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Infographics are visual representations of information, data, or knowledge using imagery, charts and minimal text. They can make information more digestible, visually appealing and entertaining.

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Link to my Pinterest account

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Finn Breathnach (finnbreathnach) - Profile | Pinterest

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See what Finn Breathnach (finnbreathnach) has discovered on Pinterest, the world's biggest collection of ideas.

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Social bookmarking is an online service that allows users to collect and organise online content (such as web pages, images, videos, links, etc.) in one place so that you can easily access it later.

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HOW I CAN USE SOCIAL BOOKMARKING IN MY LIFE AND AT WORK

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HOW I CAN USE SOCIAL BOOKMARKING IN MY LIFE AND AT WORK

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Pinterest
•For personal use (leisure, studies)
•For business (marketing, research, improving brand image, etc)

Pocket
•Primarily for personal use (studies, leisure)

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•Many people use Pinterest to make purchase decisions
•When you pin an image on Pinterest it creates a clickable link to your website, which creates more traffic on your website and increasing potential customers.

Possible benefits
•Increase brand exposure and wider customer base
•Can connect your Pinterest account to other social media accounts so that pins are attributed to your business
•Possibility to run advertisements
•See what's trending (to decide what content to pin or what your new product will be)

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Here is a screenshot of my first (very basic) pin. The picture was taken in the area where the school I work for is based. I attached a link to the school website to demonstrate how pins can be used to increase website traffic.
•Pinterest gives business account users the option of paying to promote their pin.

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HOW PINTEREST CAN HELP ME IN MY PERSONAL LIFE

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HOW PINTEREST CAN HELP ME IN MY PERSONAL LIFE

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Why I like using Pinterest
•Visually appealing content (mostly images)
•Great way of finding interesting/ informative posts on topics you are interested in

Potential uses
•High quality images/diagrams that can be used in presentations, university assignments, etc.
•You can create different categories (boards) for different purposes (study, fashion, books, etc.)
•You can sort new posts straight into categories as you save them (saves time organising them later)

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Here is a screenshot of my Work board. I use this to save pins I like so that when I am making my own pins for my business I can use them as a reference.

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Pocket is a great way of collecting articles and blog posts so that you can read it at any time and on any device. It's useful for collecting resources for a specific purpose, or for reading them later. In the past I always saved links to my facebook chat but this is much more useful as you can organise the content in a simple and visually appealing way.
However old habits die hard so it may take time to get used to this way of saving articles.

Benefits:
•easily organise interesting articles for later use
•easily find articles you have saved

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Here are some articles I found interesting. While most of these I found on other websites, I discovered some of them directly on the Pocket website. What I find useful is being able to have all of them in the same place as this way it is easier to find what I am looking for.

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Link to my Pocket account

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Basic example of a map that could be used by English language students during their stay in Ireland

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The purpose of this map is to help students navigate the town during their stay at the Asana School of English.

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•Pocket: As a a pretty disorganised person, I like the idea of keeping all my articles in one place (I usually save them all to a Facebook messages to myself and end up never opening them again). I would have liked to try the sharing feature but since I don't know anyone who uses Pocket I was not able to do this.
•Pinterest: I like how the content is visual as you can find and interpret the content quickly.
The business account features are pretty cool, especially analytics (as it lets you see your progress and where you need to improve) and trends as you can get ideas on how to improve your products and make them more relevant.

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Google mashups allow users to map their own locations on an interactive Google map. It allows you to present data in a spacial/ visual way by extracting data from a spreadsheet and displaying it on a map.

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As a student of Linguistics an area of research that really interests me is Minority and endangered languages. Google Map Mashup could be a useful tool in terms of presenting information on these languages visually (which villages/ areas the languages are spoken, number of speakers, the colour coding could be used to show the level of endangerment of the languages (for instance, severely endangered red, etc.).

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•Can be embedded onto business websites
•Free and easy to use
•Sharing options: ability to make the maps visible to people who have the link, without making it public to everyone on the internet.
•Nowadays how you present information is almost as important as the information itself. Presenting information in this way can make it easier for the viewer to understand; can make the information more appealing by making it interactive.

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As an administrator of an English language school for international teenagers, I can think of several ways mashups could be used to improve the functioning of the school, as well as improving the service we provide.

•Customised maps of the town where we operate could help students find their bearings upon arrival. These could include important locations such as school facilities, bus stops, emergency services (such as police station and hospital),  as well as providing suggestions for landmarks, nice spots, walks, etc. All of which could be supplemented with additional information such as opening hours (of school, library, etc.), bus times,  or cultural information (for instance, of landmarks, history, etc,).

•The feature that allows images to be attached to locations could also be used to provide students with a drawing of a map of the interior of the school (with class names, location of cafeteria, etc.) This way students will easily be able to navigate the school on their first day (this is important as the school is quite big and students often have trouble finding their way around the school during their first few days).

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MY FIRST SCREENCAST-O-MATIC VIDEO (PRESENTED ON YOUTUBE)

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MY FIRST SCREENCAST-O-MATIC VIDEO (PRESENTED ON YOUTUBE)

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As my first video using this software I decided to make a how to video for a program I have recently been using in one of my linguistics modules.

