Millennials. A generation born into the Internet.
Whether it’s time spent on Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter, this tech-savvy group is connected 24/7 .
Yet surprisingly, when it comes to using social media in the workplace, millennials are still unprepared.
As William Ward, a professor of social media at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications says,
“Just because somebody grows up being a social media native, doesn’t make them an expert in using social media at work, That’s like saying, ‘I grew up with a fax machine, so that makes me an expert in business.'”
So, how can millennial’s maximize their use of social media without damaging their career?
I was honored to join College Cash this week, a Twitter chat hosted by Jodi Okun where we tackled this topic.
Below are the questions and answers between Jodi and myself, including the wonderful feedback shared throughout the chat.
In case you missed the conversation, you can read the entire chat here #CollegeCash.
Q: What do millennials need to keep in mind as they brand themselves on social media?
Millennial’s crave online connection, but you have to be smart about who you’re connecting with.
yes RT @RebekahRadice: A1 Be careful what you post or tweet. You never know who’s watching! #collegecash pic.twitter.com/blUf0OQ1w1 — Jodi Okun (@JodiOkun) November 21, 2014
.@JodiOkun Social Media is like an eyewitness recording that can always be replayed… Must be my legal background talking #collegecash — Wendy David-Gaines (@pocsmom) November 21, 2014
It’s not all about you. Who are you trying to connect with and how can you solve their problems? Be a GIVER!
Q: How should millennials construct their social media bio?
Keep your profile upbeat, educational, and fun. People want to get to know you, so let them!
Be consistent! Carry your bio across all of your social channels.
Optimize your bio with skills, expertise and industry keywords so you’re easy to find.
A3: Try to keep your college profiles professional and evolve them as your career begins. #collegecash — Victor Garcia (@EducationNews1) November 21, 2014
Q: From college to career, how does social media change?
Dramatically! Social media can feel like fun and games in college. As that shifts, so should your content.
A3 Social media is about building relationships, sharing/gaining knowledge. Great tool for growing professional network #collegecash — Maine Education Svcs (@MESFoundation) November 21, 2014
Your approach has to change from late night party pics to professional conversation. Be strategic in your connections. It’s quality over quantity rather than random interaction.
A3 I noticed a change in both my kids social media as soon as they were out of college and employed. #collegecash — Sharon Greenthal (@sharongreenthal) November 21, 2014
Q: With millennials its all about Tinder, Snapchat and Instagram – what advice do you have for these platforms?
Not every social network is right for your business or career. Be careful where and how you’re spending time.
@RebekahRadice always have to remember this one “Not every social network is right for your business or career” #collegecash — Jodi Okun (@JodiOkun) November 21, 2014
- Be real and be you, but know your boundaries.
- Don’t post something online that isn’t a direct representation of who you are offline.
- Share what you’re passionate about. Those are the connectors that draw the right people to you.
Q: Why should millennials focus on security and privacy a little more?
Bring your street smarts to the online world. Pay attention to your surroundings and the people in your space. Understand that you’re fully exposed when online.
Very hard to teach to JrHigh and Freshmen kids :)MT @RebekahRadice A5 Understand that you’re fully exposed when online. #collegecash — Jeff Sieh (@jeffsieh) November 21, 2014
Be careful with what you do and share. If people can hack Target for information, they can hack your accounts. Change up passwords, often!
Q: What do you want millennials to know about meaningful hashtags vs. #omgiloveit
Use hashtags with purpose. The point is to capture the attention of the right people.
“@RebekahRadice: A6 Use hashtags with purpose. The point is to capture the attention of the right people.. #collegecash” — CaribbeanCuttie (@CaribbeanCuttie) November 21, 2014
Looking for a job? Use a hashtag that’s relevant to that industry. Use @Tagboard to research. Fun hashtags are fine, but be cautious in their use. Always look at it from a recruiters point of view.
Q: When do millennials need to just put the phone down?
Often! Get engaged with your surroundings and take an interest in the people right in front of you.
What’s up with millennials and social media? @RebekahRadice knows and she’s telling #CollegeCash! pic.twitter.com/cdpPgIPTLO — Jodi Okun (@JodiOkun) November 17, 2014
What could you accomplish if you put the phone down and focused on just ONE thing? Quality time with those around you is precious. Strive to find balance by looking UP from the phone.
Q: What should millennial’s have in the forefront of their mind when posting pictures?
- If you wouldn’t feel comfortable showing that pic to your mom, don’t post it!
- Perception is everything in the online world. Think before you share something damaging.
- Ask yourself: do your pictures help build trust and establish credibility or tear it down?
A8 Always ask yourself: do your pictures help build trust and establish credibility or tear it down? #collegecash — Rebekah Radice (@RebekahRadice) November 21, 2014
Q: What platform do you think millennial’s need to devote more time to?
- Google+. It’s a phenomenal business resource. Get involved in communities devoted to your passions.
- LinkedIn is a must. Create your account, complete your bio and join relevant groups.
- YouTube. There’s no better way to establish trust then to get face-to-face with people.
