Social Media is an Open Door to Professional and Personal Opportunity
I used to think that Social Media was simply and only a way to keep up with friends. Perhaps that’s what it was originally intended for, but Social Media has evolved into an opportunity both personally and professionally.
“ Removing ones self from social media means more than just missing out on the chance to interact with friends on Facebook, or share a photo from the vacation you took during fall break. It means potentially ruining one’s shot at a job, missing out on academic opportunities, and losing social confidence. ” -Mary Robins
With advertising taking a more integrated approach, it is difficult to find opportunities if not through social media. So many opportunities are contingent upon whether or not you have a social media presence. Whether you are building a personal or professional brand, or interact with each platform differently, users and employers want to see that you can capture an audience.
Ask the Audience
I ran a poll on my twitter account asking what people use social media for. While I was looking for there to be a split dividing professional and personal uses, it appears that people initially use social media to make themselves happy and keep up with friends.
There are various social media platforms today, and each platform serves its own purpose, both professionally and personally. My friend Azia replied with what she uses each platform for, and how she believes the content she creates depends on the platform she is using.
I asked a similar question on my instagram story, and the responses were a bit more organic. “What do you use social media for?” ….. “depends on the site…”, “getting in touch with the world and others, but not comparing myself or my journey to theirs”, “sharing happy things, real things, and keeping up with friends”, “wasting time”, “connecting with people. without social media I would have very little communication”, “the mortifying ordeal of being known”, and “for news and laughs”.
Each comment resonated with me, and I agree that each platform satisfies these needs in their own way. I do however want to focus on “the mortifying ordeal of being known”. I mentioned earlier that opportunity lies within the walls of Social Media, without these platforms we would be doing ourselves a disservice. Everything today falls on whether or not people “know” us and our online presence whether it is professional or personal.
Our professional online presence depends on our personal online presence and vice versa. This past week, I’ve been trying to blend these two things together on my instagram account. I used to post anything and everything that made me happy and connected me with friends. Now I am trying to merge my professional goals with my personal brand.
I use different platforms in different ways, but I ultimately try to keep all of my platforms as professional as possible, while keeping my personal touch. I use Facebook to share photo albums, life updates, and important information. I use LinkedIn to network and apply for jobs. I would never post on LinkedIn or Facebook what I post on Twitter, mainly because my twitter is an outlet for my humor, and isn’t entirely “professional”. While I follow accounts that inspire me in my goals, and connect with companies, I mainly use twitter to make myself and others laugh.
My presence on Social Media has provided me with a lot of opportunities, from meeting people, getting job offers, making money, to starting a meme. The world of Social Media allows people to interact however they want, both personally and professionally.
References: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/social-media-is-no-longer-choice
