What is social media? Social media (or Web 2.0) generally refers to an ever growing group of interactive web tools that easily allow you to create content and interact with communities online.
By using social networking tools such as LinkedIn and Twitter, by blogging, contributing to wikis, adding content to sites like YouTube or entering virtual worlds, you are able to collectively participate in building online communities and developing content.
Employers are increasingly turning to the web not only to check the online presence of potential employees but also for recruitment. Using social media can be a great way to market yourself by creating a positive online profile. The most effective way to do this is to become engaged with online communities and to create interesting and useful content. This approach is indirect but very powerful.
The great thing? Many social media tools are free BUT they do require users to set up an account. This allows content to be stored and then accessed and updated from any internet connection.
Here are three activities to help you get started with social media:
- Social networking: join LinkedIn
- Microblogging: join Twitter
- Blogging: create a blog using Blogger
Activity One: SOCIAL NETWORKING
LinkedIn is a social networking tool. What sets it apart from other popular tools such as Facebook and MySpace is that it is designed for professional use. Since the site is work-related, you do not need to worry about mixing personal information with work information. LinkedIn is intended to help its members connect with others who have the same professional interests.
Social Networking in Plain English
What is LinkedIn?
Some tips to help you make the most of LinkedIn:
- complete your profile as fully as possible - be sure to add your picture and fill out your experience
- start or join a group - this is a great way to connect with others who have similar interests to yours (try the key word writers)
- ask and answer questions - you can become an expert by providing good answers to questions in your field of interest
- make recommendations - if you provide good recommendations to people you have worked with they are likely to reciprocate
- connect with lots of people and be engaged
Join LinkedIn : Fill in the Join LinkedIn Today form on the homepage then click on the join now button.
Activity Two: MICROBLOGGING
Microblogging tools provide a forum for very short entries. Twitter is currently the most popular microblogging tool. Twitter allows users to post quick updates (tweets) about what they are doing via the web or their mobile devices. Tweets can be up to 140 characters in length.
Twitter shows an up-to-the minute list of the subjects that are most popular on Twitter. You can search keywords to see what people are saying about a particular subject.
Twitter Search in Plain English
Twitter 101 for Business
Here are some of the symbols that you will see on Twitter:
- hashtag # - Anyone can add a hashtag to their tweet by adding a # in front of any word. If you search a hashtag, such as #BCIT, you will find all tweets that people have added #BCIT to. Often conferences will have an official hashtag so that anyone wanting to follow tweets sent about that conference can search the conference hashtag.
- reply @ - If you wish to comment on a tweet, placeyour curser over the username and click on the 'reply' link that will show up - your answer will show up with a @yourusername before your comments. The @username also acts as a link to that users profile.
- retweet (RT) or double arrow symbol - If you want to forward an interesting tweet, place your curser over the username and click on the 'retweet' link that will show up. The tweet will appear with the name of the original tweeter and with your username at the bottom of the tweet.
Activity Three: BLOGGING
Blogs originated as personal text-based online diaries and evolved to incorporate multimedia. Although it is often possible to post comments on blog entries, blogs usually have one author or author group who has editorial control over the blog posts and the comments.
Bogging is a great way to create interesting content on the web. There are blogs on every subject that you can imagine. To check out the world of blogs, try Technorati.
Blogs in Plain English
A Simple Guide to Blogging Etiquette
Create you own blog in three easy steps:
Go to Blogger (you need to set up a Google account to use blogger)
1. sign in using your Google account username and password or create a Google account by clicking on the orange arrow on the right side of the screen and filling in the form. Then, click on the continue arrow.
2. name your blog
You need a blog title and address. Fill out the form and click on the continue arrow.
The trick is to remember that you edit your blog through blogger and your blog is viewed through a blogspot address: http://%28name/of/your/blog%29.blogspot.com.
3. select your template - now the fun bit begins. Choose a template, click on the continue arrow, wait for the message that your blog has been created, click on start posting and you are ready to create your first post!
Use the Edit Html tab if you want to compose using html code and the Compose tab if you do not. This blog is created using just the compose tab which is a little limiting but very easy.
Dashboard is where you want to be to manage your blog(s.)
