Social Media: It’s Impact on the Job Market & Career Development

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Are you in the middle of an active job search? Well, you are not alone. In our digital-dominated world, social media has become a juggernaut influencing various facets of life, including the professional realm. It’s reshaping the job market and bolstering career development, effectively becoming a new cornerstone in the job search saga. Gone are the days when classified ads and firm handshakes were the alpha and omega of securing a role. Today, platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram are not just social watering holes but pivotal arenas where job opportunities bloom and professional networks thrive. This article aims to dissect both the lush benefits and the prickly challenges of wielding social media for job pursuits and career growth, guiding you to harness its profound power effectively.

The Changing Landscape of Job Search

Gone are the days when job seekers scour newspaper classifieds to circle potential leads with a red pen. The digital era has ushered in an exciting new chapter where social media plays the starring role in the job search narrative. Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Facebook have transformed job hunting into a dynamic and interactive experience, far removed from the static methods of yesteryear.
What makes this shift so thrilling? It’s not just that you have more job opportunities at your fingertips but also that you can connect directly with the movers and shakers of your industry. The walls that once separated eager applicants from employers have crumbled, replaced by the open network of social media.

  • Access to a global network – no longer confined by geography, job seekers can connect with employers worldwide.
  • Real-time updates – with social media, job postings can go viral instantly, offering fresh opportunities by the minute.
  • Insight into company culture – candidates can peek behind the curtain to see if a company’s values align with their own.

Indeed, the digital age has brought about a job search revolution, and riding the wave of this transformation is as exhilarating as it is essential.

Leveraging Social Media for Job Search

Imagine turning your digital footprint into a magnet for career opportunities. That’s the magic of social media in the job search sphere. Each platform is akin to a new stage, ready to showcase your professional persona. LinkedIn, the corporate Colosseum, stands as the undisputed champion for professional networking, while Twitter’s rapid-fire exchanges can connect you to industry leaders with just 280 characters. Not to be outdone, Facebook’s groups offer a goldmine for insider information and job postings.

  • Profile Optimization: Start by polishing your digital handshake – your profile. Tailor it to sing your skills and experiences with the harmony of SEO to catch the algorithms’ attention.
  • Engagement: Engage with content from potential employers to show your interest and expertise. Be an active participant, not a wallflower, in the digital dance of your industry.
  • Success Stories: Draw inspiration from success stories that illustrate the power of a tweet, a share, or a connection request in landing dream jobs
    By wielding social media wisely, you turn each post and update into a beacon, signaling your prowess to prospective employers.

Building Your Brand on Social Media

Imagine social media as a bustling marketplace where your profile is your storefront. To stand out in the noisy digital bazaar, personal branding becomes your beacon, guiding potential employers and collaborators through the sea of sameness. Your online persona should be as meticulously curated as a gallery owner would showcase art pieces with thought, purpose, and an audience understanding.

  • Showcase skills: Illustrate your professional repertoire through posts that reflect your expertise and accomplishments. Share articles, join conversations, and display your projects to paint a vibrant picture of your capabilities.
  • Experience narration: Let your career journey speak through a compelling narrative, connecting the dots of your experiences and milestones for onlookers to follow.
  • Authenticity: Your digital handshake should be as genuine as the real thing. Cultivate a profile that is true to your character, allowing your unique professional identity to blossom.

By sculpting a professional and authentic personal brand on social media, you lay the foundations for career opportunities to come knocking at your virtual door, inviting them into a world where your professional story is told with clarity and charisma.

Networking on Social Media

The advent of social media has transformed the art of networking into a digital dance, where connections are just a click away. Imagine social media as a bustling marketplace, ripe with potential partnerships and career opportunities waiting to be explored. One must dive into the interactive world of online groups and discussions to harness this power.

  • Join professional groups: Align yourself with individuals who share your professional interests and goals. It’s like joining a club, but your currency is your insights and expertise instead of a secret handshake.
  • Engage in discussions: Don’t be a wallflower! Participate actively in online forums. Chime in with your thoughts and strike up conversations. You never know when a simple comment could lead to a life-changing opportunity.
  • Build lasting relationships: Avoid treating connections like collectible cards. Nurture them with regular interaction and genuine interest. Remember, a strong network is like a tree—it grows deeper roots and broader branches with care and attention.

Adopting a strategy of thoughtful engagement and proactive networking on social media can be the wind beneath the wings of your career development. It’s not just about who you know but who knows you and what you bring.

Challenges of Using Social Media in Job Search

Navigating the social media maze comes with its own set of challenges and risks when job hunting. One stumble can lead to a privacy mishap or a tarnished online reputation. As much as social media opens doors, it can sometimes close them just as quickly.

  • Privacy Concerns: The line between professional and personal can often blur. It’s critical to set boundaries and control the visibility of your online activity to avoid potential employers or colleagues encountering less-than-professional content.
  • Online Reputation Management: Your digital footprint is like a tattoo; it’s pretty permanent and speaks volumes about you. A poorly managed online presence can become a job seeker’s Achilles’ heel.

