The past decade has seen the unprecedented expansion of social media’s role in our daily lives – from the political arena to the business world – with heads of state and fast-food chains utilizing the medium to cultivate a following and network globally.
The potential of social media is still yet to be fully realized, as countless individuals and corporations continue to successfully establish global social networks with followers and professionals from around the world. Of the major social media platforms, three in particular – LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter – allow users to cultivate and personally interact with a global network of followers, influencing the thoughts and opinions of those who tune in.
This ability, or rather, power, to influence is worth exploring and understanding, as it can have a monumental effect on one’s professional career or business. This article will briefly explore the aforementioned platforms and their capacity to establish global social networks of influence and correspondence.
Founded in December of 2002, LinkedIn today boasts upwards of 630 million registered users, and has become a popular job-posting site as well as a social media platform. Established as a professional networking site, LinkedIn allows users to establish “connections” with coworkers, supervisors, and colleagues, to represent real-world professional relationships in the digital space.
Users can use the platform however they wish, but generally profiles are created to act as a virtual CV for the eyes of professionals who view their page. LinkedIn is a phenomenal tool for young professionals to establish their own global social network as they advance through their career. It is also a great place to list accomplishments and communicate with former supervisors and colleagues.
Users with an impressive collection of connections have a large pool of professional opinions and advice to call from, as well as potential references and endorsements. Indeed, LinkedIn is an essential tool for anyone looking to advance their career and prospects.
Considered today one of the “Big Four” technology companies along with Apple, Amazon, and Google, Facebook was founded in 2003 as a social networking site exclusively for Harvard students before expanding to anyone over the age of 13 in 2006.
The site now boasts 2.3 billion monthly users, and is considered by many as the largest marketing agency in the world. The platform has most recently come into the news for its role in the 2016 presidential campaign and its questionable marketing practices to users. Regardless of these issues, Facebook today remains a crucial global networking tool for professionals and business owners, as it allows for unparalleled personal and product promotion to literally billions of eyeballs with one simple click.
The reach and influence of Facebook cannot be overstated, especially with regard to the promotion of a product or business with one’s network of friends and followers.
Founded in March 2006, twitter boasts 321 million active users as of February 2019, and is considered by many the place where athletes, politicians, influencers, and common people interface and engage in debate. President Barack Obama was the first major politician to utilize the site’s format, which allows for users to follow one another and send 280 character “tweets,” expressing whatever thought they have at a given moment.
The former president forever changed the way the platform was viewed and used, as it has since become a virtual arena for discourse, marketing/campaigning, and protest. Users have the unique ability to cultivate a following, and to see all of their followers’ responses, and to directly interact with these respective followers, without any real barrier to entry. This facilitates an unmatched sense of openness and familiarity with public officials, celebrities, and the common people.
Twitter is the ideal place to express daily thoughts and opinions to a global network of followers, and to provide updates or market campaigns for a personal business.If you’re looking to establish or expand your personal network globally, these three sites are the ideal place to start. If you need any further advice or insight into the digital space or the world of tech, look no further than Techmoran.
