Top Social Media Platforms for Professionals

Presented by Jason A. Hicks

Social Media Can Help You:

• Network

• Conduct a job search

• Keep tabs on the industry

Networking

• Make contacts to assist you in current role

• Develop an “address book” of resources

• Find a mentor or find leadership opportunities

• Make contacts conducive to a job search

Conducting a Job Search

• Potential employers review your social media profiles

• Some recruit directly through social media

• Get up-to-the-minute job posts

• View company profiles and learn about previous and current employees

Keeping Tabs on the Industry

• Social media outlets are always active

• Reputable sources have a social media presence

• Be informed of what audiences are saying

• Develop a dialogue and possibly steer the conversation

What Platforms Should I Use?

LinkedIn

• Geared primarily toward networking

• Easily the most professional social network

• Makes it easy to see how people are connected

• Includes Groups for discussions and sharing

• Most popular of ACHE accounts

Facebook

• Generally seen as being a network for family and friends

• Companies and organizations often have a Facebook presence

• Users can follow (“like”) multiple news sources at once

• Facebook apps perform a variety of functions

Twitter

• 140-character limit makes it very casual and immediate

• More conversational than some networks

• You can follow anyone, and they can follow you

• Uses special etiquette (hashtags, @ replies, etc.) that can be intimidating to newcomers

What Else Is There?

Google Plus• “Social glue” for rest of Google• Offers Hangouts—interactive video meetings

YouTube• Video channels with comments

Pinterest• Virtual bookmarking—users “pin” pictures to a digital

dashboard arranged by theme

Instagram• Photo-sharing and social networking service• Sort of the photo equivalent to Twitter

What Else Is There?

Reddit• Users submit content, others vote it up or down• “Ask Me Anything” sessions

Tumblr • Microblogging site designed for easy use and the

sharing of media

Foursquare• “Check in” at locations via smartphone

Flickr• An online site for storing, sharing and commenting on photos

Vine• App for six-second, looping videos

Social Media Tools

TweetDeck•Basic account is free•Update Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with one accountbit.ly•URL-shortening service•Provides analytics for links you share•Add “+” at the end of any bit.ly URL to see how many times it’s been clicked and by whom

Social Media Tools

Google Alerts•Set up daily or weekly searches for terms or keywords to be sent directly to your inboxSlideShare•Upload and share presentations, complete with audioPostBeyond •Allows staff to share an organization’s content in a consistent and approved way

Q&A

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