Don’t let your digital shadow loom over your career prospects. Be strategic and reasonable in your social media use; ensuring a squeaky-clean and professional image is what pops up on a recruiter’s radar. With great power comes great responsibility, and the power of social media in a job search is no exception. Embrace it cautiously, and you’ll navigate the job market like a seasoned sailor steering through the digital sea of opportunities.

The Impact of Social Media on Career Development

The digital age has transformed the fabric of career progression, with social media emerging as a powerhouse for personal and professional evolution. It’s like a high-speed elevator in a skyscraper of opportunities; you can ascend to dizzying heights with the right buttons pushed. Through platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram, individuals are no longer mere job seekers but architects of their career paths.

  • Networking becomes a breeze when you can connect with industry leaders and peers worldwide, exchanging ideas and showcasing your prowess.
  • Skill development is at your fingertips with endless resources, webinars, and online courses shared across social networks.
  • Job opportunities often come knocking at your digital door, as recruiters actively scout for talent on social media, making it crucial to have an impressive online presence.

By leveraging the mighty clout of social media, professionals today are not just climbing the career ladder; they’re taking a quantum leap forward. This phenomenon underscores the potential for career advancement that social media harbors, provided one navigates this digital realm with savvy and strategy.

Conclusion

As we’ve surfed the waves of hashtags and tweets, it’s clear that social media is not just a digital cocktail party but a robust arena for job search and career development. From LinkedIn headhunting to Twitter job leads the employment landscape is at our fingertips, illuminated by the glow of our screens. Social media has come down like a hammer on the old-school job bulletin boards, reshaping how we look for jobs and develop and present our brand.

Embrace the digital age; your next career leap might be hiding in your next online connection. Whether you’re an aspiring mogul or a savvy professional, harness the power of likes, shares, and comments to build a network that transcends traditional boundaries. Yet, remember to navigate this realm with eyes wide open to the challenges, from privacy pitfalls to the ever-watchful eye on your digital footprint. As we march into the future, social media stands as both the paint and canvas for the masterpiece of your career story—use it wisely, and the possibilities are boundless.

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Nine Important Digital Marketing Tips for Businesses in 2024

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Digital marketing is a term to describe marketing practices that use digital technologies. It is not just about online advertising but also includes online communities, social media, and search engine optimization.
Digital marketing has changed how businesses operate in the 21st century. With the help of digital marketing, companies can connect with their target market more efficiently.
As of my last update in January 2023, digital marketing strategies continually evolve due to technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors, such as AI technology.  While specific trends have shifted, fundamental principles remain relevant. Here are nine essential digital marketing tips that could still be applicable in 2024.

1. Effective Marketing Strategy
Ensure you have a marketing strategy before you begin your campaign. Whether you’re selling a product or service, knowing your goals and how to achieve them is essential. Identify your target audience.

2. Create a Mobile-Friendly Website
You should also make sure that your website is mobile-friendly. This is important. Mobile users are a large portion of the market these days. Your website must look good on mobile devices, desktop computers, and laptops.
Mobile users are a large portion of the market these days. Additionally, websites should focus on mobile-friendly designs. Users should be able to view your website easily and quickly on any device, especially their mobile phones. Enhance user experience across all digital touchpoints. Fast-loading websites, intuitive navigation, and personalized content are crucial for engaging and retaining your potential customers.

3. Leverage AI and Automation
Implement AI-powered tools for data analysis, personalization, chatbots, and marketing automation. AI can streamline processes, analyze vast datasets for insights, and personalize marketing strategies at scale.

4. Video Marketing Dominance
Video content continues to reign supreme. Utilize live videos, stories, short-form videos like TikTok and Instagram Reels, and interactive video formats to captivate and engage audiences across platforms.

5. Social Commerce & Influencer Marketing
Consider social media marketing as part of your overall strategy, especially if you’re targeting specific audiences or demographics online. Social media has exploded in popularity and is now used for all types of marketing, from local businesses to multinational corporations. Leverage social media platforms for direct sales (social commerce). Collaborate with relevant influencers to reach targeted audiences and build trust through authentic endorsements. The key to these platforms is understanding how users interact with them, how they influence trends, and how you can benefit from them.

6. Build a Website That Attracts Customers
In today’s market, businesses often need help finding customers and making sales. The internet has become flooded with similar products, making it difficult to stand out. Select a good web theme and design that captures the eye. And use social media platforms such as Foursquare.com. to target local followers. A presence on Foursquare is one of the most popular social media tools for local businesses in 2024. Just go to foursquare.com and get familiar with it.

7. Create an Online Store with Customized Products
Online stores are a popular marketplace for many businesses to sell their products. There are many benefits of launching an online store, and some of those benefits include high conversions, low overhead costs, and access to social media.

8. SEO & Content Marketing
Prioritize relevant content that addresses user queries and needs. Optimize content for search engines, focus on semantic search, voice search optimization, and featured snippets to improve visibility and ranking.

