How can you use social media to build professional relationships?

However, I believe the choice of social media platforms and the frequency of activity depends on the kind of industry, target audience, and the type of content one is looking for. Still, LinkedIn and Twitter are two of my top picks to start with. On LinkedIn, on can post 2-3 times a week as it is Ideal for professional networking, B2B connections, and sharing industry-related content. For Twitter, multiple post a day works the best as it helps to get real-time interactions. For example, one can share industry news, participate in trending topics, and engage with your audience through tweets and retweets.

To make the most out of LinkedIn, Ensure your profiles on platforms are complete and professional. Don't forget to use a professional photo, and write a compelling bio that highlights your skills and experiences.

When connecting with someone, send a personalized message. Mention how you know them or why you want to connect. Don't connect with everyone; remember to focus on quality over quantity.

As you are building your virtual community of educators, it’s important that you align yourself with educators who share the same passions, principles, and beliefs that you hold as an educator. You also want connect with educators who may be in professional positions that you aspire to be in. For example, if you’re currently a classroom teacher and you have aspirations of becoming an educational consultant, then you should connect with educators who have successfully made that transition from the classroom to the consulting world. If you’re a World Language teacher looking to improve their craft, then you should look for a social media community of World Language teachers. Hashtags can guide you finding your community on social media.

Depending on your field you might need to create different types or formats of content, but what I think could be great way to create content in your field that will attract a lot of potential audience is to make "Short formatted updates of the most advanced tools in the field." what I mean by that is that you find the hottest, and most recent and advanced techniques or tools and share them online! For example, if you teach mathematics, and AI is a hot topic that could help teachers and students, then you would create short content (I personally prefer short videos) to share how potential AI can help in the field of math. Note: You can apply this into nearly any field. :)

As someone who has used social media over the past five years to help build my professional network, I highly recommend that you do a thorough background check on individuals who claim to be “eduinfluencers” or educational influencers, especially on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. The hashtags in their bios or on their profile page don’t always tell the true story of who they are. The photos that they decide to post on their accounts don’t always represent who they really are. The statements and the tweets they make don’t always align with who they claim to be in their bios. All that to say, double check their credentials! Check their receipts. Research their website. Review their LinkedIn page. Do a Google search on them.

I personally have been on social media, mainly YouTube, for over 7 years. I've grown over 175K subscribers on one channel, started a second with over 22K subscribers now. And, what I've learnt is that social media needs you to be consistent! You don't have to be the best; you don't have to have the greatest and most expensive equipment; you don't even have to be the most creative! Just have a goal in mind, start, and be consistent while improving and seeking expert advice, and eventually you will be rewarded!