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Here is a link to my Youtube channel, however to see my first Screencast-o-matic video please find the link in the "Video creation" section, as I have made the video visible only by using this link.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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•What I liked about Screencast-o-matic is that it is very intuitive and easy to use. The fact that it lets you choose which portions of the screen you want to record is a very useful feature. I also liked how you can pause the recording in case you have to check your notes, etc.

•What was more challenging for me was using the voice-over function as I am not used to recording my own voice. However, after a few tries it became easier.

•Editing videos on youtube was also pretty straightforward, however I had some difficulties when adding one of the Youtube royalty free audio tracks as I wasn't able to control the volume to make it less loud than my voice. However, after a quick look online I found out that some songs have a minimum volume, so I simply chose another song.

•Remember there is a privacy setting that lets you make your video available to people who have the link!

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IDEAS FOR USING THIS SOFTWARE IN THE FUTURE 

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IDEAS FOR USING THIS SOFTWARE IN THE FUTURE 

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One way I think this software could be used at the Asana School of English is in creating how-to videos for new employees, particularly with regards to how to navigate our student and host-family databases, which can be a bit confusing at first. The benefit of recording these videos over showing people in person is that it saves time, as each person doesn't have to be shown individually. An other benefit is that new employees could use these videos whenever they need to and learn at their own pace.

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EXAMPLE OF A MAP I CREATED FOR STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOL WHERE I WORK

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EXAMPLE OF A MAP I CREATED FOR STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOL WHERE I WORK

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For full map, please look under "Links to my accounts" section.

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EXAMPLE OF CULTURAL  INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

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EXAMPLE OF CULTURAL  INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

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LinkedIn is a professional networking site that aims to help people network, share their experiences and resumes, and find jobs.

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•find a job or internship
•connect and strengthen professional relationships
•create a professional network
•learn the skills you need to succeed in your career
•present your skills to employers

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Experience & education

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A privacy policy is a legal document that informs the user of a website or social media platform on how their personal data is used. This includes what information is collected, how it is collected and how the information is stored.

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•the right to remove what you have put up;
•the right to know who has access to your data and for what purposes;
•the right to safety and support, or knowing where to go when things go wrong;
•the right to informed and conscious use, or knowing that the internet wants to keep you on it and how to avoid that;
•the right to digital literacy, understanding the use and purpose of what you are using and/ or creating.

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1) Establish your goals (be specific).
2) Identify your audience.
3) Gather data on your intended audience.
4) Get inspiration from peers/ competitors.
5) Decide which networks to use and the purpose of each.
6) Create a social media content calendar (so you can plan to share content at the right moment).
7) Evaluate your strategy, looking at performance metrics.

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Blog on creating a social media strategy

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Blog on creating a social media strategy

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Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard

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A social media marketing strategy is a summary of everything you plan to do and hope to achieve on social media. It guides your actions and lets you know whether you're succeeding or failing.

The more specific your plan is, the more effective it will be. Keep it concise. Don't make it so lofty and broad that it's unattainable or impossible to measure.

In this post, we'll walk you through a nine-step plan to create a winning social media strategy of your own. We've even got expert insights from Amanda Wood, Hootsuite's Senior Manager of Social Marketing.

What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing is the practice of using social media channels to sell or promote a brand, product or service.

Social media marketing helps businesses:

Increase brand awareness

Build engaged communities

Sell products and services

Measure brand sentiment

Provide social customer service

Advertise products and services to target audiences

Track performance and adjust larger marketing strategies accordingly

What is a social media marketing strategy?

A social media strategy is a document outlining your social media goals, the tactics you will use to achieve them and the metrics you will track to measure your progress.

Your social media marketing strategy should also list all of your existing and planned social media accounts along with goals specific to each platform you're active on. These goals should align with your business's larger digital marketing strategy.

Finally, a good social media plan should define the roles and responsibilities within your team and outline your reporting cadence.

Creating your own social media marketing strategy (video guide)

No time to read the whole article? Let Amanda, Hootsuite's own Senior Manager of Social Media Marketing, guide you through our free social media marketing strategy template in less than 10 minutes:

How to create a social media marketing strategy in 9 steps

Step 1. Choose goals that align to business objectives

Set S.M.A.R.T. goals

The first step to creating a winning social media strategy is to establish clear objectives and goals. Without goals, you have no way to measure success and return on investment (ROI).

Each of your social media marketing goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and t ime-bound.

Psst: If you need examples of smart social media goals, we've got you covered.

Track meaningful metrics

Vanity metrics like number of followers and likes are easy to track, but it's hard to prove their real value. Instead, focus on things like engagement, click-through, and conversion rates.

For inspiration, take a look at these 19 essential social media metrics.

You may want to track different goals for different social media networks, or even different uses for each network.

For example, if you use LinkedIn to drive traffic to your website, you would measure click-throughs. If Instagram is for brand awareness, you might track the number of Instagram Story views. And if you advertise on Facebook, cost-per-click (CPC) is a common success metric.

