A Guide to Social Media for Professional Gain

The plethora of available social media and networking sites can seem daunting and for professional use, even unnecessary. But the truth is that social media tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube can prove invaluable for many reasons: personal branding, recruiting, job hunting, promotion of products and services, and advice on everything from work/life balance to what to wear to an interview, to where to take a client to dinner. Everyone from accountants to actors, bloggers to vendors is slowly learning how to use this medium to increase awareness of their products and services (even if that product is you!) – and you can, too.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the high-level value to be reaped from some of the most widely used social media and networking tools/services:

LinkedIn – LinkedIn is probably the best known business social networking site. Its value, however, goes well beyond simply connecting with colleagues or partners to increase your number of connections. The “Answer” section provides an opportunity to both post questions – say you want to know how others are using social networking in business, or you want a vendor recommendation from people you know – or, to post answers – providing you with the opportunity to position yourself as an expert on a variety of topics. Participating in the Answers section provides you with the opportunity to gain more from this valuable business community than a simple list of names.

Facebook – While Facebook continues to grow with the over 30 crowd, users are learning that connecting on Facebook can provide value beyond sharing family photos and sending someone a “super poke.” While it can require a more delicate balance of personal and professional information in your profile (as well as use of the applications), there are opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals in many various groups. For example, I belong to a variety of groups that help me stay connected and up-to-date such as Web Strategy Group, Media 2.0, TECH cocktail, GigaOM and more. I also created my own company group where we share news, post interesting insights, recruit and more. Participating in groups can help you to further expand your network connections, learn from others’ experiences and discover business tips from professionals in similar fields.

Twitter – Probably the most confusing to understand unless you are in it, Twitter is a micro blogging service. This means that in 140 characters or less, you provide an update to the community on what you are doing. While Twitter was originally touted to be “for friends,” many professionals have discovered new uses for Twitter that enable them to ask and answer questions and receive insights on everything from which laptop to purchase to the best restaurant in London. This week there was even an example of an accountant using Twitter to share tax tips! Twitter connects people from all over the world with similar interests and can provide you with the opportunity to not only build new relationships but also to ask real people for recommendations – think of it almost as a human-run search and news engine (breaking news is often found first on Twitter).

YouTube/Vimeo (and other video) – Video doesn’t have to be all about your face in a camera. Many people have posted screen casts of their products, videos of customer testimonials or even of company events. Communicating with people visually can increase your chance of getting noticed in a sea of text, provide a compelling “live” resume or help prospects better understand the value of your products and services.
It might seem daunting to plunge into the social media space but with just a little bit of time and effort, you can soon impress future employers, existing clients or potential business partners. The beauty of social networks is that everyone is wiling to help – so once you log on, there will be no shortage of advice from the enthusiastic community members eager to help social media newbies.