Maneuvering LinkedIn

What is LinkedIn? Are we talking Business or Personal here?

LinkedIn is one of the largest business oriented social networking sites to exist.

It was created by its co-founder, Reid Hoffman in 2002 in his living room and was officially launched in May 2003 (“About LinkedIn”, n.d.).

Throughout the years, LinkedIn has accomplished major developments. From their first profit year in 2007, to them meeting the 100 million user mark in 2011, to being acquired by Microsoft for approximately 26 billion dollars in 2016, “bringing together the world’s leading professional cloud and the world’s leading professional network (“About LinkedIn”, n.d.).

Currently LinkedIn has over 950 million users in approximately 200 countries worldwide.

My Experience Trying to Maneuver LinkedIn for the First Time

Fortunately for the LinkedIn community they gained another member, since as of recent I signed up with LinkedIn on my laptop, solely for the purpose of this blog. I was curious to see how the website operates and in case your curiosity gets the best of you too, below is a link of a tutorial for new users of LinkedIn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfH0omT6Chg

I will admit I have gathered information from LinkedIn on business individuals for research purposes in school related group work, however, I never tried to sign up and create a profile myself. I personally, do not like having my information public to the media for personal and security reasons, hence the reason why I did not try engaging in LinkedIn before today.

I guess everyone can have a change of heart, don’t you agree?

I found the signing up process to be rather easy and fast. I am still very new to the platform, so there are a few tools and features I am yet to understand.

Some features of LinkedIn include:

• LinkedIn Stories

• LinkedIn Live

• LinkedIn Polls

• LinkedIn Articles

• Reactions

• Jobs

• LinkedIn Newsletter

• Export Connections

• InMail

• Name Pronunciation

• Save Searches

• Photo Frames

• LinkedIn Showcase Page 

What are some of the best ways to use the platform? What makes it different?

From my perception of LinkedIn, it is very much more business oriented than other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, etc.

It is visible how unique LinkedIn is just from the features it offers. I don’t know about you, but this is the first social networking site I have seen that includes a “name pronunciation” feature or “export connections”, etc.

If you are someone who is in search of a new career path or job, this is probably one of the best sites you can use to keep updated with job opportunities and business feed in your country/ area.

You can also “connect and strengthen professional relationships, and learn the skills you need to succeed in your career” (“Help LinkedIn Help”, n.d.). 

As for Business owners and employers, LinkedIn is sure to be their best friend!

Best ways Business Owners / Employers can use LinkedIn:

• Businesses/ Business Owners can showcase their unique professional stories

• Businesses can create a company page where they can put out job applications and ads

• Businesses can grow their audience by attaching links to their business websites, emails, social media platforms, etc.

• Businesses can engage in LinkedIn Sponsored Content with high engagement posts.

• Encourage employees who are also on LinkedIn to join the company’s page (this would also display company culture).

 

Conclusion

Overall, LinkedIn can benefit you and your business, IF YOU HAVE ONE!

Even if you are like myself and you prefer to refrain from having your information public, you do not have to put it all once. Take your time, get comfortable with the platform and TRY IT OUT!

 

~Naomi Browne

 

Reference

About LinkedIn. About LinkedIn. (n.d.). https://about.linkedin.com/#:~:text=LinkedIn%20began%20in%20co%2Dfounder,launched%20on%20May%205%2C%202003.

Help LinkedIn Help. What is LinkedIn and how can I use it? | LinkedIn Help. (n.d.). https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a548441

Twitter Is My New X

 The Evolution of Twitter to X

What is this so called “X”? Who created it? What is it for?

Many questions that I can give you the answers to.

Firstly, X, formerly known as Twitter, was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone and Evan Williams. In October 2022, the billionaire Elon Musk bought Twitter and rebranded it to ‘X’ as in April of this current year 2023.

X is typically known for its aspect of microblogging, where persons would share their opinions, questions, entertainment, etc. Similar to this blog I am writing right now, except in shorter sentences and limited characters.  

Back when X was called “Twitter”, you’d quicker hear people calling a post a “tweet”. As of current, some continue to call it this but others do not, although X still uses it to identify the feature.

I for one still refer to posts as tweets. It puts a nice ring to my ear.

Features of X include:

• Posts (Tweets) & Re-posts 
• Spaces
• Fleets
• Bookmarks
• Shops
• Live Shopping 
• Tip Jar
• Lists
• Etc.

My Personal Experience with X

I personally do not use this platform often, so I am still figuring out how to use the different tools. I originally installed the app to my android back in September 2021, solely because I was curious to understand what the platform was truly about.

Now, I simply use it to read tweets posted by my favorite celebrities. Others may find this platform easy to use but if you are like me that find it a bit confusing, the 5-minute video below should help start you off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wOtMBkJQMg

In addition, if you are new to the platform, pay attention to the restrictions and limits.

Here is a link to X’s Help Center about X limits.

https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-limits

The Best Ways You Can Use X

• You can use X to share your opinions, accomplishments, questions, memories and more (tweets & re-tweets).

