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A Social Media Thanksgiving 2014 (with PB&J Snacks)

November 25, 2014 by

Thanksgiving is a time for thanks. With this blog post I give thanks for the social media platforms and tools that have guided me on the social web. #ThankYouSocialMedia

Social media is now embedded deeply into my life and my career.

Since my blog is about using social media marketing for personal branding and job search (PB&J), it is most appropriate that I continue with my annual thanks for all things social media.

Thank you social media. 

1. I am thankful to Feedly for nourishing my mind.

Feedly, thanks for managing my social curation.  Whether by desktop, tablet, or phone, you organize my reading and learning life.  You are the base for my personal learning network (PLN) from the numerous blogs and web publications that feed my mind and then social share across my preferred social media networks.

PB&J Snack: As your Feedly folders get larger with added subscriptions to RSS feeds, move the most valuable top ten to a Top Folder.  Then when time is limited, you can quickly scan the Top Folder of your go-to favorites for a quicker read and social share.

2. I am thankful to Flipboard for keeping me current.

Sorry, newspapers. Sorry, magazines.  There is a relatively new kid in town ready to make reading mobile, fun, and wonderfully visual.  When time is wasting, Flipboard is the go-to app on my iPhone and iPad for news and leisurely reading.

PB&J Snack: Make your own Flipboard Magazine, then add the web link to your LinkedIn Profile Summary (Profile>Edit>Summary>Add Link) to show and confirm to your career stakeholders or potential employers of your career passion or focus.

3. I am thankful to Buffer for supporting me in the late night.

As a nocturnal reader, my late night consumption of great content from Feedly or Flipboard is not the optimal time for social sharing. Buffer saves the day (and night) by scheduling my social shares during prime social the next day when others are awake to read them.

PB&J Snack: Add the Buffer Extension to your Chrome Browser (or a Buffer Bookmarklet to your Safari Browser) to make it easier to social share from your desktop, tablet, or smart phone.

4. I am thankful to Evernote for organizing my memory.

In the absence of always-up-to-date textbook content for my e-Marketing and Social Media Marketing courses, I rely upon e-readings from the web.  Evernote provides me an on-the-fly one-click solution for clipping or bookmarking my new found evergreen content for future use and reference.

PB&J Snack: Evernote provides a better organization of your saved career-related content with use of Notebooks and Stacks.  For example, my stack for Social Media Marketing contains subfolders or notebooks on the topics of:  Strategy, Measurement, Monitoring, Social Curation, Tools, Stats, Blogging Tips, LinkedIn Tips, etc.

5. I am thankful to LinkedIn for being my all-in-one social media platform.

Unquestionably, if I had to choose one social media for networking, then LinkedIn gets my vote.  It is my extended resume, my database of important connections, my personal branding hub, my professional group interactions, and an increasingly useful personal learning network (with Pulse and Updates from connections).

PB&J Snack:  Add your LinkedIn Public Profile web link (found at: Profile>Edit>under your photo) to your: (1)  physical resume, (2) business card, (3) email signature, (4) blog comments signature, (5) nametag at networking events, and (6) on your other social media profiles/bios. This encourages the important people that you meet to go there to connect and learn more about your personal brand, qualifications, and career ambitions.

6. I am thankful to WordPress for boosting my creativity.

I love the creative process and I love to write and share my original thoughts, experiences, and observations.  And, I would gladly do so even if there was no one to read my words.  However, thanks to blogging, WordPress, and blog syndication through Business to Community and Social Media Today, I now have readers who social share my blog posts for like-minds to read.

PB&J Snack: You do not have to be an expert on a topic to blog about it (most students are not). Just blog about what you are reading and learning to advance your career.  Blogging can showcase a job applicant’s creative, communication, graphic, and technical skills.  More importantly, blogging is the best social media to demonstrate and confirm your career focus to others.

7. I am thankful to Facebook for reconnections from my childhood.

Facebook keeps me connected with family and friends (both new and old).  And, most of the time this is a good thing.

“Mark Zuckerberg may be the most powerful marketer on earth. He can share a message to more than one billion people with the single touch of a post button.”

PB&J Snack: Facebook is a great place to follow/Like job boards and your favorite career focused bloggers and web publications.

However: (1) you should not promote your personal Facebook on your other social media (to avoid an implied invitation); (2) you should immediately lock down your Facebook privacy controls to keep out all potential employers; and (3) you should continue to social share in Facebook as if you are connected to potential employers. Exceptions do apply and mileage may vary.

“What happens in Facebook, is not guaranteed to stay in Facebook.”

8. I am also thankful to others for supporting my career focus and passion for social media.

Thank you: Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Quora, YouTube, Youku, WeChat, About.Me, Rebel Mouse, Zite, Dropbox, HootSuite, Canva, Google Chrome, FollowerWonk, Unfollowers.com, Listly, AllTop, Klout, Amazon, Kindle, Apple, and Mashable.

The Take-Away.

If used strategically, social media can be a blessing for a personal brand, job search, and career.

Now is a great and proper time to pause, think about how you do use (or how you could better use) social media platforms and supporting tools, and give thanks.

Don’t just think it. Step away from the turkey and social share it.

Tweet it. Post it. Pin it. Update it. And, publish it.

#ThankYouSocialMedia. You complete me.

 

Are you thankful for social media? If so, please comment here and social share your thanks on social media.

Image credit: by Denny McCorkle

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Denny McCorkle @DennyMcCorkle

Professor of Marketing, Monfort College of Business at University of Northern Colorado
As a nationally recognized and award winning Marketing Professor in the Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado, I help students, professors, and professionals to gain a Digital Self Marketing Advantage through the use of social media marketing for personal branding, job search, skills development, career advancement, and life-long learning.
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