Life matters: Heidi Armstrong

Social media provide great opportunities to advance your career or start a business

Ten years ago, if you used the term “social media” it wouldn’t have meant much. Today, it’s part of the language. Businesses, individuals and groups alike use sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to interact.

Social media have not only changed the way we communicate but also the way we share and receive information. In Australia alone, over 69% of internet users have a social media account and of those 57% are online more than once a day, according to the 2016 Sensis Social Media Report.

While many people use these sites to stay in touch with family and friends, there’s more to social media than selfies and food photos. And with the average person in Australia having 272 friends on Facebook, perhaps more of us could be putting this network to professional use.

So here are my tips on how to get the best out of your online connections and to social-network your way to success.

Get connected

In the 1990s, connecting professionally with someone new meant you had to pick up the phone and sell yourself in the first 20 seconds. While we still do that to some degree, it’s usually much easier these days.

Platforms like Twitter give us access to almost anyone in the world, even high-profile public figures. With over 3.2 billion people on the internet, there’s sure to be at least a handful of valuable professional connections you could make.

Twitter and Facebook are useful for sharing content, but if it’s career progression you’re after LinkedIn is a must. Since its inception in 2002, this site has changed the way professionals share information and connect with one another.

Curate like an expert

Now that you’re online, it’s important that the information you share is valuable. There’s no point posting about what you had for breakfast as it adds no value.

When you tweet, always position yourself as an industry expert and try sharing content that represents you as a professional.

Twitter hashtags are a great tool to use when creating content. They allow your tweets to become searchable and if the topic is popular enough it will show up under “industry” chats. If you’re looking for a new job and want to post about it, try hashtags such as #jobs, #jobposting and #jobsearch.

Make sure all personal posts are only on your Facebook page and don’t forget to make your security settings private.

Expand your network

Now it’s time to start connecting with other experts and relevant industry professionals. This can be tricky when you first get started as sites like LinkedIn need you to have “common” connections to send an invitation. But there are ways around this.

The key is to find someone in your network with a tie to the person you want to connect with, even if it’s only a second- or third-degree link. Build your network around this person and, eventually, you’ll have enough common connections to send an invite. Another option is to join “groups” that relate to your industry, and start interacting with other users.

Find a mentor

Arianna Huffington, a co-founder of The Huffing

ton Post, is just one of the many influential figures to tout the benefits of having a mentor but it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to actually finding someone. Well, social media are a perfect platform for this.

LinkedIn is a great space to foster professional relationships. But there are other companies, such as Australian Mentor Centre and Mogul (for women), that have social media chat functions and offer online mentorship programs. Whatever road you take, a few messages back and forth won’t be enough. To really take the relationship to the next level, you need to form a connection in person. Once you’ve established communication, try suggesting an informal coffee or catch-up.

An audience awaits

At the end of the day, social media offer you the tools to succeed but what you do with them is up to you. Whether you’re looking to get a new job, change industries or start a business, these sites provide a platform for you to forge opportunities.

Don’t be afraid to share your insights or skills with your followers. Think of your accounts as a stage and showcase your best self. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are perfect platforms for this. For example, if you’re an artist, take pictures of your work and tag galleries.

Regardless of your profession or background, there’s an audience for you, so get networking ... you never know what it could lead to.