Networking through social media is amazing, especially within communities
where you can connect with like-minded people or people who might be interested
in your products or services (some communities might contain both groups of
people!). Facebook, Twitter, and Periscope are some of the best places to network:
They are the most networking-friendly social media platforms. People go onto these
three platforms not only to share memories with friends, describe how they spend
their day, or look at pictures, but to connect with other people; discuss issues,
passions, and events; and to learn new things. Following is a brief exploration of
why each of these platforms is conducive to networking.
Facebook mostly facilitates networking through groups. There are groups on
Facebook for everyone from people who love to knit to people who are passionate
about building businesses. Use the search bar above your newsfeed to find groups
that align with your interests, or get group recommendations from your friends and
mentors! Join them, and get to know the other members by liking and commenting
on posts that interest you, asking questions, share experiences, give value. Be you,
and let them know what you can do for them! Other members will take notice of you
and want to connect with you in no time.
Twitter is an often-misunderstood platform, but it can be very useful once
you learn a bit about how it works. In fact, social media expert Gary Vaynerchuck
goes as far as to say, “Twitter is the only social network.” He says that Twitter is a
place where people go to share and respond to information. On Twitter, there are a
few important ways in which you can get in on the conversations going on. Follow
people who interest you and who tweet about what you’re passionate about.
Favorite and retweet their tweets to allow them and your followers to notice your
interest. To take part in wider conversations, search hashtags with the Twitter
search bar to find other tweets that are about what you want to talk about. Be sure
to use hashtags when you write your own tweets (i.e. “My #virtualassistant
@MelissaKane is such a #hustler !”), as hashtags categorize your tweets and make it
easier for others to find them (according to Forbes Magazine contributor Ken
Krogue).
Periscope is linked to Twitter, so every time you live stream on Periscope, it
posts to Twitter, and all of your followers can see it, so take advantage of that and do
‘scopes that spark conversation! Speaking of which, the ability to have conversations
with viewers during a live broadcast is one of the things that makes Periscope so
amazing. When you watch a broadcast, don’t watch it silently! Join in the
conversation that the broadcaster is having with the other viewers, and in the
conversation that the viewers are having with each other. The viewers and the
broadcaster create an automatic community of engaged and, usually, like-minded
people, so engage in the same way that you would in Facebook groups or
conversations on Twitter.
Hopefully this short overview has given you a good idea of why Facebook,
Twitter, and Periscope are great platforms that can help you get noticed and get
connected. Happy networking!
