by 
By: Aysia Kezerian
While LinkedIn may be the first thing that comes to your mind when it comes to professional networking, Twitter can also be of great use when it comes to connecting directly with different companies and corporations. Here are 5 simple ways to maximize your use of Twitter to expand your professional network:
- Follow, follow, follow – Follow all companies and businesses that catch your interest and also fit in to your specific industry you wish to be a part of, doing this will open both your eyes to new companies and ideally draw attention from the eyes of potential employers.
- Tweet at companies and employees – sometimes this might seem intimidating, but most business professionals enjoy replying to what you have to say to them. This also allows well-established professionals to get to know your name and what you could potentially bring to their organization.
- Tweet and retweet relevant information specific to your industry – if you are hoping to one day work in the entertainment industry, be sure to tweet out articles and your personal opinions about related subjects. This shows people that you are truly passionate about your industry of choice and that you are well-versed in the subject.
- Link your Twitter to other social media outlets to further expand your networking – Tweet out your linkedin web address to people and ask them to join there if you feel that Twitter is too casual of a setting. Just know that it is a great place to get started with introducing yourself to people in the industry.
- Use your Twitter to express your personal brand – along with tweeting out interesting and relevant articles regarding your industry of choice, use your Twitter to highlight your hobbies and passions as well. According to Cindy King at Social Media Examiner, “painting a picture of who you are with your twitter bio” allows for a quick and efficient way for people to get an insight of who you are. Promoting your personal brand via social media is crucial and allows businesses to relate with you.
Overall, using your Twitter and other social media outlets to expand your professional network is a crucial tool in today’s world and is something that is constantly moving and changing – overall, being consistent and professional is key. If you’re going to promote yourself a certain way, be sure to follow through and maintain your virtual image as you want to be portrayed. Twitter is an excellent tool for networking in all industries, and if done so right, it might just get you a job!
Aysia,
Thanks for the helpful tips! I was just curious if you did some research to bring these points together or if it is your own personal experience as the best approach to professionalism on Twitter. I think you have some good advice here. I actually have a friend who got her first public relations job right out of college because she tweeted at the company, and things progressed from there! There are definitely some advantages to being twitter savvy and understanding how to communicate with potential employees.
I think that most of us forget that social media is all about social networking and how important it can be with job applications and interviews. We are a part of a generation that has turned a classic paper resume into a LinkedIn account, a physical portfolio to an online publication branded with a personal touch. Twitter is such an easy way for us all to connect to people we look up to in the professional world or hope to be an employer for. Thanks for talking about this since I think a lot of people forget how impactful Twitter can be!
Aysia,
I wrote a post about how companies should use social platforms to become influencers, and this post is very relevant as well! A lot of your points put some of my points in more detail. Your third point I think is really important for businesses to understand. I would add that retweeting without any content from the business retweeting shouldn’t be a common habit. I say this because I feel that without context of what the business is thinking when they’re retweeting can look almost lazy, possibly, to the consumer. What are your thoughts?