An Introspective Look at My Own Social Media Presence
By Kassandra Lopez, Global Strategic Communications graduate student at the University of Florida
As a student pursuing a Masters’s in communications, with a certificate in social media. And a professional person, that is directly charge of the social media presence, and email marketing for a rather large company. You would think that my heart and soul is vested in the topic, that I would watch every Instagram like as it popped up, and answer every message the moment it was received. And while I strive to keep a lively community on my organization’s social media pages, I have let my own online presence fall behind.
I liken this to a chef, who gets home and rather make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich than a more involved meal. My 9-to-5 includes monitoring a Facebook account constantly, posting clever pictures on Instagram every few hours, and coming up with the next way to get someone in through the door via email. This doesn’t leave much emotional, and creative energy for my own posts.
I have found that social media networks are indeed necessary to build personal and professional brands. “As a communication major, I am not only expected to keep up with my personal social media accounts, but I am also encouraged to create professional accounts as well. I must explore new social media platforms constantly, and keep up with social trends.” (Robins, Mary) As such I do have profiles on the two most prevalent platforms. I will admit that my use of these platforms is very limited. Aside from serving as a pretty shell, that represents me well. These platforms are used to reach out to new connections and to establish relationships with people. I will go on to give a small summary of my best practices for each of these networks.
Facebook is a beast that I was forced into early on in my grad school track. Until then, I had avoided the monster entirely. I limit my use of this platform, to having my Facebook group which unites people in my common interest and geographic area. Every once in a while I tend to my followers, by creating posts. Admittedly I haven’t done so in a while, but given the current circumstances I will definitely be posting more often.
Instagram as a platform has been easier for me to maintain. I have most recently reconnected with a friend from several years ago, and it was easy to catch up due to following each other on Instagram. I’ve seen the merits of Instagram and how it serves as a tool for advancing your personal and professional life. At the moment I am taking a hiatus from Instagram, as it is very easy to get addicted to the platform. I believe that seeing positive images of everyone’s best, isn’t necessarily good for my own mental health. As such I think that moving forward my use of Instagram will be far more professional in nature.
I feel that my current social media profiles represent that I am a professional young woman, who has a lively personality and enjoys travel and fashion. So, it’s not too far off from reality! The importance of a social media presence can not be disregarded. “When potential customers, partners, influencers, and others research your company, they will also want to research you. We live in a world where business managers matter. Personal branding through social media is a good way to let others find you and see that the company is in good hands.” (Drake, Tom)
References
Drake, Tom. “Your Personal Brand Is the Most Important Part of Social Media.” All Business, Dun & Bradstreet, 5 Nov. 2019, www.allbusiness.com/your-personal-brand-is-the-most-important-part-of-social-media-101677-1.html.
Robins, Mary. “Social Media Is No Longer A Choice.” The Odyssey Online, The Odyssey Online, 15 Oct. 2019, www.theodysseyonline.com/social-media-is-no-longer-choice.
