17 Quick Tips for Successful Social Media

For some, social media is a black hole of possibilities and they don't know where to start. Having an organized strategy and social media plan is vital, but just keeping the following tips in mind can start you on the road to success.

#1 Engage with the local business community. Reciprocity can go a long way in building relationships and connections.


#2 Monitor your brand image and your competitors by subscribing to them via RSS feed. You'll be able to see their posts and tweets without ever having to "like" or "follow".


#3 Re-purpose content. By changing the positioning statement, you'll find that you content can be used on multiple platforms.

#4 Most tweeters are in the Eastern time zone. Align your tweets with this time zone for maximum effectiveness (for national accounts). If local, stay with your home time zone but still plan for the morning.

#5 For ideas on how to add value to your Facebook brand page, visit others for ideas and inspiration.

#6 Comment on popular topics on Facebook. Your post will be grouped with the others on the subject and appear at the top of people's walls gaining you more exposure and increased reach.

#7 Facebook helpful hint: Customize your tabs. There are many free applications that can enhance and add value to your Facebook page such as a Contact tab and Custom Welcome Tab. Once you add your tabs, you can change the order in which the tabs are displayed by clicking "EDIT" under the list. Missing a tab? Click on "edit page", go to apps, and "edit setting" to enable the tab.

#8 Have you ever participated in a tweetchat on Twitter? It's a great way to extend your network, learn new things and gain klout.

#9 Convert to Facebook Timeline and keep up with any future changes. It shows you are actively managing the page and staying current on trends. 

#10 Create a custom cover photo for your new Timeline Brand Page and implement sooner rather than later. 

#11 Add a monitoring policy on your Facebook business page. Protect your right to remove non-approved conduct.

#12 Use hashtags (#) sparingly yet purposefully to get noticed.

#13 Always let a true personality shine through. Accounts should be managed by real people not just bots. Consumers know the difference.

#14 Remember to be personal and respond to your fans and don't be afraid to upload a quick video of you and your team hard at work or hard at play!

#15 Don’t “post to all”. Not every message works on all platforms.

#16 Make your fans look good. Share their content, like it and encourage their participation.

#17 Let your fans talk to one another without too much interference.

Job Seekers: Is Having the Wrong Social Presence Better Than Not Having One at All?

It might be hard to believe but there are still people out there who have not given in to the temptation and joined the social universe. These people don't have Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or blog or any other type of social account. I've met them as students in my college classroom and as colleagues and fellow community members. On the other hand, there are many more that have joined the assorted social networks but are "over-sharing".  I've also had these in my classroom and as friends and acquaintances. Members from both these groups are currently looking for work or will be very soon. The U.S. Unemployment Rate is 8.5% and with new job seekers entering the picture each month, competition for jobs continues to increase.

So I ask the question, is having the "wrong" social presence better than not having one at all?

More and more frequently, Human Resource Managers and Hiring Managers are reviewing the digital identities of their top applicants to learn about their character as well as their attitude. Posting photos of yourself in compromising positions, posting about "risky" behavior or ranting about negative experiences will certainly put a damper on your job prospects, but posting nothing at all may be worse. Developing within the business world is an expectation of social connectivity. More and more brands are actively engaging in social media campaigns and monitor daily news and discussions on the topics that are relevant to their business.  They expect this same level of engagement from their employees and potential employees. Not being socially savvy may translate to not being web savvy or engaged in a continuous learning process. Not having any social profile also leaves your identity up to speculation or interpretation.

For those out there who do have active social profiles, here are my top 5 Tips for a Successful Job Seeker.

1) Clean up your act. Delete any photos that show you in an unflattering light. This includes photos of you out with your buddies at the bar, revealing or tacky Halloween costumes and even some pictures you're not even in but show content that not everyone will appreciate. And it doesn't matter if you have your profile privacy setting at high alert (which I recommend); there are still ways to get to those images.

2) Limit the amount of profanity you write if you're a potty-mouth. Excessive foul language is a red flag to potential employers. It is a sign that you may have anger management issues or might be a harassment risk.

3) Don't be negative all of the time. This just shows that you can't be pleased and are likely to create a negative vibe in the workplace.

4) Add value to your relationships. Be encouraging, share useful information and be a part of the conversation.

5) Just be you. Don't create a persona you think a potential employer wants to see, they want to see you and they can spot a falsified account a mile away.

For those out there that still don't have a single social profile. Get one. LinkedIn.com is probably the best place to start. LinkedIn is a professional networking site and a source for job leads. The importance of having a social profile will vary by industry, but don't let the lack of one stand between you and your career.