This month, however, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tufts alumni on how to use social media marketing techniques to land their next position. I don’t know which was more exciting doing the actual presentation–or preparing for it.

Looking for a job is just another form of marketing

Now, I’ve spoken on searching for a job before, because it’s really just another form of marketing–only the job seeker is the “product”. The new wrinkle was figuring out when, where, and how to use social media to supplement conventional job search techniques.

I started by making a list of all the normal activities that one would do when looking for a job. Examples include researching the industry, conducting informational interviews to narrow the focus of the search, getting the word out that you’re looking, networking to identify promising companies and opportunities, and figuring out how to stand out from the competition.

Social media marketing accelerates the process

While making this list, I realized that getting a job is a very social activity–and that social media is ideally suited to accelerate the process. Where social media really excels is in quickly finding out what’s hot, showcasing your expertise to colleagues and strangers alike, and staying top of mind with those who may hear about job opportunities.

To help job seekers find out what’s hot, I recommended automated ongoing Twitter searches via Tweetdeck. For showcasing their expertise, I suggested using the status updates in Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter to raise awareness of their accomplishments and direct their network to information these individuals would find valuable.

I particularly recommended Twitter since it is searchable by everyone. Therefore, those that found their content helpful might choose to follow them and join the network of individuals that opt for direct communications.

First impressions count: but marketers say it takes 7 to make an impact

Marketers say that it takes 7 impressions to make an impact. When it comes to staying top of mind, nothing beats social media. That’s because it offers the opportunity to communicate regularly without being a pest.

Most people use social media to keep their finger on the pulse. Unlike email which they tend to use for mission-critical communications, people check social media when they want to know what’s going on in the work, in their industry, with their colleagues, and/or their friends. So, they expect to receive news that’s interesting but not necessarily essential. Of course, it’s incumbent on senders to deliver interesting content if they don’t want to risk being “unfollowed”, blocked, or worse yet, “unfriended”.

Using social media to research the presentation: The medium is the message

The topics I’ve covered thus far are the topics I anticipated discussing when I agreed to do the presentation. What made the preparation so interesting was some of the other things I learned on the way.

About a week before I set out to write the presentation, I created a Tweetdeck search on “job search”. Through that, I discovered that there was a hash tag for job search–so I altered my search.

Shortly thereafter, I stumbled upon some information sources that I never knew existed. Perhaps the most interesting was Glassdoor.com. This site provides the information everyone cares about most– what it will be like to actually work at the company with whom you’re interviewing. Visit it to view anonymous reviews about the pros and cons of working for various employers.

Finally, it came time to give the presentation. To my surprise, most of the people who came were fully-employed. Perhaps some were looking for their next opportunity, but most said they came to learn more about social media marketing. To see a copy of the presentation, please visit my LinkedIn profile and scroll down to the slideshow. Then, please let me know what you would add to improve upon this presentation.

Related posts:

1. The search and social media paradox
2. How search and social media will shorten the B2B sales cycle.
3. Social Media: So What?
4. Social media adoption: How will marketing spending patterns change?

How I use Twitter:

I mainly use Twitter to stay abreast of what’s happening in my profession, my industry, and the world. I do this in three ways.

I use Twitter as a newspaper. Instead of scanning the headlines of a print publication, I “follow” reporters and publications that tweet headlines of breaking stories with links to the full article. When I want to learn more, I click the link to the full story.

I use Twitter as a peer-reviewed publication–and empower others to sift through the news, highlight articles of interest, and provide useful insights. Instead of subscribing to a print journal that arrives once a month or six times a year, I “follow” a group of thought leaders I’ve identified as providers of interesting content.

The third way I use Twitter is as an antenna. With the help of Tweetdeck (described below), I scan everyone’s tweets, including people I don’t know, to learn what others are saying about topics I find interesting.

I do this by setting up a permanent search in Tweetdeck and checking the results whenever I have time. When I find useful information, I often start “following” the person who posted the tweet–and “retweet” his/her post to those that follow me.

How others use Twitter:

I use Twitter mostly for listening but of course that means someone needs to be talking–I mean tweeting. Annie Schmidt, the Senior Designer and Strategist, identifies six ways people can tweet: curatorial, tips and advice, shout-out, self-promotional, responses and retweets.

Curatorial tweets identify topics of interest and provide useful insights. Shout-outs are requests for help and/or ideas. Retweets are posts that Twitter readers forward, with full attribution, to those that follow them.

Twitter tools:

There are a number of tools that extend the power of Twitter. Examples include Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, and Seesmic’s Twitter desktop client. Shortly, after the Seltzer seminar, I came across a great Tweetdeck demo that John McTigue posted on one of the Linked In groups to which I subscribe.

Are you atwitter about twitter?

I am.  Reach me at @bbmarketingplus!

Related posts:

1. Social Media Marketing for Job Search
2. The power of Twitter Hashtags: Crowdsourcing gems and soundbites