As I mentioned in the previous posts, social media is a place where people can expand their PLN. It is the same for famous figure, and they could use to developing their PLN although they might already have a solid network with other notable people. They use social media to post pictures of their daily life and attract more people to follow them. Being a notable person means all your actions are in the public eye, and you would be judged by various people every day on what you are posting online. Famous figures use social media to express their personalities. Influencers drive the development of niche languages-frequently used jargon, preferred labels, key conversations, and overall trends.
Followers recognize the influencers’ expertise in niche markets and follow their social media updates with great interest. In turn, influential people aim to cater to the strong interests of their followers and adjust their positions accordingly, while maintaining a position that represents their values and personality. Social media influencers are early adopters of products that set trends among the wider consumer base. They use their social media platforms to help amplify the information. Some influential people have built enough influence on the product line, and companies have the opportunity to launch their product series. Although some influential people use their visibility on social media to start their own business, some successful celebrities hope to expand their influence on social media and become more influential.
Being in the public eye and having a PLN, create more opportunities to help others know you better. Like Jody Vance described in her real-world experiences, having a PLN in the public eye has led her to several opportunities that she ever dreamed of. Moreover, a solid and healthy PLN can be achieved in the public eye. People often not only focus on what you are posting or sharing, also are curious about the list of people that you are connected with. Therefore, being in the public eye and having also helped on maintaining positive personal networks.
That’s leading to the next topic: risks of engaging with public audiences on social media. Although people built the online world decades ago, cyber law is still underdeveloped compared to the development of cyberspace. I just read the news about an influencer on Tiktok, and she is a teenager who posts selfies online every day. A crazy fan hacked into her account and found all her personal information. She would receive hate mail occasions from people she never met.
Many people try to make work and life separate. The rise of social media provided by the employer has made this line increasingly blurred. The traditional definition of private space is outdated, and the way social networks are used at work is also changing. It is good to interact with colleagues on social networks. Especially for small companies with a great working atmosphere, it is not difficult to turn colleagues into friends. Private space is being increasingly eroded by social networks. Obviously, complaining about work or colleagues on social networks is never a wise move. Especially, when your online social circle includes the person who has been complained of. In the Internet age, it only takes a few seconds for news to spread all over the world. Things sent out impulsively may make you regret it all your life.
The purpose of a professional network is to obtain information, increase your visibility in your field, and establish interpersonal relationships that help your career development. No matter how much you love your job, you should always look for ways to expand your networks. Ideally, your contacts will follow you from one position to another. A strong network allows you to get advice from trusted sources, keep your expertise up-to-date, look for career opportunities and support the careers of others. There should be many types of your network; individuals from different companies, professional levels, and professions can add a range of perspectives. Keeping in touch with university friends who might be in different companies and industries. It is an easy way to build a network. It is also a wise idea to join a professional association in your field, and regularly participate in their activities. Finally, investigate your company’s sponsorship program; many organizations provide individuals with opportunities to build networks within the company. Training activities, management visits, guest speakers, or various types of interest-based activities can generate the same types of connections as external activities.
With the development of Internet technology and the widespread application of social media, it has become easier to obtain or publish information, bringing convenience to people’s work, study and life. However, because the Internet and social media have lowered the threshold for information release, and caused a huge amount of online information to be rumours, misinformation or false information were widely spread. For those veteran storytellers, they spend time searching for reliable sources and information before posting things online. One of the biggest secrets of professional bloggers is that they do not know all the information. This does not mean that all blogs are fake forgers. On the contrary, the natural curiosity of many bloggers makes them good at their work. What enables them to do this and authoritatively write about the topic is knowing how to research blogposts appropriately. If they rely on third-party information to write blog posts, they choose an authoritative source. Official associations, government websites, heavily cited research papers, and outstanding industry experts are examples. However, no one is always right, so the storyteller should contact each source with skepticism about the practice of journalists and question all issues until they are sure that the information is reliable. Everyone makes mistakes, but it is important to avoid such mistakes. And take responsibility immediately and be transparent about them if it is ever happening.
Reference
Miller. (2021, June 6). Jody Vance: Media Voices [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NnpQJdl0A.