Just look at Michelle Phan, an excellent example of a Millennial that’s harnessed the power of YouTube in a really big way.
Q: What are three things you want to leave us with tonight?
Get involved in the conversation. Ask questions around your industry and pay attention to the answers.
You can’t start using social media to market yourself until you understand its purpose and value. Get educated!
Whether you’re a millennial using social media or a business eager to engage with millennials, understand how to best use social media to connect, interact and build relationships is critical.
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I’m a millennial (at least according to Wikipedia) and I agree with most your advice.
I just disagree about the use of hashtags. In my opinion, the silly use of # isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a new use for them. I was never a big fan of them to be honest and think Twitter chats or specific hashtags for events are the best use for them. When you start using them inside your sentences it just looks awkward.
About a more casual use of them #omgiloveit #otpforever. Ok it doesn’t look professional and just look like a 14 years old fan girl but it seems like more and more people are just using hashtags now to share thought or comment on what they posted. I think looking at Tumblr is interesting in this aspect, the hash tagging there is just so much different than on Twitter.
Hi Aurelie! I love hashtags when they’re used sparingly. Unfortunately, hashtags turned into a form of spam and as you said, they can just make a sentence look awkward. And you’re right about hashtags across the various social platforms. They’re used in very different ways. You need to understand the community and the audience before inadvertently irritating all of your followers.
You gave me a great idea for a new blog post: the unwritten rules of social media. We often underestimate how important unwritten rules are on social media and yet each community has a very different approach to which content is acceptable or not.
I know it took me a while to get to know twitter, tumblr, pinterest… and I am still getting to know those networks and others. The use of hashtags is a good example of how different those rules can be. It seems to be accepted to have 10+ tags on Instagram when it’s seen as desperate on tumblr and would look plain weird on twitter.
Thank you for your reply. Definitely got me thinking 🙂
Really great info Rebekah. Thanks for sharing. I love learning from you. Your information is so valuable. Keep rockin awesome information like you do. I cant wait to see what else you have to teach us.
Irish
Hi Irish! Glad to see you here and love to hear that the info is beneficial to you and your biz!
Hey Rebekah
Thank you for another enlightening post. Social Media is FUN, but if you wish to reap professional benefits, we better find a way to be interesting – and YET careful 😀 LOVELY reminders
LOVEE YOU $HUGS
KItto
PS: I do believe that FB Groups are WONDERFUL networking opportunities – and very under-rated 🙂
Hey Kit! It’s always so great to see your smiling face! Social media should be fun but you do have to guard your words and you actions. Think before you speak! 🙂
Thank you for this great article. However I would like to know why you left out facebook while answering the question: What platform do you think millennial’s need to devote more time to?
I also think that it should have a place in that list. This is because facebook too has a lot of fans and unlike twitter it gives you the advantage of of more characters for you tweet.
I also agree with you about the rest and special attention should be given to google plus and LinkedIn.
Hi Benson – great question! Facebook is not top on my list for career minded millennials. While it’s an excellent place to connect and engage, especially for entrepreneurs, it’s not necessarily the right spot for those looking for a new job or advanced career opportunities.
With all that said, spend time where you feel most comfortable and find the most value. What’s right for one, wont’ be right for everyone.
Rebekah,
It seems like you’re speaking to several important but different issues here. First, how can millenials learn social courtesy in the face of constant distraction; second, how they can protect their online reputation; and third, how they can build a professional network.
I think the reason many of the younger generation stick to platforms like Snapchat and Vine is because they’re not ready to think about the kind of accountability that career-focused networking necessitates. When they’re ready to do that, they’ll naturally want to move over to more professionally oriented sites– the question is, will the persona they’ve created in their teens and early twenties follow them and (worst case) damage their ability to succeed there?
You’ve shared some important advice here, as always!
Brittany
Hi Rebekah,
As a guy who is….um…..becoming more senior by the day, these tips work for me 😉 I’ll be 40 in about 2 months. A simple and concise approach you’ve shared here.
Folks, people can see everything you post, say or do on social media. Goodness knows I’m human. I’ll still bumble my way through making errors but largely, I wear my thinking cap before posting to social sites.
We are naked, exposed and vulnerable on social sites, so just have fun with using FB and twitter and keep things high energy. Your “being positive” point should be used by any social user. I have my moments. Social’s blessing is, I can observe these moments and let them pass instead of sharing brand-killing updates with the world.
Also, nobody cares much about people who share robotic like updates. Find the delicious mix between being measured, yet being human. It’s easy guys, when you get the hang of it. Be authentic, funny, light and honest, and goodness gracious, follow Rebekah for all you need to know on the social front 😉
Thanks RR! Have a fun weekend 🙂
Ryan
Hey Rebekah,
Totally agree with the post. Not everyone is born as an expert. Everything takes times and it takes some serious effort to master a platform. In this case, it’s social media.
Also, I love the part about the other social platforms. It’s really awesome as being involved everywhere isn’t going to bring you much advantages if you don’t have a good plan.
Bookmarked and sharing this around. Thanks dear friend!
-Reginald