9. Data Privacy & Personalization
With increasing concerns about data privacy, ensure compliance with regulations (e.g., General Data Protection Regulation GDPR or California Consumer Privacy Act CCPA) and prioritize transparency in data usage. Balance this with personalized marketing efforts that respect customer privacy.

Conclusion
The benefits of digital marketing include increased visibility for your company and increased sales and brand awareness for your brand. And as competition may increase for you in 2024, businesses need to use different types of digital marketing available for their campaigns. Digital marketers can succeed by learning about the tips described above and using them effectively in their campaigns.

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The Rise of Social Media Influencers

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How To Become a Social Media Influencer?

There is no denying the fact social media has emerged as the top priority of the young generation.
There’s been an interesting debate recently about social media networks and their impact on the search process. According to a recent study, social media use is widespread and has been shown to play an essential role in the lives of both adolescents and young adults. Remarkably, the development of digital platforms leads young adults to interact closely with their favorite celebrities, brands, and other users in the virtual world via two-way communication tools, such as live chats and comment options.
What Is An Influencer?
Interestingly, as social media platforms have grown, the digital world has created a new phrase, “social media influencers,” who become famous through their digital content on social media, compared to traditional celebrities who become famous on TV shows and films.
According to Amandalovesblogging.com, “An influencer on social media is a user who has achieved a certain amount of reliability and authenticity in a specific area or industry, which makes other individuals trust them. As the name suggests, the influencer can influence other users to choose a specific product or brand like food, art, travel, and culture.”
University research released in February 2022 conceptually identified social media influencer attributes such as language similarity, interest similarity, interaction frequency, and self-disclosure. It examined the respective effects of each dimension on perceived friendship and psychological well-being, consequently resulting in loyalty toward social media influencers. The authors collected and analyzed data from 388 social media users in the United States. In other words, social media users feel connected with social media influencers by interacting with them in the virtual world and perceiving them as more authentic in their fields, which embrace fashion, health, or music, than celebrity endorsements in traditional advertisements.
Based on these findings, this study proposes theoretical and managerial implications for the social media influencer marketing context. So, it suggests an impact on marketing. We will discuss more in this article.

Social Media Influence on Its Users
Celebrity influencers gained their reputation from traditional media channels and started actively creating social media content. Since they are celebrities, they already have fame and the opportunity to reach people in their hands. A powerhouse is somebody in your specialty or industry who influences your leading interest group.

Social Media Platforms Popular For Having Influencers
Twitter and Facebook can help make a piece of content become popular web-based in moments. We’ve previously discovered that genuine ‘tweets’ from real, intrigued individuals have become very popular daily on Twitter around the globe.
But with more than a billion users, Instagram has become one of the leading influencer marketing platforms in social media. Amanda adds: “The Instagram influencer platform has given numerous people the chance to become popular and have collaborated with the Instagram influencer network to promote their work. The influencers on social media, and in this case Instagram, are getting popular with every passing day, and many brands collaborate with the best Instagram influencer agency to get in contact with the wider audience and prove their value among them.” You can purchase Instagram followers and other social media followers as well, at quickfower.com.

Who Are Example Influencers on Social Media?
For the most part, it includes entertainers, sports stars, and other celebrities on social media, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Dwayne Johnson, Taylor Quick, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, and Khaby Lame to name a few.

Their Impact on Marketing?
Anything that framework is taken on for development and advancing capacity progression should be a brief worry considering the long development time for advantages in HR. The emerging example centers towards a shift from the enormous scope assembling of standard things, using scarcely gifted workers, towards extra specific things using a widely capable workforce and general, multi-reason machines.
Prior research in this field focused primarily on the visual and actual characteristics of social media influencers, like physical attractiveness or social attractiveness, to predict marketing outcomes, such as positive attitudes toward and favorable intention for a product advertised by the influencers. In particular, loyalty toward social media influencers leads followers to have a strong sense of product or brand association and thus perceive them and advertisements as persuasive and authentic. Accordingly, users are more likely to behave favorably toward the products social media influencers advertise to endorse the influencers and support their fame and social status.
For example, according to Kim and Kim, social media platforms provide users with virtual spaces to consume celebrities’ digital content and interact with social media influencers and other users in the social media community, leading users to form positive emotions in the digital world that transfer to happiness and pleasure in the real world. Interestingly, more recently, young people on social media have been compelled to become online influencers. Ironically, these celebrity influencers have influenced users on social media in more ways than one. So, the question arises: Can I become a social media influencer myself? Here are just a few tips.