• You can use the platform to keep up with your favorite idols, celebrities, entertainment and worldwide news.

• You can use the platform to discover new things (interests, people, businesses, shops, recipes, hobbies and more).

• If you have a large number of followers and high engagement rates you can use the platform’s monetization feature to make money. 

The Best Ways Business Owners Can Use X

• Brand Building (Use X tools to search and gather information regarding your competition and other brands. Use X tools to customize your business profile and content.)

• Create a Following (Gain followers that you can engage with. Create a community for your brand and business)

• Marketing Tool (Take full advantage of the platform and all that is has to offer to market your business products, services and brand.)

• Engagement Tool (Connect with regular and potential customers through your tweets and posts. Show users that you are not just a business person but you also see the world through their eyes.)

Here is a link to a guide on how you can increase your followers on X.

https://business.twitter.com/en/blog/how-to-increase-twitter-followers.html

 

What makes this platform special?

In my opinion, X is not my favorite platform to use. I believe it is more beneficial in the Business spectrum of things than for personal use. In the microblogging world, I prefer to use sites such as Pinterest, Instagram and Blogger. However, the fact is, X is still unique and a preference for others.

From the design, to the layout of the numerous features, even the rules and limitations are unique and customized in a way it makes it inimitable.  

All in all, you should give the platform a try and maybe post a tweet a two on how your X journey goes!

 

~Naomi Browne

References

“Understanding X Limits | X Help.” Twitter, Twitter, help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-limits. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.

 “How to Increase X Followers: A 101 Guide for Brands.” Twitter, Twitter, business.twitter.com/en/blog/how-to-increase-twitter-followers.html. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.

Let's Talk About "IG" | Instagram

 What is “IG”?

“IG” is the abbreviated way of saying Instagram. I think we can all agree that we have heard about this platform at some point in our lives.

Instagram is a well-known and widely used social media platform, that has been around since the year 2010. The first prototype of Instagram was originally called “Burbn” as the creator, Kevin Systrom, had a deep love for whiskeys and bourbons. 

It seemed like Kevin would have had the best experiences in the world since before launching “Burbn”, now known as “Instagram”, Kevin was a graduate of Stanford University, he worked as a corporate development associate at Google and was an intern at Odeo, which is now developed referred to as “X”.

It makes sense that he would be the one to create Instagram. Think about it!

My Life as an Instagram Addict

I first downloaded Instagram onto my android in June 2019 and ever since then, it has become a part of my daily activities. Everyday I spend at least 1 hour on Instagram just scrolling through reels, watching stories, making posts, and more. It might not be this way for everyone, but I find the platform quite easy to navigate and addictive. 

The platform has many features including:

• Stories
• Highlights
• Posts
• Hashtags
• Reels & Reel Templates
• Image & Video Editing
• Live Videos
• Ads
• Broadcast Channels
• Subscriptions
• Threads (Newest Update)
• AI Stickers
• Collaboration features

Personally, my most favourite feature is the highlights. I have a admiration for nature and mermaids so I highlight them on my profile page all the time.

12 Best Ways to use Instagram

PERSONAL

• Instagram is a social media platform that grants communication and socialization through their multiple features. You can use “IG” to communicate with friends, family or individuals outside of your circle.
• You can share your memories and best moments as photos, videos, edits, etc.
• You can follow your favourite accounts (celebrities, influencers, pages that interest you).
• You can share your opinions on topics through your posts, comments or using the new threads feature.
• You can save posts you like and create different folders/ collages.
• You can find businesses and places of interest in your area.

BUSINESS

• Businesses can showcase their products and services through posts and highlight important information such as price listings, list of products, promotion sales, etc.
• Businesses can run ads to reach their target market, create sponsored content and engage in collaborations with other businesses or influencers, etc.
• Businesses can track performance, views and interactions (like, comments, shares) using Instagram’s analytical tools.
• Businesses can set up an online shop for customers (making it more convenient and quick sales).
• Businesses can communicate with customers through comment sections of posts or private chat messages. Businesses can also deploy AI chat bots to respond to private chat messages.
• Businesses can also use this platform to keep watch of their competitors when they post.

Conclusion

From my standpoint, Instagram is one of the best social media platforms there is to exist. It may have a few similarities regarding some of the features like threads being similar to tweets on X platform, or the ability to post stories, which we can agree is similar to Facebook. However, compared to everything else that makes Instagram the platform it is, those similarities are minor. The platform is unique in its own way and I think everyone should try it out!  

What are your thoughts on Instagram?

~Naomi Browne 

References

Blystone, D. (2022, October 22). Instagram: What It Is, Its History, and How the Popular App Works. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/102615/story-instagram-rise-1-photo0sharing-app.asp#:~:text=Instagram%20is%20a%20photo%20and,of%20fine%20whiskeys%20and%20bourbons.

Verma, S. (2023, April 25). Instagram Business Account VS Instagram Personal . Chat360. https://chat360.io/blog/instagram-business-account-vs-instagram-personal/#:~:text=Instagram%20personal%20accounts%20are%20typically,and%20follow%20your%20favorite%20accounts.