Expand your industry knowledge
Social media platforms give you access to news, headlines, stories, opinions and thought leadership that you can learn from. Take advantage of this and continue to do your research in your field and industry. Having this wealth of insight will help you move up in your career as you become more knowledgeable in your role and get inspired with innovative ideas. What you learn can be very powerful if you can apply it to real-life situations. Give it a try and see what doors you will start to open!
4. Research the competition and other companies
You also want to see what the competition is putting out there and what other companies in your chosen industry are doing on social media. This continued research will further give you ideas and keep you in the know about trending topics and what is being talked about currently.
5. Focus on one platform
When you find a platform that has everything you need and gives you the most benefits for building your profile, stick to it. While you can share similar content across all types of platforms, creating content for the one that you like best will give you the most benefits. Trial and error will guide you and show you where you are the strongest. Don’t be afraid to try new things and focus on your strengths.
Building your professional social media presence shouldn’t feel like an obligation. Always remember to have fun and be yourself! Social media is just another resource to boost your career and expand your knowledge about your industry, and continue to grow professionally. You also will be pleasantly surprised by the creativity that it inspires over time.
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