No longer do we live in an age where major business deals are closed by handshakes and face-to-face meetings. Say hello to the era where deals are made via Instagram, Facebook, and other social platforms. That\u2019s right: without anyone ever having to leave their home office. The time when it would take a miracle for a striving artist or businessman to find his dream opportunity is over\u2014now you are connected to billions of people with a single click. And don\u2019t forget how one upload or post could go viral and change your life forever.<\/p>\n
As awesome as the digital age is, it comes with a heap of anxiety-inducing dilemmas: How do I stay relevant? How do I keep my feed active without oversharing? How do I conduct myself professionally using social media as a networking tool?<\/em><\/p>\n 1. Think before you post<\/strong><\/p>\n Even though there is a delete button, remember: others can always repost, like, retweet, share, or copy your post before you get the opportunity to remove it. Posting is supposed to be a fun social engagement experience. If what you are about to upload is concerning you at all, chances are you shouldn\u2019t be posting it.<\/p>\n 2. Don\u2019t be an oversharer\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Share your experiences and memories\u2014ones that people can relate to and be inspired by. Think about the married couple you are friends with who talk about nothing but their children, home renovations, and boring jobs. Keep them in mind when considering what to share and how often. Seriously.<\/p>\n In a world where your whole life can be pulled up by anyone and everyone, think about what you\u2019re posting. Pictures of your wild and crazy nights in Vegas may not be the best representation of you when your potential new boss decides to look you up before an interview. Consider using one platform such as Facebook or Instagram for your personal page, and make it private. Keep another platform for your professional life.<\/p>\n 3. Make a good first e-impression\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Goodbye, handshakes. Hello, friend requests. Through LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and other popular social sites, you can now search and filter to easily find the business contact you need. One request with a great pitch could do the trick. It\u2019s only natural that the recipient on the other end will first social-stalk you before they accept and reply to your request. So keep your profiles professional and oriented to what you aim to do.<\/p>\n If you are a musician and want to network with top producers and business contacts in the music industry, don\u2019t have pictures full of girls and drinks, showcasing everything but music. Show what you are about. A picture speaks a thousand words, but you want the first 20 to reflect your natural character and your purpose.<\/p>\n 4. Be polite<\/strong><\/p>\n Think of social media as another lesson your mother would teach you in the manners department. Keep the not-so-nice comments to yourself. Be friendly and open to new people and lifestyles. And don\u2019t be rude and ignore people. It\u2019s not nice to leave people hanging. If you have fewer than 3,000 to 4,000 followers, you should be able to handle your messages and comments, so respond.<\/p>\n 5. Use email (yes, it\u2019s still relevant) Twitter is not a place to converse. After you\u2019ve had three reply interactions, send an email to continue the conversation.<\/p>\n 6. Use your brain\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Share and talk about something important sometimes. No one only wants to hear about your outfits and lifestyle. Talk about something other than yourself.<\/p>\n 7. Remember the three posts rule<\/strong><\/p>\n One post, two posts\u2014after three in one day, you\u2019re pushing it toward being annoying. Unless you have something truly important to say, don\u2019t flood everyone\u2019s feed with boring rants and meaningless updates.<\/p>\n 8. Be you<\/strong><\/p>\n Hey you, are you a real person? Be yourself, not someone else. It\u2019s tempting, of course, because you\u2019re behind a computer, but be the real you. We like you better that way.<\/p>\n 9. Pay it forward<\/strong><\/p>\n If you repost a great picture or quote you read, share the link or tag the author. That\u2019s great sharing etiquette.<\/p>\n 10. Don\u2019t stalk<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t stalk people\u2019s pages. Don\u2019t be a creepster by oversharing their work, liking every post, and being the aggressive fan.<\/p>\n 11. Don\u2019t be addicted to your phone<\/strong><\/p>\n Put it away on dates, at meetings, and any other happenings that require your full attention. Share and post later. You\u2019ll have plenty of time to catch up before bed.<\/p>\n 12. Make an effort<\/strong><\/p>\n Reach out to someone new each week to network. Whether they\u2019re in your city, your industry, or you just like their blog, don\u2019t be afraid to introduce yourself. Being behind a computer takes the edge off being shy (at least a little bit).<\/p>\n Photo credit: Lauren Kallen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" No longer do we live in an age where major business deals are closed by handshakes and face-to-face meetings. Say hello to the era where deals are made via Instagram, Facebook, and other social platforms. That\u2019s right: without anyone ever having to leave their home office. The time when it would take a miracle for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1321,"featured_media":16993,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n