LinkedIn for Dummies

Prior to my Social Media Marketing course, I knew very little about LinkedIn. When our professor asked us if we had a LinkedIn page, I was one of the only students who did not raise my hand! So, I figured it's time I hop on the bandwagon and see what this site is all about.

What is LinkedIn?

• LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site
• Known as the world's largest professional network
• Over 300 million users
• Founded in December 2002, launched in May 2003
• Can be used for many different purposes
• Build your professional identity on the internet
• Connect with colleagues and former classmates
• Discover new business opportunities
• Get recent news and updates 
• It is important for people to be active on LinkedIn and make connections
• You never know where a job opportunity could arise!
• Visit the site here: LinkedIn

http://www.bbrmarketing.com/blog/a-new-look-for-linkedin-profile-pages/

This is an example of a sample LinkedIn profile. The layout of a LinkedIn profile reminds me a lot of Facebook, especially how your default photo is towards the top left of the page, with personal information to the right as well as below. Also similar to Facebook, the right side shows "people you may know", which allows you to connect with even more people. 

My Experience with LinkedIn

I decided to create a LinkedIn profile. I'm going to begin searching for jobs and internships in the near future, so why wait? 

Creating my profile was simple and easy. The site seems to be very user-friendly. It asked me basic questions, such as my zip code, education, and work experience. Next, it asked what my "skills and expertise" were. You type in a skill and then a list of skills shows up below that you can choose from. I was unsure of how many skills I should put, but I went with Marketing Communications (because it's my major), leadership, organization skills, and Microsoft office Skills. It also asked some questions that I simply skipped over because they didn't apply to me. For instance, I skipped over the "choose industry" question. I don't think this really applies to me yet, as I am unsure of the specific career path I want to choose. 

Right now, it rated my profile strength as "beginner". There are many more things I can add to my profile, but for now I wanted to just get a glimpse on how the site works. 

LinkedIn seems like a great website. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a job or trying to make connections with different people or organizations. It reminds me of an online resume! I can definitely see myself using LinkedIn on a more serious level as I begin to search for jobs down the road. 

http://www.brandwatch.com/2012/03/9254/

Facebook Has No Age Limit

This weekend, I have made some realizations about Facebook, and I'm starting to think that it isn't what it used to be. I have grown out of my extreme "Facebook phase" that I once found myself in, and I don't use it nearly as much as I used to.  I would say that in high school I was at my peak of using Facebook, checking it multiple times a day. Now, I spend more of my time on Twitter and Instagram. One realization I made was that Facebook is full of "older" adults.

I try to post pictures periodically to let my friends and extended family know what I've been up to. This morning I posted a bunch of pictures of my friends and I at the Luke Bryan concert we attended (which was AMAZING if I must add). Almost all of the comments and "likes" I got on the pictures were from my relatives- all of whom are around my parents age! It also seems like anytime I put up pictures and tag my friends in them, I get a comment or like from their mom, aunt, grandparent, and practically the whole family. Facebook is full of the "older" generation of people now (Sorry Mom!). Back in 2008 when I joined Facebook, it was full of kids my age. Now, I have tons of Facebook friends who are my parents' age and older!

http://www.felicityfields.com/numbers-facebook-worth-time/

Facebook and Business

• Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites for companies to use.
• It is important for companies to use their Facebook page to effectively reach out to their target market
• According to our class textbook, "Facebook is the Internet".
• People spend so much time on Facebook that they end up using it to search for almost anything. They are spending less time on search engine websites like Google, and more time on social networking sites like Facebook. 
• More than 80% of Americans between 13 and 24 are on Facebook, and over half of these users are active everyday (According to research from The Social Habit). 

Since the average age of Facebook users is moving more towards middle aged and older people, businesses may need to reevaluate if Facebook is really the site for them. Companies that are trying to reach out to teens may want to think about using other sites, like Twitter or Instagram. Facebook may have been the most effective site for some businesses to use in the past, but this might not be the case anymore. Like we've discussed in class, social media is a field that is constantly changing. New technology and apps are coming out everyday. Who knows- Facebook might be replaced by something even better one day!

Overall, in my point of view Facebook is now full of parents and grandparents. Now that the tables have turned, it seems like parents are more likely to be on Facebook than their kids! Despite what it used to be, these days Facebook has no age limit. 

http://gossipgenie.com/old-people-on-facebook/ 

Social Media Spreads Information Like Wildfire

For my Social Media Marketing Class, I have to create a weekly blog post regarding any topic we have discussed in class. Believe it or not, this is my first time ever writing a blog post! So, bare with me as I learn how this whole blog world works.

In class, we discussed that social media and tradition media differ because of the following:

• Quality
• Reach                                                    
• Frequency
• Usability
• Permanence
• Immediacy

Social Media has become the fastest way of communicating information to millions of people- FAST! It spreads information immediately.

I have worked part-time at Big Y World Class Market since I was 16. As a cashier, I never really knew much about how the company uses social media to advertise. This summer, however, I got a glimpse of how Big Y uses Facebook and I was very impressed with the results it had on one particular sale.

This photo was posted to the Big Y Facebook page on August 15th- and the sale was a huge success. I happened to be working the day of this sale, and the store was busy until the moment it closed. Once this deal was posted online, people began seeing it and telling all of their friends. Customers had to come in and give the cashier the promotional code that they could only find from seeing the Facebook advertisement. 

The sale was extremely successful and brought lots of business to the store that day. It showed how the internet is one of the best, fastest ways to reach your customers. All it takes is a simple Facebook post to reach many customers.

This example from my work shows how effective Facebook posts can be to advertise to your consumers. If you want to get word out fast, post it onto your Facebook page. Social media spreads information like wildfire!