Social media personal and professional use has exploded since Covid-19. This is a good thing because social media really does help to facilitate networking, personal branding and lead generation/business development.

I think the term social distancing is very misleading because social media really helps bring us together very efficiently.

Since we are not going to be in-person networking anytime soon and returning to whatever “normal” was before the pandemic, here are a few suggestions for what you should do now and going forward when it comes to how you use social media.

  • Don’t use social media less in 2021. Use it more, but use it more intentionally.
  • Follow people who inspire and motivate you.
  • Cultivate and grow your network on an ongoing basis.
  • Engage with experts from whom you can learn.
  • Create genuine, positive relationships.
  • Give without expecting anything in return.
  • Put yourself out there – give your opinions and insights, tell personal stories and be authentically you.
  • Post genuine socially conscious material and spotlight the good works of your company.
  • When posting successes, take a humblebrag approach.
  • Be strategic about the time you spend scrolling on social.
  • Learn how LinkedIn’s algorithm works and use it to your advantage
  • Reach out to professional contacts with whom you’ve lost touch. You never know who could be a potential referral or source of business.

Remember that your network is your netWORTH – so use it wisely.