5 Tips and 15 Links to Help Beginners Get Started on Social Media

I was happy to give a training at a local non-profit recently. The organization is going through a state of transition and some people are losing their positions. I gave a mini-course on how to use social selling techniques to present yourself on LinkedIn, and how to connect with prospective employers, peers and influencers at those prospective employers. One thing that caught me by surprise was that many people needed a lot of help just getting started. They were not familiar, much less proficient with LinkedIn, or other social networks like Twitter, or with create blog posts. In this article, I'm providing 5 tips and 15 links to help Beginners get started on social media and learn these critical platforms and tools.

If you want to use social media to help you find the best job, and are a social media novice, here are some tips for you:

1: Learn LinkedIn

I was asked what's more important a resume or LinkedIn? The answer, LinkedIn. Jobcast stats from 2014 indicate that 93% of companies use LinkedIn to find candidates, while Capterra estimates 94% of recruiters use LinkedIn for the same. If you want a job, it's the best place to be. Fill out your LinkedIn profile fully and completely, then create your resume from your profile.

When I give trainings on social selling for job seekers, most of the steps I recommend require LinkedIn interaction. Simply put, if you're looking for a job, you need to learn how to use LinkedIn. Start by updating your profile. Once that's done, make connections, give and get recommendations, give and get endorsements, then join some groups and so forth. From that point, use LinkedIn regularly, as in every day or two, to stay in touch, make new contacts, and stay plugged into people and companies you may want to work for. To help you get started here are three good links:

For an overview, the Beginners Guide to LinkedIn (from Mashable)
34 brief, task specific tutorials (from Th!nk)
More in-depth tutorial webinars from LinkedIn: http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/530/~/linkedin-learning-webinars

2: Learn How to Follow and Interact with Companies on Social Media

Following company pages (sometimes called fan pages) is one of the best ways to plug into the public face of a company you might like to work for. You'll see what they're promoting, how they position themselves, issues they take interest in, and other valuable information. You can follow company pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+. These links tell you how:

3: Learn Twitter

Twitter is used by businesses and thought leaders in many industries. Whereas following company pages plugs you into the public face of an organization, Twitter provides you a chance to see from the thoughts, ideas, and interests of individuals.This

can give you insights into the people that work for an organization. You'll also see what influences them, and have opportunities to connect on a personal level. Many people who don't use Twitter say that they just don't understand it. What's the big deal about 140 characters? That's okay. The best way to understand Twitter is to get on Twitter, and watch how other people use it. These resources will help you do that.

The Beginners Guide to Twitter (Mashable)
Getting Started with Twitter (Twitter Help Center)
13 Twitter Tips and Tutorials for Beginners (TwiTip)

4: Learn how to interact on social media

Social media is for establishing relationships. You can build real, lasting connections with people through social media. Those people can potentially help you in your job search, provide information about prospective employers, and help prepare you for interviews. The following three articles are good resources that can help you learn to connect, communicate, and interact on social media:

4 Steps from contact initiation to follow through. (MojoCreator)
How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age. Yes, this is Dale Carnegie's classic updated for the digital age.
4 Social Media Etiquette tips. Taking their cue from the title above, Business Insider shows 4 ways to get a better response from your social media connections.

5: Learn how to Blog

When people see how to use Social Media, and see the myriad of voices in the digital landscape, many are inspired. They get excited and want to take their social media game to the next level by creating their own content. Blogs are a great place to start. Make sure you emphasize quality over quantity. One great post a month is better than four mediocre posts a month. For beginners, pick something from the previous month that inspired you and that you're passionate about. Spend a month putting together a good post. Have a few people read it and give you feedback. Then get it copy edited. Once its ready, publish it at the start of the following month. Rinse, repeat. For beginning bloggers, here are some helpful links: