Market Yourself on Social Media
If you are anything like me, you may have once thought to yourself that being found on social media in the current business climate would significantly decrease your chances of finding a job. Most of us have been told at some point by a college professor, a friend, or a parent to be very careful of what we put on social media because “companies are watching.” God forbid a recruiter see me drinking a beer!
At this point, most people are aware that they should not be tweeting unsavory thoughts or have a multitude of salacious Facebook pictures for all to see, but this sentiment completely fails to recognize the benefits of social media to both individual and company.
No longer is it about hiding your online presence but rather producing valuable content that you want companies to see. The challenge that companies are facing is not simply weeding out prospective employees because of social media, but finding the right people to fill needs based on social media. With so many avenues available now to get noticed, the question is: Why are we hiding?
4 reasons you should utilize social media to get noticed.
1. Companies will be able to find you easier
Okay, so this one may go without saying, but it is still important to understand why this is beneficial! I have already mentioned how many people are actively hiding as opposed to trying to get noticed on social media but when all you do is update your LinkedIn profile once a year, you are missing a huge opportunity to get noticed. Even if you are not actively looking for a job, keeping up your social media presence with appropriate content will help keep you in the loop of your industry. Keep in mind that you are in competition for a job and that even having a minimal online presence is much better than having no online presence!
2. You control the content
If the main reason you are not using social media as your personal marketing tool is because you feel employers may not like what they see, then control what they see! If you are actively creating content and you have an industry specific YouTube channel or are always tweeting out links to interesting industry articles, imagine how excited that recruiter or hiring manager that finds it must be. The important takeaway here is that it ultimately comes down to the quality of the content. Below is a list of sites and blogs that will provide tips on how to create awesome content for both personal and business purposes.
- Zach Bulygo - https://blog.kissmetrics.com/tips-for-creating-content/
- Janet Aronica - http://blog.hubspot.com
- HubSpot – http://academy.hubspot.com
- Catherine Conlan - https://www.monster.com
3. It proves that you know a thing or two
Now that employers are able to find you, when they see you producing this awesome content they will have no choice but to interview you! While that statement may not be 100% accurate it definitely does give the impression that you will be a highly qualified candidate. Since you are already actively sharing industry knowledge on social media, you will have a leg up on your competition.
4. You make it easy on hiring managers
This one really goes hand in hand with number 3 above but it is important to remember that making yourself more visible through social media is also solving a business problem for many companies. Even if the job you are striving to get doesn’t have anything to do with inbound or marketing, the fact that you are aware the terminology and methodology make it significantly easier on companies to put your resume on the top of the pile. After all, someone looking to fill a spot in their company finds you easily, sees you are knowledgeable on the industry, and that you are actively marketing yourself, it really becomes a no-brainer!
So those are my top 4 reasons. If this hasn’t inspired you to go out there and get on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube and start getting noticed, I don’t know what will! In all seriousness, this information is not meant to be groundbreaking, but will hopefully get you thinking about increasing your online presence and using social media as a marketing tool…And stop hiding!
References:
- 4 Reasons to Use Social Media in Your Job Search - https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/use-social-media-in-your-job-search
