Twitter.com may get a bad rep because of the user’s inability to post anything longer than 140 characters, but that’s one of the reasons I like it. I have to admit, the simplicity of this particular social networking site confused me. I wondered why anyone would need a means for updating their status, since that is what Twitter essentially gives you — a way to keep your “followers” updated, when Facebook lets you do the same thing. Then I realized the possibilities such a simple website could give anyone looking to develop their personal brand.
Of course rapid updates about your day are fun, but rapid updates about your career in progress are even better. What I mean is, it’s a better use of your time. Social media branding is a fairly new concept and more and more adults are finding that it isn’t just a kid’s game anymore — everyone can benefit from using social media sites.
Generation Y and social media
The first thing many people think of when they hear of social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter is networking. Reasons for networking span far and wide on the communication plane, but what covers a small percentage on this plane is the benefit of personal branding. Log in to your account on Facebook. Who is out there? More importantly, how old are the people that are out there? They’re young! Generation Y has a very large presence on social media sites and many people within this demographic are networking to connect with friends or meet new friends. Improving one’s own personal brand used to be one of the less popular reasons for networking through social media, but not anymore.
Twitter comes to town
There are a lot more people from earlier generations that use Twitter. Even celebrities have their own accounts and update frequently. So, how has the social media world changed with the arrival of Twitter? As I said, Twitter is an update-based tool. Your Facebook account could sit there without you logged on as new pictures are tagged of you and wall-posts build up, but if you do not use Twitter frequently, your old posts will only collect dust. You are required to be more active in the Twitter community as a user. So, you have to keep up your updates! In this respect, it seems tedious to have a Twitter account, but look at it another way – you are unknowingly keeping up your personal brand.
Using Twitter to your branding benefit
Below are a few ways to use Twitter so it helps you boost your personal brand:
-Drive traffic to your blogs or websites. Anything you are a part of on the web can acquire countless new visitors a day if you “tweet” about it. Include the link to your site and a brief explanation about what it’s all about or what new information can be found by going there.
-Network with as many people in your field as you can. Users who are in your industry or field of interest can benefit you if you follow them AND participate in their posts. Reply to their tweets. Make thought-provoking posts that will let them know who you’re all about. Also, keep yourself informed with their updates. Their company could wind up posting a job opening, and by keeping yourself clued into their world you’ll be better prepared if you head in for an interview. Plus, they’ll already know something about you.
-Keep a neutral perspective when updating your tweets. I’ve talked about this before in a previous blog post but I cannot stress enough the importance of staying neutral. Using a racial, sexual or any other slur that puts down a group of people is an obvious no-no, but making remarks about other companies, people, friends or co-workers could also be taken the wrong way, which can definitely hurt your chances of getting hired when you try to connect with the right people.
Keep others in the know. Tweet often. Let others know what’s going on in your life. Though you should be adding updates that will help you get known on a professional level, it’s good to tweet about the fun things going on in your life too. If you’re at the park with your kids or going on a cruise in the Caribbean, tweet about it. Hiring managers are looking for professionals, but they’re also looking for real people to work for them. Personalize your tweets.
Twitter can be fun. You can network for the sake of meeting like-minded people, but they can also turn into professional relationships. It isn’t necessary to make social media all about work, but by keeping in mind that using it to develop your personal brand can help you when you are looking for work, Twitter can easily become a fun and professional tool for you to use any day of the week.
Adrienne is a Syracuse University student from Danbury, CT majoring in Writing and Rhetoric with a Leadership Communication minor. She is a big fan of impressionist art, ocean views and classic rock. She hopes to one day have her name in the credits of a hit film whether behind the scenes or in front of the camera.