Social media goals should align with your overall marketing objectives. This makes it easier to show the value of your work and secure buy-in from your boss.

Start developing a successful social media marketing plan by writing down at least three goals for social media.

"It's easy to get overwhelmed by deciding what to post and which metrics to track, but you need to focus on what you want to get out of social media to begin with," says Amanda Wood, Hootsuite's Senior Manager of Social Marketing. "Don't just start posting and tracking everything: match your goals to your business, and your metrics to your goals."

Step 2. Learn everything you can about your audience

Get to know your fans, followers, and customers as real people with real wants and needs, and you will know how to target and engage them on social media.

When it comes to your ideal customer, you should know things like:

Here's a simple guide and template for creating audience/buyer personas.

Social media analytics can also provide a ton of valuable information about who your followers are, where they live, and how they interact with your brand on social media. These insights allow you to refine your strategy and better target your audience.

Jugnoo, an Uber-like service for auto-rickshaws in India, used Facebook Analytics to learn that 90% of their users who referred other customers were between 18- and 34-years-old, and 65% of that group was using Android. They used that information to target their ads, resulting in a 40% lower cost per referral.

Check out our guide to using social media analytics and the tools you need to track them.

Step 3. Get to know your competition

Odds are your competitors are already using social media, and that means you can learn from what they're doing.

Conduct a competitive analysis

A competitive analysis allows you to understand who the competition is and what they're doing well (and not so well). You'll get a good sense of what's expected in your industry, which will help you set social media targets of your own.

It will also help you spot opportunities.

Maybe one of your competitors is dominant on Facebook, for example, but has put little effort into Twitter or Instagram. You might want to focus on the social media platforms where your audience is underserved, rather than trying to win fans away from a dominant player.

Use social media listening

Social listening is another way to keep an eye on your competitors.

Do searches of the competition's company name, account handles, and other relevant keywords on social media. Find out what they're sharing and what other people are saying about them. If they're using influencer marketing, how much engagement do those campaigns earn them?

Pro tip: Use Hootsuite Streams to monitor relevant keywords, hashtags and accounts in real-time.
Try Hootsuite for free. You can cancel anytime.
As you track, you may notice shifts in how your competitors and industry leaders are using social media. You may come across new, exciting trends. You might even spot specific social content or a campaign that really hits the mark-or totally bombs.

Use this kind of intel to optimize and inform your own social media marketing strategy.

Just don't go overboard on the spy tactics, Amanda advises. "Make sure you aren't ALWAYS comparing yourself to the competition - it can be a distraction. I'd say checking in on a monthly basis is healthy. Otherwise, focus on your own strategy and results."

Step 4. Do a social media audit

If you're already using social media, take stock of your efforts so far. Ask yourself the following questions:

What's working, and what's not?

Who is engaging with you?

What are your most valuable partnerships?

Which networks does your target audience use?

How does your social media presence compare to the competition?

Once you collect that information, you'll be ready to start thinking about ways to improve.

We've created an easy-to-follow social media audit guide and template to walk you through each step of this process.

Your audit should give you a clear picture of what purpose each of your social accounts serves. If the purpose of an account isn't clear, think about whether it's worth keeping.

To help you decide, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is my audience here?

2. If so, how are they using this platform?

3. Can I use this account to help achieve my goals?

Asking these tough questions will keep your social media strategy focused.

Look for impostor accounts

During the audit, you may discover fake accounts using your business name or the names of your products.

These imposters can be harmful to your brand-never mind that they're capturing followers that should be yours.

You may want to get your accounts verified too to ensure your fans know they are dealing with the real you.

Here's how to get verified on:

Step 5. Set up accounts and improve profiles

Decide which networks to use

As you decide which social networks to use, you will also need to define your strategy for each.

Benefit Cosmetics' social media manager, Angela Purcaro, told eMarketer: "For our makeup tutorials ... we're all about Snapchat and Instagram Stories. Twitter, on the other hand, is designated for customer service."

Hootsuite's own social team even designates different purposes for formats within networks. On Instagram, for example, they use the feed to post high-quality educational infographics and product announcements and Stories to cover live events or quick social media updates.

Pro tip: Write out a mission statement for each network. A one-sentence declaration to keep you focused on a specific goal.

Example: "We will use Twitter for customer support to keep email and call volumes down."

Or: "We will use LinkedIn for promoting and sharing our company culture to help with recruitment and employee advocacy."

One more: "We will use Instagram to highlight new products and repost quality content from influencers."

If you can't create a solid mission statement for a particular social media channel, you may want to ask yourself if it's worth it.

Note: While larger businesses can and do tackle every platform, small businesses may not be able to - and that's ok! Prioritize social platforms that will have the most impact on your business and make sure your marketing team has the resources to handle content for those networks. If you need help focusing your efforts, check out our 18-minute social media plan.

Set up your profiles

Once you've decided which networks to focus on, it's time to create your profiles. Or improve existing ones so they align with your strategy.

