Three tactics to boost your network on twitter, linkedin, and facebook

You’ve decided to jump into social media or maybe you’ve been using it for a while and are wondering how to make the most of your connections and meet new people. Try these three tactics on twitter, linkedin, and facebook to grow and strengthen your network.

On Twitter:

Join a twitter chat: Want to participate in a free exchange of ideas, resources, and support while connecting with people who share your passion and interests? Participate in a twitter chat!

Twitter chats are conversations that happen during a set time period using an assigned hashtag. Anyone can participate in a twitter chat simply by including the hashtag in their tweets. Three of my favorite twitter chats are #ynpchat (for young nonprofit professionals), #jobhuntchat (for job seekers) and #nptalk (for nonprofits). You can learn more about these twitter chats and others by checking out this list.

On Linked In:

Make an introduction: The best way to strengthen your network is to foster relationships among the people in it. Think about two people in your network who should know each other: do they share the same interests? Do they work in the similar field? Can they help each other? After you identify these people, introduce them! You can forward one person’s profile to the other person and include a note on why you think they should know each other or just send a message to both at the same time via your Linked In inbox. Also, I find that people tend to return favors like this and will keep you in mind and connect you with amazing people.

On Facebook:

Ask your network questions: People tend to use facebook for personal use only and never think of getting professional insights from them. However, those friends and family members can potentially be your best assets in growing professionally. Why? Because they know and support you! So spark discussions about your career, professional development, or issues in your field. Share interesting quotes or articles with your personal take on them to let people see what you’re passionate about.

As Rosetta Thurman said in her recent webinar on developing a side job, these days if people know you, like you, and trust you they are much more likely to want to work with you and support you. Build a community.

What other social media practices have helped you strengthen your network?

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