You too, fall for professional networks

Do you want to recruit the rare pearl? Develop your professional network? How about exploiting the full potential offered by professional social networks? Used well, these tools represent a real asset for your company or for developing your career.

What is a professional social network?

A professional network is the set of links you forge with people related to your work (former classmates, former colleagues, colleagues, service providers, partners, etc.). Your network is all of your acquaintances who share a common profession or sector of activity. Your network allows you to discuss and/or share advice, contacts, skills or even find a job.

In the digital age, professional networks have become digital. We are therefore talking about professional social networks. Among these networks, the best known are LinkedIn and Viadeo. Initially, the goal was to create networking and expand your professional network, and eventually to do business. Today LinkedIn stands out as a benchmark in this area with its 610 million subscribers worldwide.

What are professional social networks for?

Professional social networks have become essential for companies. They have many advantages:

• Boost your business visibility :your presence on the networks increases your visibility. A user who searches for your company can potentially come across your networks and obtain the information they are looking for.
• Recruit new profiles: professional networks are excellent libraries of professional profiles. If you want to hire, you will have access to CVs and candidate experiences. In a few clicks, you find profiles that may correspond to the position to be filled. If you want a job, you can even contact the managers of the companies that interest you.
• Grow and nurture your network :from your profiles, regularly add new contacts, reconnect with former students who probably work in the same sector of activity as you. They are potentially new partners, customers or collaborators. Consider checking in with them or congratulating them on their new position.
• Manage your image :by mentioning information about your career, you promote yourself. Professional networks are your showcase. You can indicate your skills, your background, who your clients are, what is your expertise, your know-how, etc.

Consumer networks at the service of your business

In some cases, mainstream networks like Facebook or Instagram are perfect for developing your professional image. The quality of your posts can give an idea of ​​your skills (photography, writing, customer service, etc.) to a potential employer or collaborator. If you are a creator, a craftsman, a merchant or an artist, consumer networks are your showcase and allow you to make yourself known.

How do I boost my profile on professional social networks?

Registering on the different networks is good. Animating them regularly is better! It is not enough to create a profile for contact requests to flow and your network to grow. For your web presence to be truly effective, start by selecting the networks that are relevant and strategic for you. To do this, you need to ask yourself the following questions:on which networks are your prospects? What do they want to see? And your competitors, on which networks are they present?

Once you have selected your professional networks and taken care of the presentation of your profile, how do you animate your different accounts? What types of content should be given priority? And how often?

The answer partly depends on the network you operate on. If you are on Twitter for example, it is recommended to post several times a day. On Viadeo and LinkedIn, you don't have to follow this cadence. That said, you still need to animate your networks on a regular basis. Prioritize content related to your business. It is better to post quality content less often than to post irrelevant information every day.

Mistakes to avoid on professional networks

Opening an account on professional networks is not enough to add value to your business. Some users make mistakes that can damage their image:

• Abandon accounts. It is better to delete them than to leave incorrect or outdated information.
• Publish your political ideas. Your political or religious opinions have absolutely no place on your professional networks. This can damage your professional image.

Whether it's to improve your business prospects or find a new job, professional networks have become essential. It's up to you to use your contacts wisely so that they become a real asset. However, to be effective, these networks deserve the greatest attention and controlled use.