How students can change their social media tactics

These days, it seems like every public relations professional is using social media to their advantage, whether it be to promote a certain company, give information about a specific campaign or to get up-to-date stories and news. But, more and more students and other people trying to get their start in the public relations world have also caught on to the social media phenomenon. What I’ve been noticing lately is that students are not using social media, like Twitter and Facebook, to their advantage. In fact, many public relations beginners are hurting themselves and their chance to get their ideal job by the way they are using social media.

I was recently told by a public relations professional, someone who is familiar with the public relations career world, that “Twitter isn’t meant to tell me what time you got up this morning, or what you’re having for breakfast, or what you’re shopping for today. Develop interesting content and make me want to read your tweets.” On Twitter last week someone who I follow, someone who I’d consider a friend of mine, was tweeting back and forth to another friend about what bar they should meet at later. Did they think that everyone who followed them needed to read that? No. That type of information can just as easily, and more privately, be texted back and forth.

It’s inevitable that some students will follow and like certain groups that don’t show them in the best light. However, to obtain an ideal job, my generation must use Twitter appropriately. Tweets should be about blogs you’ve been reading, or interesting news stories you found, or certain aspects of public relations that would interest the people you follow. On top of this, follow companies that you would ideally like to work for. Follow public relations agencies, corporate businesses and news outlets. On Facebook be careful about what your status updates are saying or what pictures are being posted of you. Even if your profile is set to private some companies have the ability to see your personal information either way. Once something is on the internet we should expect it to stay there. Companies want to see students using these social media tools. Because we have the ability to connect to companies so easily these days we should be. Twitter and Facebook have the ability to help students obtain their idealistic job, but it also has the ability to ruin those chances. To read more information about how to use social media in your job search check out http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networking/a/socialmedia.htm. 

Kelsey Darnall
University of Minnesota
Jour 3279
Blog Assignment