Power of Social Networking in College
First of all let me define what Social Media is because I know there are some of us who don't completely understand what it means and that is perfectly fine. I had to go to Wikipedia to look up the definition the first time I heard the term. According to the Wiki, " Social media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques ". It is the phenomenon through which we interact with our friends and family using the internet.
Facebook is the world's largest social networking site. Almost every college student has a Facebook profile. That is right, almost every because there is a very small percentage of students who are not on Facebook. I guess that gives Mark Zuckerberg something to think about to capture the imagination of that small percentage of students.
There is more to Social Media than just Facebook
Twitter is another great social networking website. The unique feature that Twitter provides users is it's micro blogging service. Users can send and read messages called tweets. Wikipedia calls Twitter the "SMS of the internet". You can get to know people based on your profile, just like the way those dating websites match prospective partners based on common interest.
The truth is that the earlier you get on Twitter in college, the better it is for you and your career. You can have a cool profile where everyone can get to know more about you. Don't be surprised when you land in the real world and see everyone communicating more through twitter than through Facebook. It is a reality.
Twitter is a lot about conversations. If you want to save a multi-party conversation, Twitter allows you to do that. If you like someone's post or in Twitter terms "tweet", you can re tweet. Twitter currently has around 190 million users worldwide and is growing at a great rate. If you aren't on it yet, don't waste any time and sign up for your Twitter account now !
LinkedIn together with Facebook and Twitter makes up the 3 giants of Social Networking. It can be better defined as a professional Facebook. If you are looking for an internship or a job, LinkedIn provides you great opportunities for that. You can find people of similar interests and network with them to find an opportunity in your desired field. It also allows you to view people you may know through your connections or friends.
If you have any creative ideas that you want to share or get other's opinion, LinkedIn is a great place for that.It has over 80 million users and is growing at a fast pace. There are a lot of enthusiastic souls on LinkedIn who like to cast their opinion. Some of them may share the same idea as you and that opens the door for a healthy network. Some of them maybe employers who might just offer you an internship or a job ! These are just some of the things that I know you can do on LinkedIn and there is plenty to explore out there. When you apply for a job or an internship, Employers Google you to find your online image and your LinkedIn profile casts a huge impression about who you are.
The Simple thing you need to do
Get on Twitter and LinkedIn if you already aren't on it. Social Networking is going to shape our future. These sites can reap you amazing benefits in your college life and career. Invest your time in these websites are learn about all the cool stuff you can do. It is probably going to be the most fruitful investment that you are ever going to make in college.
