Social media can be a powerful tool for developing your career, but it can also be a time-consuming distraction if you don't manage it well. How can you use social media effectively without compromising your work-life balance? Here are some best practices to follow.
Before you dive into the online world, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your social media presence. Do you want to build your personal brand, network with potential employers, learn new skills, or showcase your portfolio? Having specific and measurable goals will help you focus your efforts and avoid wasting time on irrelevant or low-value activities.
Effectively managing time on social media for career development involves setting boundaries. Prioritize platforms relevant to your goals, limiting daily usage. Schedule dedicated time slots for social media, avoiding constant checking. Use tools like alarms to stay disciplined. Engage strategically, focusing on quality interactions over quantity. Curate content that aligns with your professional image. Stay organized by using scheduling tools for posts. Regularly evaluate your efforts to ensure social media enhances, not hinders, your career growth.
Not all social media platforms are created equal when it comes to career development. Depending on your industry, niche, and target audience, some platforms may be more relevant and effective than others. For example, if you are a graphic designer, you may want to use Instagram or Behance to showcase your work, while if you are a writer, you may want to use Medium or LinkedIn to share your articles. Do some research and find out where your ideal clients, employers, or peers hang out online, and focus on those platforms.
Of course LinkedIn is where you want to be since you’re already here! Seriously though, once you’ve established the goals you want, choose to be actionable to find out what your brand, voice, tone or outcomes will be
Select the right platforms that align with your goals and target audience. Instead of spreading yourself thin across numerous platforms, prioritize the ones with the highest engagement and relevance to your industry. Set clear goals for your social media presence, such as building a professional brand, networking, awareness, sales, or showcasing your expertise. Allocate dedicated time slots for social media activities and use productivity tools to avoid getting sidetracked (My fav is ScreenZen). By concentrating your efforts on key platforms and maintaining a disciplined approach, you can maximize the impact of social media on your career development.
Just choose what you enjoy and will actually spend time sharing/engaging on. There’s no point forcing yourself to learn other platforms. LinkedIn is obvious, but I find a lot of new business connections over on Instagram and TikTok too.
One of the biggest challenges of using social media for career development is avoiding procrastination and distraction. It's easy to lose track of time when you are scrolling through feeds, liking posts, or watching videos. To prevent this, you need to set a schedule for your social media activities and stick to it. Decide how much time you can afford to spend on social media each day or week, and allocate it to specific tasks, such as creating content, engaging with your network, or researching opportunities. Use tools like calendars, timers, or apps to help you stay on track and limit your exposure to unnecessary noise.
If you have iPhone you can set a timer to ensure that your time is spent wisely. You can adjust how much time you spend on social media per day to make sure you’re being productive.
If anyone actually has the secret, let me know ?? Unfortunately it comes with the territory. Browsing ‘outside of work’ is actually where a majority of my ideas stem from. It stops me being too corporate in approach and pay attention to what is interesting. When I’m out and about, with friends over dinner etc the phone is hidden away.
The quality of your content is what will make you stand out from the crowd and attract the attention of your desired audience. Whether you are posting photos, videos, articles, or podcasts, you need to make sure that your content is relevant, valuable, and engaging. Your content should showcase your skills, expertise, and personality, as well as provide useful information, insights, or solutions to your audience's problems or needs. You should also use keywords, hashtags, and captions to optimize your content for search engines and social media algorithms.
Quality over quantity always. However you may wish to post more in the early days to get that initial attraction. From here, regular conversations with new and existing followers is ideal. Growing your account naturally with your ideal audience is where the real benefit is.
Using social media for career development is not a one-way street. You can't just post your content and expect to get results. You need to interact with your network and build relationships with people who can help you advance your career. This means liking, commenting, sharing, and following other people's content, as well as reaching out to them via direct messages, emails, or calls. You should also join groups, forums, or communities related to your industry, niche, or interests, and participate in discussions, events, or challenges. By engaging with your network, you can increase your visibility, credibility, and trustworthiness, as well as discover new opportunities and collaborations.
You might find setting yourself a realistic target of two posts a week more achievable while you discover your style and niche. And optimise your profile! Make it easy for new people to understand what you’re about and why they should follow.