Make sure you fill out all profile fields

Include keywords people would use to search for your business

Use consistent branding (logos, images, etc.) across networks so your profiles are easily recognizable

Pro tip: Use high-quality images that follow the recommended dimensions for each network. Check out our always-up-to-date social media image size cheat sheet for quick reference.

We've also got step-by-step guides for each network to walk you through the process:

Don't let this list overwhelm you. Remember, it's better to use fewer channels well than to stretch yourself thin trying to maintain a presence on every network.

Step 6. Find inspiration

While it's important that your brand be unique, you can still draw inspiration from other businesses that are great on social.

"I consider it my job to stay active on social: to know what's trending, which campaigns are winning, what's new with the platforms, who's going above and beyond," says Amanda. "This might be the most fun step for you, or the hardest one, but it's just as crucial as the rest of them."

Social media success stories

You can usually find these on the business section of the social network's website. ( Here's Facebook's, for example.)

Case studies can offer valuable insights that you can apply to your own social media plan.

Award-winning accounts and campaigns

You could also check out the winners of The Facebook Awards or The Shorty Awards for examples of brands that are at the top of their social media game.

For learning and a laugh, check out Fridge-Worthy, Hootsuite's bi-weekly awards show highlighting brands doing smart and clever things on social media.

Your favorite brands on social media

Who do you enjoy following on social media? What do they do that compels people to engage and share their content?

National Geographic, for example, is one of the best on Instagram, combining stunning visuals with compelling captions.

Then there's Shopify. The ecommerce brand uses Facebook to sell themselves by showcasing customer stories and case studies.

And Lush Cosmetics is a great example of superior customer service on Twitter. They use their 280 characters to answer questions and solve problems in an extremely charming and on-brand way.

Hey lovely! 💕 We are sorry to hear how much you are missing Scrub Scrub Scrub. We will make sure our team knows you'd love to see it back on the shelves. In the meantime, check out Magic Crystals for a similar scrubtastic feel 😍💜

- Lush North America (@lushcosmetics) October 15, 2021

Notice that each of these accounts has a consistent voice, tone, and style. That's key to letting people know what to expect from your feed. That is, why should they follow you? What's in it for them?

Consistency also helps keep your content on-brand even if you have multiple people on your social media team.

For more on this, read our guide on establishing a compelling brand voice on social media.

Ask your followers

Consumers can also offer social media inspiration.

What are your target customers talking about online? What can you learn about their wants and needs?

If you have existing social channels, you could also ask your followers what they want from you. Just make sure that you follow through and deliver what they ask for.

Step 7. Create a social media content calendar

Sharing great content is essential, of course, but it's equally important to have a plan in place for when you'll share content to get the maximum impact.

Your social media content calendar also needs to account for the time you spend interacting with the audience (although you need to allow for some spontaneous engagement as well).

Set your posting schedule

Your social media content calendar lists the dates and times at which you will publish types of content on each channel. It's the perfect place to plan all of your social media activities-from images, link sharing, and re-shares of user-generated content to blog posts and videos. It includes both your day-to-day posting and content for social media campaigns.

Your calendar also ensures your posts are spaced out appropriately and published at the best times to post.

Pro tip: You can plan your whole content calendar and get recommended best times to post on every network based on your past engagement rate, impressions, or link click data in Hootsuite.

Determine the right content mix

Make sure your content strategy and calendar reflect the mission statement you've assigned to each social profile, so that everything you post is working to support your business goals.

(We know, it's tempting to jump on every meme, but there should always be a strategy behind your social media marketing efforts!)

You might decide that:

50% of content will drive traffic back to your website

25% of content will be curated from other sources

20% of content will support lead-generation goals (newsletter sign-ups, ebook downloads, etc.)

5% of content will be about your company culture

Placing these different post types in your content calendar will ensure you maintain the right mix.

If you're starting from scratch and you're not sure what types of content to post, try the 80-20 rule:

80% of your posts should inform, educate, or entertain your audience

20% can directly promote your brand.

You could also try the social media content marketing rule of thirds:

One-third of your content promotes your business, converts readers, and generates profit.

One-third of your content shares ideas and stories from thought leaders in your industry or like-minded businesses.

One-third of your content is personal interactions with your audience

Don't post too much or too little

If you're starting a social media marketing strategy from scratch, you may not have figured out how often to post to each network for maximum engagement yet.

Post too frequently and you risk annoying your audience. But, if you post too little, you risk looking like you're not worth following.

Start with these posting frequency recommendations:

Instagram (feed): 3-7 times per week

Facebook: 1-2 times per day

Twitter: 1-5 times per day

LinkedIn: 1-5 times per day

Pro tip: Once you have your social media content calendar planned out, use a scheduling tool to prepare messages in advance rather than updating constantly throughout the day.

We might be biased, but we think Hootsuite is the best social media management tool. You can schedule social media posts to every network and the intuitive calendar view gives you a full picture of all your social activity each week.

Step 8. Create compelling content

Remember those mission statements you created for each channel in Step 5? Well, it's time to go a bit deeper, a.k.a. provide some examples of the type of content you'll post to fulfill your mission on each network.

If you're not sure what to post, here's a long list of social media content ideas to get you started.

