Seven Social Media Myths for Professionals



MYTH 1: Serious professionals do not waste time on social media.

Social media is defined as the creation, exchange and sharing of information and ideas in virtual communities and within networks. If this media is used to its worth you will surely get many breakthroughs in terms of business and other opportunities. If you anytime get an opportunity to present a presentation to a group of people; you will definitely grab this opportunity so why not the same in the virtual world? Here you will find people from all the sectors and areas who acknowledge your work and give you credit for. Why can’t you use this platform and present yourself as a brand and increase the reach?

MYTH 2: I made a LinkedIn profile once. Now recruiters will find me.

LinkedIn is the most popular professional networking site, where your profile looks like a resume. So, you can avoid posting a CV with a job portal, which would tell the world that you are looking for a job. On the other hand, creating a profile once on LinkedIn is not enough. You need to update it time to time to reflect new projects, achievements and skills. Use terminology, skills and responsibilities that highlight your fit for the profile that you seek. These keywords will help relevant recruiters find you. Get recommendations and skill endorsements from former colleagues and professionals to emphasise the image you are building.

MYTH 3: Twitter is only for celebrities and politicians.

It's common for sports and film celebrities, as well as politicians, to tweet in order to stay in the limelight. Signing up on a social media site gives you a chance to stay up to date with the communication shared by companies and people who matter to you. Once you are comfortable conversing online, you may initiate broadcasts and form a strategy to build your own brand.

MYTH 4: What I read, write, like, buy and recommend is no one's business.

Though one tends to believe that personal and professional lives are completely separate in both offline and online spaces, it isn't the truth. There is almost no distinction between the two worlds on social media. Whatever you like, read, recommend, buy or write on the Internet is available to anyone who wants to check on you. So, racist comments, politically incorrect language and illegal behaviour are likely to result in ill repute. Abusing your boss or complaining about company policies invariably reaches the employer's ears. Such activities are often forbidden by company rules and result in immediate termination. A safe strategy is to carry on social media activity as if your employers and clients have full access to your accounts. So, Play Safe!!!

MYTH 5: Online networking is as useless as a cold call in sales.

Online Networking is a strong research tool. You can use your network or social media search engine to quickly build a group online. Common friends, groups, online communities and the credibility of the platform itself make it easier to get a response from a newcomer than is possible in physical networking scenarios.

MYTH 6: Social content generation is for marketing and media people only.

Blogs, questions and answers, articles, videos, presentations, even informative comments, are part of the content you can create and share with communities on social media. Generating content will help you build reputation as an expert in your field. Online reputation can be leveraged to your benefit when clients and employers seek you out while searching for people in that space.

MYTH 7: Uploading pictures of my weekend party is just harmless fun.

Photographs from your drunken party won't go down well with potential employers, who are seeking responsible people to handle teams and projects. A professional picture on LinkedIn is of no use if your social profile is populated with images of immature behaviour. To minimise the damage, make sure you change the privacy settings on every social media activity that you engage in.

Ref: Economic Times

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