THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA – PART I

Apart from updating your status, posting comments, and uploading pictures, what else have you been able to use social media for?

Obviously the main reason behind these media platforms was to help us hook up with friends and family, however in today’s competitive marketplace, it has gone beyond simply hooking up with friends and family to something more concrete and tangible. In this article, we'll take a look at how we can get more out of social media.

1. Build a personal reputation

With an interest to speak positive words into people’s lives, and to challenge them to do better than they could naturally do, I turned my Facebook page from a contact platform into a personal-reputation-building one. I often updated my status with excerpts of books and audios of renowned writers and speakers that I thought would serve my readers well.

In less than two months, the producer of Nash Radio, one of the most influential online-only radio stations in Moscow, Russia, contacted me and expressed his admiration for my status updates; that was the beginning of my journey to becoming the host of the station’s flagship motivational radio talk show dubbed ‘Motivational Arena’.

What reputation are you building for yourself? Are your statuses reflective of a purposeful intent to building a reputation or do you just write anything that comes to mind because Facebook asks, “What’s on your mind ?”  If we’re to review your statuses over the past three months, what trend are they going to follow?

A real but rare opportunity is here, let’s use it wisely!

2. Find a job

In recent times, other social media platforms such as LinkedIn are monitored 24/7 by employers to find prospective job seekers.

According to a research by the Society for Human Resource Management in April, 2013, the number of employers who use social media and social networking websites to recruit job candidates continues to rise. According to the research, 77% of the respondents said they currently use social networking for job recruitment.

This is a clarion call for all prospective job seekers. Apart from uploading your CVs or resumes, your statuses must be in a certain taste to attract employers to you. Will you ever want to employ someone on whose social media page you find sexually-explicit content? Your guess is as good as mine.

3. Showcase your talent and establish yourself as an expert.

Is it not amazing that people who are very active users of social media keep complaining that they have no avenue to showcase their talent? I have seen a few people who have effectively utilised their Facebook pages to display their talents by way of publishing articles, poems, and uploading videos of their songs. Others put up pictures of their handicrafts for friends to see and know about them. 

Remember there is always a way to display what you have to offer the world, but until you do that, no one will come to you for what you have. Use your Facebook page to project your image and expertise in whatever you do.

Are you a writer? Write excerpts of your articles and books. As a singer, you can upload demos of your songs on social media platforms like YouTube and Spotify. Are you a banker?  You can turn your Facebook into an investment consultancy. Give sound savings and investments tips. These will go a long way to enhance your future career progression.

Social media has come to stay, as far as we can see into the foreseeable future. 

The mandate is ours to use these platforms as avenues to do great things. Updating your status, liking and commenting on others’ statuses, and uploading your images are good, but you can use these platforms in better ways. Find them and use them the very best way you can!

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About the author

Jonathan Adzokpe is an agribusiness entrepreneur aside being a speaker, writer,and petroleum engineer. As a writer, he’s authored over a hundred articles on personal development, Africa, and social issues. He’s also the host of Nash Radio’s flagship motivational radio talk show, “Motivational Arena”, which airs every Saturday from 10:00 to 11:00 GMT. You can contact him via his email; jadzokpe@gmail.com or Facebook at www.facebook.com/jonathan.adzokpe

Newaccra Magazine is a positive lifestyle magazine for the young and driven. Our goal is to inspire ambitious young people to achieve their big dreams. We do this by providing high quality content on personal development and success, positive mindsets, healthy lifestyles, and current sports and entertainment. Follow us on Twitter @newaccra [] Facebook.com/newaccra  [] info@newaccra.com. 

photo; edtechreview.in

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