How to Become an Influencer?
Tips to Becoming a Social Media Influencer.
1. Find your niche.
2. Choose your social media channel.
3. Develop your content strategy.
4. Distribute your content correctly.
5. Grow your community.
6. Engage and make friends with your followers.
For example, Instagram-Amanda Loves Blogging again reveals: “To become an Instagram influencer, you first must choose the area where your interest lies. Please do not choose a niche by watching others become famous through it. As an influencer marketing platform, Instagram gives you many chances to become famous. You can influence others with your talent, and with your creativity, you can also gain Instagram followers. You can be a food lover, for example, and with your amazing love for cuisines and understanding of taste, you can become a food blogger and, through that, an Instagram influencer. You can achieve it by getting the assistance of an Instagram influencer agency and by getting paid Instagram followers. Write an appealing bio & engage with your followers.”
Conclusion
The primary purpose of this study was to predict users’ loyalty toward their favorite social media influencers from the perspectives of perceived friendship and psychological well-being, which were initially determined by social media influencer attributes, including perceived language similarity, interest similarity, interaction frequency, and self-disclosure. The empirical findings of this study proposed a new insight into social media influencer marketing, particularly within the context of strategic partnerships between a brand/product and social media influencers.
But for more tips on how to become a social media influencer, visit amandalovesblogging.com, nealschaffer.com, and hubspot.com.

Contributed by Jihye Kim and Minseong Kim.

Jihye Kim University of Kentucky, Lexington
Min Seong Kim LSU at Shreveport, Louisiana

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The Use Of AI in Content Creation. What Are The Pros and Cons?

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It has been called the future of writing! Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved in recent years, and it is increasingly used to create marketing content. With the growth of digital marketing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in content marketing transforms how businesses engage with their audience. As AI continues to evolve, it offers immense potential for small business owners, entrepreneurs, social media managers, and individuals seeking to enhance their social media presence. However, as with any technology, there are pros and cons. In this post, we will dive into the advantages and disadvantages of using AI in content marketing, shedding light on how this technology can shape your marketing strategy.

Understanding Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, as opposed to the intelligence of humans. Artificial intelligence was founded as an academic discipline in 1956, and in the years since, it has experienced several waves of optimism. AI applications include advanced web search engines like Google Search, understanding human speech such as Alexa, self-driving cars like Waymo VIA, and generative or creative tools such as ChatGPT and AI-generated art. The software’s now being made and improved to create and produce fantastic images and illustrations from scratch. Some examples of this are mid-journey, accomplice, and breeder, to name a few.

AI for Content Creation or writing tools, also known as AI content writers, are pieces of software that generate text based on user input powered by artificial intelligence. AI writers can generate human-like text content with the power of AI technology. AI writing tools are being used by businesses to produce content for their blogs and promotional strategies like Jasper.ai,  Writersonic, and ChatGPT, to name a few. To find more and what’s suitable for you-just do extensive research on Google.

What Are The Pros and Cons?

The Pros of AI Technology for Content Marketing.

  • Efficiency: AI can analyze data, identify trends, and generate insights quickly, allowing
    businesses to create content that is timely and relevant to their audience.
  • Rationalization: AI can help enterprises create content tailored to their audience’s needs and interests, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates
  • Cost-effective: AI technology can reduce the cost of content creation, making it more accessible to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Scalability: AI can create large amounts of content quickly, making it ideal for companies that need to create a high volume of content regularly.

The Cons of AI Technology for Content Marketing.

  • Lack of Creativity: AI can create content quickly but needs more creativity and originality than human-generated content. AI-generated content may be more formulaic and less engaging than human-generated content.
  • Lack of Emotional Intelligence: Lack of the human touch. AI cannot understand emotions, which can lead to tone-deaf or insensitive content.
  • Dependence on Data: AI relies on data to generate insights, which can lead to a narrow focus on metrics and a need for more consideration of qualitative factors
  • Risk of Errors: AI can make mistakes, mainly if not adequately programmed or trained. Thus resulting in inaccurate or inappropriate content.

Using Artificial Intelligence Effectively

Tips on Using AI Technology
Here are some tips for using this powerful software effectively:
AI technology has the potential to revolutionize content marketing, but it has its drawbacks. It is vital for businesses to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of using AI in their content marketing strategy and to use it as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, human-generated content.

The Emergence With Social Media
Social media enables medical professionals and authorities to digitally share, disseminate, monitor, and manage health-related information through online communities such as Twitter and Facebook. At the same time, it has helped social media platforms with digital capabilities for organizations to select, screen, detect and predict problems with possible solutions through digital health data. Both the patients and healthcare professionals have benefited from such improvements. However, ethical concerns related to the use of AI raised by stakeholders need scrutiny, which could help organizations obtain trust, minimize privacy invasion, and eventually facilitate the responsible success of AI-enabled social media operations.

Conclusion
As AI continues to shape the content marketing landscape, it offers unparalleled advantages in efficiency, rationalization, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. Nonetheless, businesses must acknowledge its limitations, such as the lack of creativity, emotional intelligence, and potential errors. By striking the right balance between AI-generated content and human ingenuity, businesses can unlock the true potential of AI, amplifying their social media presence and driving tangible results in the digital realm.

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What Is Local SEO? How to Use Social Media To Target Local Customers?

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The internet is the most powerful tool in the world. It’s changed our lives and made connecting with people from all over the planet more accessible. But what about when you want to talk to people who live right in your backyard? Suppose you’re running a local business or trying to reach out to your local community. In that case, local SEO is an essential part of how your business can stand out from the crowd—and get discovered by potential customers.

