Life Hacks With Toby: Just Chatting & Scrolling Through Photos? Here Are 6 Other Things You Can Use Social Media For

My sojourn in the social media world began in the year 2009. I was in school back then and just heard about facebook. I didn’t even understand what it was about. But I had a little Nokia 3110 that could access the internet. So I registered.

I searched for a couple of people I knew and sent friend requests to them, and before long I felt ‘among’.

Over the years, I have come to appreciate the importance of the social media, especially because  I use the internet for business. For instance, I am active on Pinterest, Stumbleupon, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium, Triberr, and a couple of other ones that only bloggers will understand.

I have heard some people condemn the social media because ‘it is a time waster’, and I usually wondered how anyone could say that. I mean, I’m sure they never considered the effectiveness of social media on businesses, advertising campaigns, public relations and so on.

Despite all these obvious potentials of the social media, it is quite surprising to still discover that most users are still not making the best use of their social accounts. Most users prefer to engage social media by chatting and posting and sharing of pictures. This is only one use to it and it can be so much more!

There have already been studies on how our dependence on chats and photos alone may be hindering human relation. Meanwhile, there is enormous value and good to be derived from the social media if applied properly and judiciously.

Just in case you are wondering if there are other things you can do on the social media besides uploading pikshures, chatting, watching videos, or checking what your Ex is up to, here are 6:

Leverage The “Share Button”
If you are just going to scroll through your social media timelines and pages and amuse yourself, then you are not contributing much to the virtual community are you? Most social media have a “share” button. If you come across great resources that you feel is helpful then click share. This way you can help keep your friends and loved ones informed and aware.

Why Don’t You Give Them A Call And Have An Actual Conversation?
Instead of chatting with friends, family and your fans all the time, don’t you think they would prefer to actually hear your voice than merely seeing you new photos online?

I have a family friend Chijioke that stays in the UK. We chat regularly via whatsapp, and even exchange emails. But one day I decided to call him on whatsapp, and ‘surprisingly’ it went through. We talked for a long time, and I never had to worry about the cost.

Sweet!

If you’re ready to try this, social media apps such as Whatsapp and Viber have been available for a while providing an alternate ‘free call’ (not exactly free if you consider your data). Recently Facebook seems to have also perfected their Messenger calls and even video calls. This way they rival even Skype. And the quality of communication is enhanced instead of stifled.

Well, studies show that chat communications alone are destroying our relationships, so maybe you should give this a try.

Get In Touch Directly With Your Customers And Prospective Clients and Build A Following
For ages, businesses sought ways to get into the homes of their customers and get into their lives. The brands that had the greatest influence on people’s daily lives were the most successful.

Social media levels the playing field and allows every brand to compete fairly and not just reach clients in their homes, but literally ‘fall into their hands’. Through the use of short videos and various creative means to advertise new products; standard photos and by having direct messaging with clients. Your business can grow in unimaginable ways.

You will need to visualize your business as you want it to be and paint that picture using the various social media platforms. For instance with the visual appeal and superior engagement rates of Instagram, you can enhance your business and garner a rich following.

Immerse Yourself In Interest Groups
From the various Linkedin Interest groups and professional groups to the various Facebook groups as well as pages, the social media is increasingly being structured to benefit users more directly. This way social media may take our time but add more value.

The benefits are endless, for instance an aspiring writer in a professional group with seasoned and published writers is bound to get good networking and pick up lots of tips. You know what they say; ‘he who sits in the midst of the great become great’. Some groups facilitate social calls to community development and calls to action. Social media can become a great tool for social reformation if we care to use it properly.

Read, Acknowledge & Apply Great Posts
So many coaches, inspirational speakers, preachers, writers and bloggers share their work and views via social media in the thousands, but somehow many people seem to have become addicted to reading and liking posts or worse still just liking them.

Approach social media like a place for education and inspiration and actually practice a thing or two that you learn there and social media might just become much more valuable to you. Watch out for the toxic stuff of course.

Develop A Voice
Ever had that nagging feeling that you have more to say than you are currently saying? Want to speak out against something or teach a few principles you are picking up? Or you just have some really amazing content you create? Social media presents you with a ready international audience.

You can create Facebook pages like I did here, or advertise your pre-published blog post and tweet them. You can even make use of a YouTube channel and make some money from views while you are at it. The story of the Nigerian artiste Orusegun Olumide who rose to worldwide prominence by sharing his works on social media ought to be enough inspiration.

So, when next you log on, let’s remember, it’s bigger than just pictures and chats.

Your Turn
Are you active on the social media? What else do you do with it except getting likes for your pictures, or chatting? Do you know there are lots of profitable businesses for anyone with an active social media page? What can you do today with this info?

Photo Credit: Kiosea39 | Dreamstime.com