Some people think of social media as God’s gift to man as it allows us to connect with people all across the globe, revolutionizing how we interact and do business with one another. Others curse its manipulative nature as it seems to be, slowly but surely, taking over our lives.
Nonetheless, social media is here to stay, whether we like it or not. And to successfully navigate through the social media jungle and the growing number of platforms, is truly an art form which few people can master.
In the hopes of becoming a Jedi of social media, I recently attended an event organized by Social Media Club D.C. that focused on the growing importance of social media to personal branding. What became clear to me during the event is that we should not underestimate the power of social media. One reason: LinkedIn, an online social network for business professionals.
One of the keynote speakers at the event – a woman working at a social media agency – stressed that LinkedIn is a great way to connect with people inside a specific company when you are looking for a job or a prospective business partner. The key is to effectively network and develop relationships with other users, perhaps by asking a question about the company.
She also noted that many businesses are only accepting job applications from LinkedIn. Therefore, in order to stay ahead of the game in today’s digital era, it is crucial to have a thorough profile with your previous work experience, skills, educational background etc. And you know what? LinkedIn allows you to turn your entire profile into a professional resume that includes all this information. If that isn’t a time saver, I don’t know what is.
I jumped onboard the LinkedIn train a while back when one of my journalism professors told me to. (Just to assure you – I wouldn’t jump off a cliff if he told me to do so.) However, I never took it seriously, and since I haven’t made any efforts in expanding the number of connections – LinkedIn’s equivalence to Facebook friends – my profile has remained fairly anonymous out there in cyberspace.
But that is about to change! Because even though I have never shed any tears of my few connections, I realize now that for personal branding and business purposes, LinkedIn is the way to go.
See you there!
And if you would like to learn more about LinkedIn, I urge you to check out the following website:
<http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/social-networking/networks/linkedin.htm
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