Facebook has been denounced as a privacy invading,
constantly changing, “faux” friend inducing, emoticon overusing, time wasting
vortex of crap. I, however, have
found Facebook to be an invaluable tool.
Not only in maintaining my friendships and filling my social calendar,
but in providing a public forum for life changing networking opportunities.
Job Opportunities
I’ve gotten work just from responding to friends’ statuses on
Facebook. On the other hand, I've
spent hours on Craigslist sifting through countless questionable job postings
and applying for gigs to no avail.
When I finally did book a gig through Craigslist, I went through hell
just to get paid for my work and was NEVER paid in full.
When a friend posts about work on Facebook, the work and the
employer have already been vetted in some way. You can at least judge the dependability of the gig and the likelihood
of being paid by the dependability of the friend. For me, one time Facebook gigs have turned into full-blown
part time work. And I’ve NEVER had
a problem being paid.
Resources
I also use Facebook to find resources. It’s like a free version of Angie’s
List. I post a status of what I’m
looking for, and within half an hour, I have at least five recommendations for
what I need (often with direct contact emails and numbers). Everything from getting my dental
implant affordably to getting music recorded immediately, the Facebook
community has pointed me in the right direction.
Promotion
Talk about free marketing. Most of the entertainment I patronize (be it a friends’ band
playing on the Lower East Side or a Broadway show) is from events and postings
I’ve seen on Facebook.
I’ve watched as causes, surgeries, projects, and shows have
been funded with campaigns shared through Facebook.
I’ve done my best to vote for people entering contests and
using the vast network of Facebook to don support.
The current number one source of traffic for this blog is
from Facebook (thanks for reading and sharing by the way).
Freebies
Finally, Facebook keeps me updated on friends’, families’,
and acquaintances’ careers and whereabouts. If I need advice from a certain professional I can reach out
far beyond my innermost social circle with the accessibility that Facebook
provides. I can also reach out
when I’m traveling. Finding
friends and acquaintances who’ll give recommendations, will act as local tour
guides, or provide a free place to stay.
By having this vast social media database of people with different
expertise from all over the country and the world, the opportunities are
limitless. I’ve reconnected with
people I haven’t seen in years through Facebook. Not only have I saved money by staying with them, but
enriched my travel and life experience by reconnecting.
I also love that Facebook catches me up on all the latest
viral videos, memes, trending news stories, and such, but that’s just for fun
:)
How has Facebook served you?
As much as Facebook annoys me sometimes, it is a pretty useful tool I'll agree to that!
ReplyDeleteAny social network has potential for usefulness - I personally haven't used Facebook much for professional stuff, apart from getting invited to certain events and keeping up with contacts who are also borderline friends, but I do know plenty of other journalist friends who've used FB to find interview sources.
ReplyDeleteIt helped me find an apartment. I simply posted "Looking for an apartment in Brooklyn...any help appreciated." I'm still living there and paying below market rent. This is the type of apartment that will never be posted on craigslist.
ReplyDelete“Talk about free marketing.” - Social media really plays a huge role in the business world nowadays, particularly in advertising. It makes easier for our products to get noticed worldwide. I have doubts in using it before; it's not easy, but when I got the hang of it, I enjoyed it. This is one invention that I think everyone should take advantage. >Laverne Mitchell @ DigitalSalesDevelopment.com
ReplyDelete