Three Ways to Take Advantage of Social Media

Have you ever looked at someone’s Twitter account or Facebook profile and wondered how that person has so many followers or likes on a post? The majority of people who have these high numbers of followers, friends, and feedback on posts are people who influence and actively contribute to the social media sphere. They know how to take advantage of social media as a free resource and benefit from the outcome of using it correctly. Want to get more out of your social media experience? These are three key tactics.

1. Post regularly. Posting on Facebook or tweeting twice a month is not a sufficient strategy if you want to benefit from social media. If followers and friends know that you post regularly, they are more likely to continue to follow you or be your friend. Think of it as if you are contributing to a big group. Your followers are the group, and you want to regularly contribute your ideas and update them on what is happening – so that you don’t become that one person who is left out because you were too quiet. Feel like you have nothing to say? Find an interesting news article or blog and tweet it. This will get you in the habit of creating more content for your social media sites.
2. Post information relevant to your target audience. If most of your followers are music fans, you are going to want the bulk of your posts to be related to updates in the music industry, or other information that musicians might find useful. If you have a variety of followers, keep the bulk of your posts relevant to what is happening on a wider scale than just your small community. If you are a Boston University student, but most of your followers are not, post some updates about Boston University, but also focus on other news as well. This way you keep your audience engaged and they will keep following you.
3. Use social media as a business tool. There is a lot that you can get out of social media to help you with your future career. Many people use LinkedIn as a way to connect with past, current, and future employers, but LinkedIn is also a great way to maintain professional relationships. Say you meet an employer at a conference or event, LinkedIn is a great place to continue your conversation, which will hopefully lead to a job or internship opportunity.  Another social media site that can be used as a business tool is Twitter. Follow companies that you might want to have a job with so you can see what they are all about. Even tweet at them if you have a question about their company or a question about the career you want to pursue.

Intimidated? Don’t be.  People have these public sites to encourage communication with others, and that is something to take advantage of. Even if you are not a pro at social media just following these simple steps can improve your connection with your social media audience and allow you to connect with more people. Explore new ways to reach out and take advantage of the social media experience. After a while, you will start to see a difference in the conversations you start with other social media users and along the way, you could open new doors for your career.