What Is Local SEO?
Local Search Engine Optimization, or Local SEO, is finding your business online through people in your local area. It can accomplish through organic listings on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo and other online directories such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google Maps.
It’s about ensuring you’re showing up in the results of Google searches and other search engines – but it also means optimizing your website so that people find what they need locally. You should also ensure that you have accurate information about opening times on social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter so that users can see whether or not they can pop into one of your stores before heading home after work.

How to Use Social Media to Target Local Customers?

Optimize your page for local visibility
You have now taken the first step in local SEO. Now it’s time to optimize your site for local visibility. To do this, you must ensure that your business information is accurate on Google and other search engines. Like adding a local phone number, your mailing address, and business hours of operation, to name a few.

Google My Business
Google My Business helps you gain more visibility in your local community by making it easy for customers to find and connect with your business on Google. How does it work?
After you’ve claimed your business, you can get found when people search on Google Maps and Google search, as well as through ads. In organic results, you’ll also see a snippet of basic information like your address and phone number. It’s important to note that only verified businesses are eligible for this feature.

Facebook Places
Facebook Places allows you to create a page similar to Google My Business.
Your information here will aid people in finding your product or services on Facebook but not on Google. It will help boost the organic reach of your Facebook posts, as they will appear in search results if someone searches for them specifically.
The description should match what you have on other platforms, and use the exact keywords when possible; also, include photos from your website or other social media profiles.

Foursquare
What is Foursquare? Foursquare is a location-based social networking site for mobile devices that gives your business a mobile footprint. With more people using portable devices to search for companies, a presence on Foursquare is a popular social media platform for local businesses. Create a Foursquare Page and connect it with your Twitter account. When you create your page, make sure you complete your Page Profile. Now you want to add your listing to Four square’s searchable database. Just click on “The List My Business” tab, and follow the instructions. If you don’t have a business listing, you can create it at https://foursquare.com/login?continue=%2Fadd_venue. The business listing will ask for your phone number, your website’s URL links to your Twitter and Facebook profiles, hours of operation, and a description of your business. Make sure you include all the information.
Once your business listing is there on Foursquare, claim it. When you claim your location, you are telling Foursquare you are the manager of that venue. You can claim multiple locations of Foursquare; all you need to do is to provide verifiable contact information. Once you have listed and claimed your site on Foursquare, you can begin adding specials, checking your analytics, and much more. But the most important way to use Foursquare is to take the time to build a network of just local followers and interact with them.

Business Information
Make sure your business info is correct in all places. You can use the same name and address on all your marketing materials, website, and social media accounts.
If you’re a new business, set these things up immediately so you can start local search engine optimization as soon as possible. If you already have a website, make sure of all changes across all pages.

Keywords and Hashtags
A helpful tip is to use geo-specific keywords and hashtags. Local SEO is more than just ranking highly in Google. It’s also about targeting customers searching for a specific product or service in their area, so they can easily find you when they’re ready to buy.
You must ensure that your website is suitable for local search and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for any videos and Instagram. Use geo-specific keywords and hashtags on these sites so that people looking for local businesses can find yours.

Conclusion
Local SEO is a great way to grow your business and reach more customers. It’s essential to take steps now so that when you open up your new branch or expand, you will be okay with Google and Facebook. The key takeaway is that local SEO can be compelling if done correctly.

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How Can College Students Benefit From Social Media?

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Well, it’s back-to-school time! And for many high school graduates, it’s off to college. By now most youths are pretty savvy when it comes to the use of social media. So how can they now benefit from using social media?

A vast majority of parents got used to considering that social media is evil for their children, which makes them get addicted to smartphones and constantly online scrolling on Facebook or Instagram newsfeeds. When they notice only the bad side of using social media, they try to protect their children from its harmful influence without realizing that it also can bring some benefits.

Improving The Art of Communication
The modern digital world is built on stable connections and communication between people, so students from college and even starting from school should know how to communicate with their peers properly. It’s vital to have strong networking skills nowadays to get in touch with different people easily and find common ground with them. Thus, social media is a perfect option to accomplish that.

Creating Facebook or Instagram profiles won’t threaten a student’s online activity and won’t negatively influence their discipline. On the contrary, it’ll promote their communication skills and set up new contacts via social media.

How Social Media Can Help Students Succeed in Everyday Life
Today there’s no surprise that children who are under 12 already have their profiles on social media where they share and demonstrate their talents to the audience. They consider social media platforms to be a good chance to show their hobbies and find friends who will also share their interests.

Alongside this, social media is a great source of information that can be useful for students to execute diverse tasks. It’s easy to subscribe to any newsfeed to stay updated about the latest trends or follow famous personalities you’re interested in. What’s more, using such social media platforms as Pinterest or Tumblr can bring you inspiration if you should craft a project.

Social media can’t be underestimated because it’s an endless educational source that helps students to get prepared for lessons, have some practice, improve knowledge in particular subjects, and, moreover, gain their studying goals without hassle.