The idea here is to:

Keep your content aligned with the purpose of each network;

Show other stakeholders (if applicable) what kind of content they can expect to see on each network.

This last point especially will help you avoid any tension when your colleagues want to know why you haven't posted their case study/whitepaper/blog post to TikTok yet. It's not in the strategy, Linda!

Ideally, you will generate content types that are both suited to the network and the purpose you've set out for that network.

For example, you wouldn't want to waste time posting brand awareness tweets if you've designated Twitter for primarily customer support. And you wouldn't want to post super polished corporate video ads to TikTok, as users expect to see short, unpolished videos on that platform.

It might take some testing over time to figure out which type of content works best on which type of network, so prepare to update this section frequently.

We won't lie: content creation isn't as easy as everyone not on the social team seems to think. But if you're struggling, Amanda suggests going back to basics.

The first question to ask is: is there cohesion between your content types? Is your content providing value? Do you have a good mix of entertaining, or educational content? What does it offer that makes a person stop and spend time? Creating a few different content pillars or categories that encompass different aspects of storytelling for your brand, and what you can offer your audience is a good start.

This brings us to Step 9.

Step 9. Track performance and make adjustments

Your social media marketing strategy is a hugely important document for your business, and you can't assume you'll get it exactly right on the first try. As you start to implement your plan and track your results, you may find that some strategies don't work as well as you'd anticipated, while others are working even better than expected.

Look at performance metrics

In addition to the analytics within each social network (see Step 2), you can use UTM parameters to track social visitors as they move through your website, so you can see exactly which social posts drive the most traffic to your website.

Re-evaluate, test, and do it all again

Once this data starts coming in, use it to re-evaluate your strategy regularly. You can also use this information to test different posts, social marketing campaigns, and strategies against one another. Constant testing allows you to understand what works and what doesn't, so you can refine your social media marketing strategy in real time.

You'll want to check the performance of all your channels at least once a week and get to know the basics of social media reporting so you can track your growth over time.

Pro tip: If you use Hootsuite, you can review the performance of all your posts on every network in one place. Once you get the hang of checking your analytics, you may even want to customize different reports to show specific metrics over a variety of different time periods.

Surveys can also be a great way to find out how well your social media strategy is working. Ask your followers, email list, and website visitors whether you're meeting their needs and expectations, and what they'd like to see more of. Then make sure to deliver on what they tell you.

Finalizing your social media strategy

Spoiler alert: nothing is final.

Social media moves fast. New networks emerge, others go through demographic shifts.

Your business will go through periods of change as well.

All of this means that your social media marketing strategy should be a living document that you review and adjust as needed. Refer to it often to stay on track, but don't be afraid to make changes so that it better reflects new goals, tools, or plans.

When you update your social strategy, make sure to watch our 5-step video on how to updating your social media strategy for 2023:

Social media strategy template

What's next? When you're ready to put your plan into action, we're here to help...
Save time managing your social media marketing strategy with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can easily:

Plan, create, and schedule posts to every network

Track relevant keywords, topics, and accounts

Stay on top of engagement with a universal inbox

Get easy-to-understand performance reports and improve your strategy as needed

Try Hootsuite for Free With files from Shannon Tien.

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How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy [Template]

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Creating your social media marketing strategy doesn't need to be painful. Create an effective plan for your business in 9 simple steps.

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Before creating a digital strategy I thought it would be a good idea to assess my current social media presence:

•Facebook: very little engagement. I use it to chat to people on messenger, wish people a happy birthday, but hardly ever create content or engage with other people's content. Few, old and low quality photos which say very little about my interests, hobbies or personality.

•Instagram: I use it to share photos (mostly travel photos). I also use it to watch other people's stories but haven't yet created one myself. Number of followers 116. Highest number of likes for a photo 52.

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FACEBOOK:
•Improve quantity and quality of photographs to give people a better idea of my interests, personality, and that projects a positive image.
•Create more content.
•Increase likes and shares of my content to improve visibility.
•Support friends with their projects by sharing their content (they will likely return the favour).

INSTAGRAM:
•Start creating stories (at least one per week).
•Gain 1000 followers.
•Upload pictures more frequently and consistently (3 per week).
•Add photos of myself (not just travel pics).
•Increase number of likes to minimum 100 per picture.

LINKEDIN:
•Create a network (gain 100 connections in the next week).
•Join groups.
•Engage with and create content.
•Update my profile regularly.

YOUTUBE:
•Create a Youtube channel where I can upload any videos I make (both personal projects and work related projects).
•Create at least one video a month.
•Gain 200 followers within the first month.

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•Facebook: people I know (relatives, colleagues, my boss, future employers, friends, classmates).
•Instagram: close friends only.
•Linkedin: public, aimed at potential employers, colleagues and peers.
•Youtube: everyone (including people I don't know).

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FACEBOOK:
•to give people a sense of who I am and what my interests are.
•to project trustworthiness and a positive image.

INSTAGRAM:
•Personal account: to interact with close friends, for creative projects, to find like-minded people.
•Work account: advertising, marketing.

