Maximizing the Opportunities on Social Media
According to Wikipedia, Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks.
However, to us, and in simpler terms, social media platforms allow us to interact, share information and connect with people online through digital platforms.
There are many things you can do on social media platforms that are positive and negative. However, I will focus on maximizing the numerous opportunities on social media.
So what are the things to do first before taking advantage of the opportunities on Social Media? Are you there?
-Determine the social media platform for you.
· Quora
To fully take advantage of the opportunities on social media platforms, you must sit down and decide the one you enjoy using the most. It is easy to master something that you have developed an interest in over time than jumping from one platform to the other. I enjoy using Twitter and LinkedIn the most, and it has mostly worked for me.
Like I explained in last week’s Newsletter about using Twitter to land your first job, I have grown my Twitter following to 15,000 loyal followers and made a few bucks either sharing other business tweets to a large audience or offering my content writing services to brands.
Furthermore, on LinkedIn, I have grown my brand over time and made good connections with Web3 and SaaS founders, Business owners, and others that will help in the future. I could do all these because I was intentional about the social platforms that I love using the most.
Unlike me, it may be Instagram and Facebook that works for you. For others, it may be Reddit and Koo; find the social network that works for you.
-What are your goals?
· Land a job
· Become an authority or influencer
· Makes new and productive friends
· Connect with tycoons in your industry
· Source of the latest news
Like most people, we open social media pages to catch fun, socialize and catch up with the latest news. However, social media has gone beyond that and guarantees several productive things like jobs, connections, and the like.
You need to define why you are using your desired social media platform to maximize opportunities on them. I am active on my Twitter and LinkedIn profiles to build a loyal audience, position myself as an authority in my field, and get jobs that I want. Some other people may want to be an influencer or get the latest gist from their social media platforms.
Anything you do, ensure you have a defined goal on why you are using a platform. It will make it easy for you to maximize their opportunities through your activities.
-Content is king
● Post relevant content that will attract what you want.
● Avoid controversial posts
● Ensure posts are not close ended
● Ensure you leverage images
Content is essential to how you tap opportunities on social media. It is what your audience sees and decides to follow you to get more. And it may be the reason why they ignore you and remove you from their circle.
What kind of content are you pushing out? Avoid controversial posts to attract prospects in your industry.
Post-value-driven content aggressively. When people can learn from you, they will always come to your page to see what you are up to.
To Foster engagement, always ensure your content has a CTA that seeks answers from your audience.
Finally, share clear, beautiful images that help convey your message. Your pictures can be in the form of a carousel, infographics, or data depictions.
When you post deliberately value-driven content, it will position you well as an authority, and opportunities are solely given to those who turn up with relatable and relevant content.
Importantly, it is imperative on you to engage others’ posts consistently and brilliantly. When responding to posts, articulate your thoughts to capture the audience and position yourself as a knowledgeable person.
-Share your portfolio
● Be ready to share your portfolio
● Post your works
A portfolio is the body of work you have done before. Ensure you have it ready on the go so it can be easily shared at any point. Most of the engagements I have gotten in my life are because I have shared my portfolio.
Google doc is a good portfolio idea for a writer, but I suggest medium.com if you are yet to get your website. For developers, GitHub is a fantastic place to start, while for designers, dribble or Behance is excellent.
Publishing your work make it considerably easy for people to hire you when there’s an opportunity on social media. Also, post your 4works on your preferred social media platform(s). You may think no one is watching but trust me, someone is constantly checking.
-Pitching never goes wrong
● Master the art of pitching your skills online.
● Don’t wait for the job; go and ask for it.
● Address them by their first name
● Compliment something about their profile or activity
● Tell them how you can help them concisely.
● Use a short but compelling CTA.
As much as building your social media platform is vital to Maximizing opportunities on Social media, what’s a game changer is pitching directly to your prospective employer.
Sometimes, it is essential not to wait for employers too long to be able to tap into opportunities. After putting in the work in your social media profiles, the next thing is to start pitching directly to identifiable employers.
Enter DMs, introduce yourself, and let them know how you can help them. Cut the fluff and long message; go direct. Don’t look at the number of those who will say no! Imagine how your life may change if you get only 3 persons to pay you $1,000 per person. I learned from my good brother and mentor, Daud Abiola, that Pitching is a game of numbers. Pitch as many as possible, and when the results start compounding, you will be happy with yourself.
Rounding Up
There’s no easy way to make money online, but there are ways to make money, and social media platforms are a great platform to explore. Determine the platform that works for you, know your why, post relevant and relatable content, prepare your portfolio, and pitch aggressively.
Social media is a game-changer for anyone who utilizes it well.
Will you be a part of those who are making an impact online and getting paid? Or those who dedicate most of their time to shenanigans like BBN, political fights, and mundane issues? The ball is in your court!
This post may be the reason you go from $100/month to $2000 or a reason for you to stay at $100.
TEA: I clocked 15,000 followers on Twitter, and I am so excited. All wins should be celebrated, right?
If you want to talk about anything, you can always reach me on Twitter at twitter.com/peng_writer or talk2freelancerpeng@gmail.com.