Open up New Opportunities for Personal Developments
Besides the fact that social media facilitates students’ art of conversation by setting up new connections, it also involves parents in the studying process as well. They stay updated about the ongoing events at their respective colleges and learn about their children’s activities and educational performance. There’s no need to explain the comfort and simplicity of its usability: parents can be in touch with tutors via messengers by creating a common network to discuss children’s academic progress. Thus the students are benefitted.

Another great advantage of using social media is an opportunity for distance studying at any classes or colleges in the world you’d like to join. It became possible due to the option of online learning with the help of various online tools and platforms like social media, educational programs, hubs, study centers, etc. For instance, via Facebook, you can join any meeting or lecture you find interesting and follow the updates about conditions for admission and studying plans.

Conclusion
Social media provides numerous opportunities for remote studying, enabling voice and video connections between students worldwide. They can share documents, personal projects, know the studying curriculum, and extra classes to join via Skype or Zoom platform. So, every student can improve and expand their knowledge in any field they’re interested in, and, what’s more, get a certificate or diploma that confirms their progress.

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Social Media and You. How to be Cyber smart.

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Why Be Smart
Now more than ever, consumers spend increasing amounts of time on the internet. With every social media account you sign up for, every picture you post, and status you update, you are sharing information about yourself with the world. How can you be proactive and do your part.

Did You Know?
• In 2020 3.81 billion people worldwide now use social media worldwide. That’s an increase of more than 9% from the previous year. Put another way: 49% of the total world population are using social networks.
• Digital consumers spend nearly 3 hours on social networks and social messaging every day. So take these simple steps to connect with confidence and safely navigate the social media world.

Simple Tips
• If you connect it, protect it. Whether it’s your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, game device, or other network devices, the best defense against viruses and malware is to update to the latest security software, web browser, and operating systems. Sign up for automatic updates, if you can, and protect your devices with anti-virus software. Read the Phishing Tip Sheet for more information.

• Never click and tell. Limit what information you post on social media—from personal addresses to where you like to grab coffee. What many people don’t realize is that these seemingly random details are all that criminals need to know to target you, your loved ones, and your physical belongings—online and in the real world. Keep Social Security numbers, account numbers, and passwords private, as well as specific information about yourself, such as your full name, address, birthday, and even vacation plans. Disable location services that allow anyone to see where you are—and where you aren’t—at any given time.

• Speak up if you’re uncomfortable. If a friend posts something about you that makes you uncomfortable or you think is inappropriate, let them know. Likewise, stay open-minded if a friend approaches you because something you’ve posted makes him or her uncomfortable. People have different tolerances for how much the world knows about them, and it is important to respect those differences. Don’t hesitate to report any instance of cyberbullying you see.

• Report suspicious or harassing activity. Work with your social media platform to report and possibly block harassing users. Report an incident if you’ve been a victim of cybercrime. Local and national authorities are ready to help you.

• Share with care. Even if you delete a post or picture from your profile seconds after posting it, chances are someone still saw it. Remember, there is no ‘Delete’ button on the Internet.

• Update your privacy settings. Set the privacy and security settings to your comfort level for information sharing. Disable “geotagging”, which allows anyone to see where you are at any given time.

• Connect only with people you trust. While some social networks might seem safer for connecting because of the limited personal information shared through them, keep your connections to people you know and trust.

Be Smart and Stay Safe
For more information on cyber security, visit www.cisa.gov/ncsam

Courtesy of Simon Kemp and Deyan G.

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Content Marketing for Small Businesses. Expert Tips Just for You!

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For the past few years, content marketing has been a definite leader in the field of digital promotion. People are constantly looking for the right information on social networks, watching videos, and reading blog posts. They focus only on useful and high-quality content, so the only way to gain their trust and, eventually, close a sale, is to be the first and only one who’ll provide such content. And this is exactly what content marketing is for.

What Is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services. It focuses on creating and distributing content for a targeted audience online. Social media is an integral part of content marketing

Content marketing thus is promoted through content. In other words, you do not just create any text but write something that will increase sales growth, recognition, or attracts potential users.
Before we dive into some tips and specifics of content marketing for your business, let’s identify the technique itself. It’s all kinds of content that talk about what you do: texts, videos, pictures, animated images, information graphics, podcasts, etc. Basically, they are various types of materials that are used by Internet users visiting your site or reading about you on the web.
The Primary Benefits of Using Content Marketing for Your Business
Here you can see how content marketing can be useful for you:

1. You’ll get highly targeted organic traffic from search engines through the publication of helpful content on visited sites (media, thematic resources);
2. It’ll ensure comprehensive coverage of the audience of social networks and increased brand/product recognition through the targeted distribution of exciting content and its further “sharing” by users;
3. You’ll be able to influence the user’s decision to purchase at each stage of the sales funnel and get the corresponding increase in engagement;
4. Your SEO will boost as a result of an increased number of links to your business site from third-party resources, which will also improve behavioral factors.
As you can see, content marketing allows not only to convey information to the target audience, but also to establish an open dialogue with it, to find out the current opinion of customers, and to build brand loyalty.
According to a recent study, 90% of companies are actively using content marketing; 50% of published messages evoke a lively response and interest from the audience. And yet, only 5% of the posts lead to real actions: transitions to the site, registration, or other targeted efforts.
So let us provide you with some actionable expert tips that can help gradually improve your business.