LINKEDIN:
•Finding jobs.
•Self-branding.
•Joining groups and projects
•Presenting my skills, experience

YOUTUBE:
•Personal channel: as a means of self-expression and creativity (music videos, short films, etc.)
•Work channels: advertising, marketing, educational videos, etc.

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Blog on how to impress employers on social media

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Blog on how to impress employers on social media

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We've all been told not to over share on social media when we're actively looking for a new job but it turns out there ways to use social media that will impress recruiters, according to the Jobvite 2017 Recruiter Nation Report.

The top three items recruiters like to see on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms when they're researching candidates are:

Written or design work (preferred by 65% of recruiters)

Engagement in volunteering, mentoring and nonprofits (63%)

Mutual connections (35%)

"We love to look at what candidates are sharing," says Rachel Bitte, chief people officer at Jobvite. "The overarching theme is this: Are candidates sharing information to brag, or are they sharing information to educate, teach and share things they are proud of and that someone can learn from? If it's the latter, that is going to reflect well on the candidate." If you select the right items to share and the appropriate forum, you will present yourself positively, she says.

For instance, when Bitte is researching candidates on social media she will look at what they share about their workplace and their achievements, what topics they have a passion for, and what they are retweeting. Linkedin is a great way to share documents, reports and presentation you've created as well as awards you've received. Candidates sharing those items get extra points, she says. "Instagram is a fun place to share photos of yourself doing fundraising work," she adds. "It shows us what you have a passion for."

And while candidates may be concerned about showing passion for events and organizations that might be considered political, Jobvite CEO Dan Finnigan says the key is to be authentic. You don't want to pretend you're not who you are. "Job seekers should put their best foot forward in as many opportunities as they can but, at the same time, we don't want them to be afraid of being authentically who they are," he says.

The key, Finnigan says, is to be sure you really believe in what you are saying and doing before you share it on social media. He even admits that there are things he posts on social media that might turn off future employers and collaborators but he recognizes that, if he really believes in something and if that view offends a potential employer, then maybe that company or partnership isn't the best fit.

His recommendation? "Be honest, and show a half-full, optimistic approach."

For those who still need a review of what not to post on social media, here are the top eight social media no-no's, according to the Jobvite study:

Marijuana use, 61% of recruiters say this would make them think twice before extending an offer to a candidate.

Political rants, 51%

Spelling and grammar errors, 48%

Alcohol consumption, 35%

Showing off wealth or big purchases, 19%

Showing too much skin, 16%

Limited social presences, 12%

Selfies, 7%, down from 18% last year, and 25% in 2015

While selfies were once seen by recruiters as a sign of a candidate being too self-centered, they're not viewed that way anymore, Finnigan says.

... Read More

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Three Ways To Use Social Media To Impress Recruiters

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We've all been told not to over share on social media when we're actively looking for a new job but it turns out there ways to use social media that will impress recruiters, according to the Jobvite 2017 Recruiter Nation Report.

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According to the 2020 Recruiter Nation Report, the use of Linkedin for recruiting has gone down from 92% to 72% in the last three years, while the use of Instagram has gone up from 18% to 37%.

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SITES:
•Facebook: 60%
•Twitter: 38%
•Youtube: 27%

(stats retrieved from Recruiter Nation Survey 2020)

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Key learnings:
•Employers will likely check your social media pages before hiring you
•But, making all your social media accounts private may not be a good idea as recruiters want to get a sense of who you are
•This is especially true for digital companies
•Join groups related to your work as sometimes job opportunities are posted
•Make an online portfolio (like this one!) to share your work. You can add a link to your social media pages.

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Are you only using social media to share pictures of your lunch, keep tabs on exes and update everyone on Love Island? If so, you're doing it wrong.
There's so much more to social media than a mindless scroll - if you play your cards right, you could be a few tweets away from landing yourself your dream job.

With such a competitive job market, graduates are having to get more and more creative in order to get noticed.

Jazzing up your online presence and getting smart with what you post online will help you secure your dream job.

How to use social media to find a job

These are the best and most effective ways of using social media to get a job:

1. Share an online portfolio or CV on social media

To use your social media effectively during your job search, the first step should be to create a tailored blog, portfolio website or social media page to showcase your work.

If you want to be a journalist, for example, you could create a simple website or blog showcasing your articles. This is the ideal way to market yourself online, and you can easily build a basic website in less than 20 minutes.

Or, you could go a step further by offering something fancy like a YouTube video or an online infographic about your experience and interests.

By creating an online portfolio, you'll be able to quickly direct potential employers to your best work and impress them with your skills. You can then share the site on your social media pages, perhaps even pinning it to the top of your Facebook and Twitter, to get your work noticed.

It takes no time at all to set up a WordPress website, but it goes a long way to help you stand out from the crowd - especially if you're applying for a job in an online industry.

If someone is looking to join the STS team and they've got a well-laid-out website, it can give you an insight into their previous work, as well as what makes them tick. It's almost an extra step beyond just a simple CV.
Jake, Save the Student's Operations Guy

2. Actively search for jobs on LinkedIn and Twitter

If you're not already, we'd really recommend getting into the habit of regularly searching for vacancies on LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as job sites.

