Blog Post: Social Media - A Practical Perspective and Powerful Communication Tools

It seems every where you turn, you are hearing or reading about “Social Media.”  So what is “Social Media” and how does it impact you?  Is it worth the hype or is it a simply a distraction from those things that are important?  From where I sit, Social Media is a powerful tool that you can incorporate into your job search or your business to help you meet your goals.

Social media is most easily defined as Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information.  A few examples of social media tools include LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter, and a blog.  While these tools can be used for fun and they can be a distraction (Facebook – need I say more?), they can also be harnessed to powerfully assist with your job search or produce for your business. 

How can these tools be used to help you with your job search or setting up your business?  For starters, most of the social media tools are FREE, like FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  What is required is your time to learn how to effectively use the resources and determine which are best suited for your goals.  Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources to help you and I recommend learning with baby steps so you don’t overwhelm yourself.

Let’s look at an example of how to use these tools.  First, you can set up a LinkedIn account.  LinkedIn is your electronic rolodex – it allows you to create an online profile that is both a resume and mini web page all rolled into one.  You can include a photograph/headshot, provide a summary of who you are, a chronological listing of your experience, your education, and additional information, such as a link to your website (if you have one), your interests and your awards and honors.  Once you have an account set up, you can start connecting with other people you know who also have a LinkedIn account and start building an online database of your contacts.  Importantly, you can ask your previous employers, clients and associates to recommend you and your services.  The recommendations can be displayed publicly and you will have third party endorsements available for all to see.  I proactively use my LinkedIn page by including it in my e-mail signature line and I have the LinkedIn profile button on the home page of my website so people can easily get more information about me and read the 34 recommendations that I have from clients and business associates.  Additionally, if someone is searching for you on Google and you have a LinkedIn profile, it will show up near the top of any Google search.  You can also attach documents, such as your resume, to your account.  LinkedIn is fabulous for anyone looking for a job, starting a business,  on a limited budget, or proactively growing your business.  If you don’t yet have a website or an online presence, start with LinkedIn.  Here’s my LinkedIn public profile for an example of how to use this tool:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/joanjakel

The next tool that you can proactively use for your business is Twitter.  Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service, that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as "tweets"), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.  You can develop a following on Twitter and you can follow other registered users on Twitter.  Twitter allows you to succinctly get out your message.  You can update your status and direct your followers to important information about your job search or your business.  For instance, you can provide information about your skills and abilities; you can direct them to your website to get more information about products or services; you can tweet about an inspiring article you found on line; or you can simply provide words of wisdom that you want to share.  I recommend using Twitter in conjunction with your communication, marketing or job search plan to get the word out about you and your company.  When I send out my newsletter or update a blog post, I’ll send out a tweet and tell people to check it out and provide the link. I have my twitter address on my e-mail signature line and on my home page so people can follow me.  Follow me on twitter at - twitter.com/joanjakel

As you can see from these two examples, Social Media can be a powerful tool when it is proactively used as a component of your communication.  Take some time to explore the possibilities and discover what works best for you.   

Here's a fun sampling of some great social media sites:

www.thesociallatte.com

www.danhollings.com

www.technorati.com

www.blogcatalog.com

www.slashdot.org

www.fark.com

www.care2.com

www.yelp.com

www.blip.tv

www.pandora.com

Here's to your success!

Joan Jakel

Passionate Entrepreneur, Business Attorney, Inspired Motivator