Content Marketing Professional Tips
Focus on publishing relevant content. The first tip is easy to follow. When creating content, follow the rule of conformity with the professional field and subject. Post relevant content that is consistent and aligns with the overall goals of your site. Let’s say you sell coffee machines online. In addition to providing all the technical information about the product (photos, reviews, videos), you’d want to post articles related to coffee on the blog (preparation, use, recipes, etc.) d.), in other words, relevant content. Studies show that more than 50% of consumers are happy to read such materials on company websites.

Double-check your content formatting before you post it. Good content requires original, well-developed, and unbiased information on a specific topic. But even if it is just that – useful, unique, and expert – it can easily get lost on the Internet, among other publications if users struggle with reading it and following your train of thought. Proper presentation of any text implies improvement through breaking it into paragraphs, as well as through the use of bold and italic styles, headings, a suitable font size, etc.
Caring for content formatting is also good for SEO because it is a direct sign that you’re trying to create a high-quality website. If you decide to combine different types of content (text, images, video), this will improve the user’s impression of reading the material, which will undoubtedly lead to certain advantages.

Your title can be the key to success. What we’re talking about is the basics of SEO, which don’t get any less important. So, an extensive and bright title performs several functions at once:
● It helps search engines understand the content of your text;
● Gives social networks an understanding of the semantic direction of your materials;
● It attracts the attention of users and stimulates an increase in click-through rates to a specific page.
Do not underestimate the importance of the first impression of the text, so think a hundred times before clicking the “Publish” button.

Try to keep tabs with your competitors. There’s a chance that the number of players on your market is massive. And if you want your content to work effectively for your business, it should be better than that of competitors.
Before you start creating any material, check out related publications on Google, Facebook, Twitter (or another social network that is more suitable for your audience) and find out what type of content they like in the first place. Pay attention to such things as volume, quality, and format, and try to create content that will surpass the others in all respects.
Content that doesn’t outperform competitors’ content can’t cause the hype you need in search engines or social networks, so it’s preferable to spend some more time and work on improving your texts.

Create a perfect schedule for your content. In addition to the desire for relevance and accuracy of content, you should remember the need for its regular publication. If possible, post materials not only on specific days but also at particular times of the day. Having such a “calendar” will help you organize your workflow and create a group of loyal users.

Your content should be helping with conversions. Remember that the primary goal of creating content is to increase conversions. In other words, a conversion can be considered anything from increasing the number of your email subscribers and clicks on banner advertising, to growth in sales of goods.

Good Content and Social Media
Content marketing for small businesses can be very powerful. You can even consider adding a blog to your business website, or post content on social media platforms like Twitter, Linkedin, Foursquare, or a short video to Youtube. Remember people want information. And good content can provide information that your prospective customer is looking for. brand

 

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Has the Mobile Phone Killed the Art of Conversation?

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Has technology hurt the art of conversation?

 

What do you think? Just look around you in any direction. What do you see? Strangers opening up a friendly dialogue with one another? Or do you see nothing but “zombies” literally hypnotized by that little device  in their hands called a cell phone? But what is wrong with this picture?

A Personal Observation

No one can argue how the invention of the iPhone, the Android, the Blackberry, or the Smartphone, has made life a little easier in recent times. But this is my observation: Just recently I was talking to a workmate who was having a disagreement with a close personal friend of hers. I asked her did she tell her how she felt? She said I did in a text. I said you need to talk to her face-to-face. The problem was, she never did confront her. The art of conversation-where has it gone? Because of the mobile phone, not only are people not conversing but not even willing to talk face-to-face as in this case!
On another occasion at a public location a woman told a gentleman sitting next to her how she liked his  mobile phone-a simple gesture that should have triggered at the least some dialogue. The gentleman glued to his iPhone 5, didn’t even looked up or said a simple “thank you.” Not that it really mattered that much to me, but perhaps you have experienced something similar yourself.  Which leads to the  question:  Are mobile phones killing the art of conversation? Are people slowly losing the natural way of speaking to one another, giving at least the appearance of people being rude or ill-mannered in the process?

The Declining Art of Conversation

There was a time when carrying a conversation was truly an art. It was something people looked forward to and most people knew how to start and engage someone in a friendly conversation. It was interesting to find out simple things like where are you from?  What are your likes or dislikes?  And what do you do? People took a genuine interest in other people. But that was then and this is now! According to the PEW Research Center, 13% of cell owners [have] pretended to be using their phone in order to avoid interacting with the people around them. It’s true that no one can argue the tremendous benefits that we receive from cell phones usage-but does it come at some cost?