LinkedIn's jobs section is filled with great opportunities and handy features. For example, some jobs on there have an 'Easy Apply' function, which means all you need to do to apply is send in your CV.

On Twitter, you can try searching for specific hashtags like #nowhiring and #graduatejobs to see posts that link directly to job ads. You could also search for ones tailored to your chosen industry, like #engineeringjobs and #mediacareers. And if that's not enough, we've got plenty more tips on finding a job using Twitter in our guide.

3. Edit the privacy settings on your social media

As a general rule, you should assume that employers will look at your social media before inviting you in for an interview.

And let's be honest - there's nothing worse than getting to a job interview, only to find out they've seen that picture of you necking a bottle of vodka in the buff.

If there are any posts or photos on your social accounts that you wouldn't want a potential employer to see, tweak your privacy settings.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you should hide everything. As social media's now such a massive part of our lives, some employers may even view it as a negative if they can't find out anything at all about you online - particularly if they're a digital company.

If you're unsure what a recruiter might find out about your online, Google yourself in an incognito window (search results in a normal window will be affected by your browsing history). Put your name and university/current employer into Google and see what comes up.

You can also track yourself down on Facebook by entering your email address into the search bar - just make sure you're not logged in already, otherwise the exercise is a bit pointless.

No matter how strict your privacy settings, people will always be able to see your profile pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and WhatsApp (if they have your number), so make sure these are respectable.

4. Engage in social media debates and discussions

Following and liking posts by companies, job search experts and people in general that you want to impress is something you should be doing as a given. But very rarely will this result in them approaching you with an opportunity (although it does happen occasionally).

There are always plenty of interesting discussions going on across social media concerning every industry. Even if you're looking to get into a pretty niche area like, say, the preservation of lawnmowers manufactured in the 1920s, there's probably something for you.

Keep an eye on debates by setting Google alerts for key topics, searching hashtags on Twitter and looking for industry-relevant groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Engaging in these debates, and doing your research to make sure you know your stuff, is a surefire way to impress. Make sure your comments are articulate, well thought out, considerate of others (rudeness won't get you anywhere) and written in perfect English.

Posting relevant articles you find interesting, and keeping up with the sorts of developments and challenges your industry is facing, is also excellent preparation for any upcoming job interviews.

As your followers and reputation begin to grow online, who wouldn't want to hire you?

5. Show your personality online

Developing yourself as an online brand doesn't mean you should become so self-aware that you become devoid of all sense of humour and personality.

Stay professional, but also try to show you're an interesting person who people would want to spend time with in the office! Recruiters will be looking for someone who is not only capable but also likeable and well-rounded.

When presenting your professional-self online, focus on doing so on LinkedIn, and then you can show a bit more about your life outside of work (while still keeping it clean) on other channels like Twitter and Instagram.

6. Be understated about your job search on social media

Using social networks to find a job is the aim of the game, but you don't want to appear desperate for any job going. A constant stream of "please hire me" tweets will reflect negatively on you and drown out any intelligent discussions you may have previously had.

The key is to put yourself out there as a proactive and knowledgable person, keeping an eye on opportunities and engaging directly with relevant people along the way.

If you're trying to get your foot in the door, be creative when posting online. Pitching an idea, story or project that would be of interest to the company is a great tactic and demonstrates that you're a self-starter.

7. Meet online contacts for coffee

If you do manage to build up a good discussion with someone online, try to take it offline so you make a more lasting impression.

Social media updates at such a fast pace that it's easy to forget someone who has impressed you fairly quickly. Proposing you meet up for a quick coffee to discuss some ideas is always a good way in.

When you email them to invite them for coffee, avoid using vague clichéd sentences like "I'd love to pick your brain about XYZ" and lead with "I have an idea for XYZ that I'd love to hear your take on." This will make you sound professional, and it will show you have something to offer them in exchange for their time.

8. Keep up with industry news online

Remember that, just as recruiters can find out info about you on social networks, you can keep an eye on what they're up to as well.

Find out which areas the company specifically works in, what projects they've been doing lately, or any other insights you can glean from their channels.

The online research will work wonders in interviews. "Oh, you're interested in these topics I happened to bring up? What are the chances?" 😉

Make sure you don't go too overboard with the social media research, though, and ask the interviewer about a different company they used to work for or whether they liked the paella they had for lunch last week. Otherwise, you might come across as a bit stalker-ish.

9. Join groups related to your work and industry

There's no point in keeping all your great ideas to yourself. On LinkedIn and Facebook, you can join groups or pages that are related to your career interests, and some of these groups even post job opportunities or shout outs looking for new candidates.

Try to also use hashtags on Twitter to find relevant discussions and to increase the engagement on your social media posts. This way, your posts will be more searchable to recruiters and can also bag you some influential followers.

10. Avoid using clichéd buzzwords in posts

If your LinkedIn summary or any of your social posts currently say that you're a passionate, results-driven team player who puts 110% into everything you do, it might be time for an update.

