As a professional in any industry, you should be using social networking to your advantage
. The statistics about the influence of social media are overwhelming. Major marketing campaigns; such as Pepsi's $20 million Super bowl campaign, have all but abandoned television and radio advertisements and have made the shift to marketing through social media. Facebook has taken it upon themselves to reinvent the way we do internet by infiltrating every webpage with the "like" button. Is your personal brand and business "liked"?
Google has moved away from its traditional search algorithm of simply searching for content, keyword, etc. They now include social media as part of the magical formula to create search results. When you search for your name I bet your Twitter and Facebook (if you have them) both come up on the first page of results. As a result, those who have not taken advantage of professional social networking are in danger of missing out on premium search result spots. Other search engines are adopting similar algorithms as well. They are all realizing the power that social media has on the virtual world.
Have you started to make your shift to social media? If you have already made the shift, how successful is it? To ensure success in your social media endeavors, remember that you should be participating in social media and creating content for your customers' and colleagues' benefit. Those who are purely self-serving rarely get very far in their professional social networking. Share interesting things. They don't have to be just about your company. Ask questions. The goal is to create an interaction between you and your followers or fans. What would they enjoy? Go for that.
It is important to find good examples of those who have already been successful in their social media campaign and to follow their example. There are great examples of both big and small brands that have huge success through social media. AT&T has even made the shift in light of its recent customer service complaints. Responding to customers on platforms where they already are is a big part of letting them know that they are heard. If you offer your expertise on a platform where they are already participating instead of requiring them to come to you lets them know that you are readily available to fill their needs. If you have an excellent example of success in social media please post it in the comments below.