The Emergence of Social Media 

Just as mobile phones has capture the world, at the same time so has social media. With the emergence of social media on the internet, and the fact that organizations are learning how to use it to reach people, we are forced to go back to reinstate this simple and valuable art- the art of engagement and conversation. Yes, social media in some ways is taking us back to “school.”

Now as for the individual on the outset of this article-did she ever engage in a real conversation with the person she was having the disagreement with? She had a difficult time doing so. She still wanted to communicate only by texting. So don’t be like this workmate- don’t be a zombie glued to a device in your hand ConversationDrop the text messaging and talk to one another-just talk! Remember it’s people that makes the world go around not technology! So make good use of your mobile device, but don’t let it kill the one of the greatest gift we have as humans-the art of conversation!

I hoped liked this post on mobile phone use and the art of conversation. What do you think? What is your observation? Please leave your comments below.

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7 Social Media Platforms Effective for Business

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Congratulations! You have successfully started your business or at least launched your business website online! How will you market it? Paid advertisement is essential but expensive! Using social media is what many businesses are doing now because of its reach online, and because that’s where the people are!
So the question is: What effective social media platform can be use for most businesses? Or let’s say my business? What an appropriate question!
Nowadays, there are tons of social media platforms at your disposal. These are all effective social media platforms where you can create an amazing following. However, you don’t have to sign up for all new and popular social media sites on the planet. Trust us when we say you would rather be excellent with one or two platforms rather than be mediocre with four five or six!
A number of accounts in different social media sites don’t matter. Instead, pick one or two channels and focus your target marketing there. If you need some guidance on what is the best social media site/s for you, tips and information are available for you to determine the most effective social media channels out there. But for now here are seven of the most effective social media platforms that you can use for your business.

1. Facebook
What can we say? Over 1.11 billion people are into this famous social media site. Besides catching up with loved ones from overseas, Facebook did a wonderful job for many aspiring entrepreneurs out there. If you’re a start-up entrepreneur, we suggest you try the waters of Facebook first before jumping on any other platforms.
Facebook has established itself quite well and you can use that to your advantage. You will be easier seen on this social media site with an option to send you a private message, browse your products and even share your goods to a wider network. We firmly believe your target marketing strategies will not be wasted on this site. Indeed Facebook is an effective social media platform for you business. On facebook, you will be able to launch a seperate business page or “Fan Page” to promte your business and to also leverage the use of group pages as well.

2. Twitter
Twitter is an astonishing social media platform that can promote your business in 140 characters or fewer. This is a site that garners over 215 million active users or potential customers. This great site is generally made for communication so you know that customers can reach you 24/7. What’s more special about Twitter is that you can incorporate your own hashtag brand so you’ll be easier searched or be on the most popular page.
Word of the wise, this effective social media platform can get you viral in no time! Proven and effective way to increase your business’ popularity.

3. Instagram
Instagram is a good platform if you like photos. Just open an account and build your audience to engage and post any pictures relevant to your business, add a cute or useful tagline and then link them to your website.
If used properly, your followers may skyrocket more than what you’re expecting.

4. LinkedIn
This effective social media platform is made for business people to interact with others. Sometimes it is used by job seekers to find potential employers but most of the time it is used to increase your audience. Business owners realized the value of this site and the opportunities to build relationships and sales leads. An estimated 2.7 million business pages are on LinkedIn, each interacting with each other for partnership, proposal, quotations etc.
Just a quick heads up LinkedIn has a humongous number of professionals so expect important business dealing. It is not similar to Facebook or Twitter where any start-ups can be casual. On LinkedIn, you need to look professional so people can take your business seriously. Nevertheless, don’t be intimidated though as the users on this social media channel are really friendly. You’ll never be out of place here.

5. YouTube
1 billion unique visitors every month – that’s how huge this video-oriented site is. Not to mention that it’s the second largest search engine after Google! How’s that for target marketing and popularity boost? YouTube can literally take you to places with increasing your customers every second someone clicks on your video.
You can even sponsor a commercial where they can stream over millions of videos. Oh, did we also mention that YouTube is owned by Google? You don’t have to worry about search engine rankings at all with this platform.

6. Pinterest
Pinterest is another effective social media platform made for business-especially if your business involves products to promote. All you need are good photos of your products and post or “PIN” them on a board representing a certain category and then build your following to interact. The people on Pinterest are friendly and sometimes helpful to promote even your own products. It is worth signing up just to get a little familiar and start getting your business or brand out there to be seen on the internet!

7. Foursquare
While most social media platforms will connect to people all accross the web, Foursquare is design to target local follower at the exact location of your business. Over 50 million people use Foursquare whether for online or offline businesses. So for storefront owners, you would want to learn how to leverage this effective social media tool. Just simply go to Foursquare, sign up, follow the guides, and engage as you would with other social media platforms, but keep in mind these will be local followers as potential customers to you business.

 

Social media is really simple to use and inexpensive! It’s all about one thing-engagement! Once you get a good feel at using social media-the more you will be effective in promoting your brand and they can become a powerful tool for your business. So whatever you choose from these effective social media channels, just remember to focus first on one or two at a time, so your marketing will be successful to a large degree.

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