Clichés won't do you any favours when you're using social media to get a job. Instead, add a little creativity, originality and flair. Talk about what makes you unique to convince employers to hire you, rather than the innumerable job searchers you're up against.

A classic lesson on this comes from the 2011 series of The Apprentice, where the charming Jim Eastwood was asked to describe himself without using a cliché.

He replied, "I'm exactly what it says on the tin".

11. Keep your social media profiles updated

To get the most out of social media while job searching, it's vital to keep each of your profiles up to date.

Check that your contact info and descriptions are accurate, and make sure all public posts (including ones going back a few years) reflect your current, professional self.

If you have multiple social channels that are full of tumbleweeds, like a blog with one post and a foodie Instagram with three photos (and so on), that can actually give a negative impression. It might look like you're not great at committing to a goal, or that you get bored easily.

12. Make creative online profiles

While we wouldn't suggest signing up for every single social network just for the sake of it, there is a world outside Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Picking out a few different tools and using them well can really make you stand out. Perhaps you could make a portfolio of your work on Instagram or Pinterest? If you're a visual thinker, you could show this by taking the time to curate your pages artistically.

Top tip: To make your Instagram and Pinterest profiles really stand out, you could try making animated posts on sites like Canva.

Unsure what to put in the skills section of your LinkedIn profile? Check out the list of skills that employers look for.

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12 ways to use social media to get a job

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Are you only using social media to share pictures of your lunch, keep tabs on exes and update everyone on Love Island? If so, you're doing it wrong. There's so much more to social media than a mindless scroll - if you play your cards right, you could be a few tweets away from landing yourself your dream job.

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Skills and endorsements

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MY (REIMAGINED) PRIVACY POLICY FOR FACEBOOK

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MY (REIMAGINED) PRIVACY POLICY FOR FACEBOOK

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WHAT INFORMATION WE COLLECT:

We will only collect information that is necessary in order to provide our services. Only information such as age, gender and nationality will be collected. Information such as connections, activities or interests will only be used to provide you with out services.

Ads and sponsored content:

Only basic information (such as age, gender and nationality) will be used to personalise ads. No other information you provide on Facebook will be shared with advertisers.

Analytics:

We provide information on your purchases to advertisers so that they can determine the effectiveness of their adds. However this will only include information on purchases and basic information (demographics).

Contact information:

We will only ever communicate with you to inform you of changes to our privacy policy.

WHAT INFORMATION IS SHARED:

•You choose who you share your information with.

•Public information such as your profile pic will be visible to everyone.

•Content you create can be shared by your connections.

•Your information will never be shared with third parties, except with the authorities in response to legal requests.

GDPR RIGHTS:

•You have the right to access and delete your information at any time in Settings

•You have the right to object to your information being used for marketing.

DATA RETENTION:

•We store data for as long as necessary in order for us to provide our services. However, if a user has been inactive for 6 months their account and all their information will be automatically deleted.

CHANGES TO POLICY:

You will be informed in advance of any changes to our privacy policy.

HOW TO CONTACT US

If you have any questions regarding privacy you can contact us by email, phone, or in the online help chat on Facebook.

ADDITIONAL RIGHTS

•You have the right to informed and conscious use. If you are a minor, you (and your parents) will be provided with educational material on how the internet works.

•You have the right to digital literacy. Whether you are a minor or an adult, before using Facebook you must complete a short digital literacy course online, after which you will be asked to complete a test. Only if you successfully pass the test you will be able to start using Facebook.

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My reimagined version of Facebook’s privacy policy differs significantly from the original as it is based solely on my own needs (sense of privacy,  security) and for the most part ignores FB's interests.

As such, it permits Facebook to collect only information that is necessary for the provision of its services.

Thus, several sections of Facebook’s privacy policy were removed. In terms of what information can be collected, clauses that allow Facebook to use personal information (such as friends, activities or interests) to make suggestions or personalise content and advertisements were not included.

Furthermore, my version doesn’t permit Facebook to: use face-recognition software, identify a user's location, or share information (other than the bare minimum) with third-parties (except when legally required to do so).

Similarly to Facebook’s privacy policies, GDPR rights are protected. However, in order to (better) comply with all 5 rights proposed by Kedron, two additional clauses were added at the end: the first states that minors are entitled to be provided with educational material on how the internet works, and the second states that before using Facebook, users will be given a brief digital literacy course after which they will have to pass a test to gain access to the platform.

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HOW I CAN USE INFOGRAPHICS IN MY PERSONAL LIFE

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HOW I CAN USE INFOGRAPHICS IN MY PERSONAL LIFE

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•to create visually appealing content across my social media accounts
•to present data/ research/ knowledge (at university for example)
•to help raise awareness on an issue
•can be added to Linkedin or other social media sites

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HOW I CAN USE INFOGRAPHICS IN THE WORKPLACE

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HOW I CAN USE INFOGRAPHICS IN THE WORKPLACE

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•for marketing (on social media, in emails...)
•to drive traffic to a business website or blog
•to create a digital strategy for a business
•simplifying information for customers

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My digital strategy | Piktochart Visual Editor