Protect your privacy on social networks

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Social networks are built on the premise of sharing, but often users post personal information such as birth dates, phone numbers, addresses and employers on their social network profiles without realizing that they may be "sharing" this information with people they don't know - people that may be able to access this information if users don't take measures to protect their information.  For instance, if any of your Facebook privacy settings are set to "everyone"  then it can be found by anyone on the Internet (including potential and/or current employers).

Take a few minutes to read the privacy policies of any social networks of which you are a member and find out the steps you need to adjust the privacy settings of your social networking profiles to a level you are comfortable with and safeguard your personal information.  Here are some links with tips on how to adjust privacy settings on some of the most popular social networks:

• How to Change Facebook Privacy Settings
• 5 LinkedIn Privacy Settings You Need to Know
• Control privacy on MySpace
• Privacy Settings and Safety Tips for Socializing on Twitter
• How to Tighten Your Google Buzz Privacy Settings

See also:

• Connect Safely | A Parents' Guide to Facebook
• Facebook Safety Center
• MySpace Safety, Security and Privacy
• How people monitor their identity and search for others online | Pew Internet & American Life Project

How to use social media to find a job!

Tweet Just as a negative social media presence can harm your chances of being hired by a prospective employer, a positive social media presence can help you land a dream job!  With so many Americans currently unemployed, job seekers must find a way to stand out in the crowd, here are a few ways to use social media to gain a noticeable social media presence:

Twitter

• Find recruiters or industry leaders with Twitter accounts, follow them and occasionally engage with them to learn more about them and the companies for which they work.  Developing a good relationship here can lead to an invitation for an off-line meeting.
• Re-tweet or share any industry-relevant information that you find.
• Post links to your blog posts.
• Learn more at  Mashable's "How to: Find a Job on Twitter"
  

Facebook

• Be sure your personal Facebook page has the appropriate privacy settings so any questionable content there cannot be found by a potential employer.
• Create a business page focused on your job search where you should post your resume and links to any professional web content you have created or any articles written by or about you.
• Use the Notes section as a blog where you can post ideas and points of view about your industry.
• Be sure to update your status regularly.
• Get your friends to "like" your page and spread the word about your job search!

Blog

• Start or update a blog regularly to showcase your expertise and point of view.
•  You may want to import your blog into Facebook's Notes.
• Follow other relevant blogs and comment on any interesting posts to engage with industry peers.

Video

• This may not be appropriate for all industries, but creating and sharing online videos that highlight your talents, expertise, creativity and points of view may help you to get noticed by hiring managers.

LinkedIn

• The ultimate social network for job hunting - Erik Qualman's Socialnomics video tells us that "80% of companies use social media for recruitment" with 95% of those companies using LinkedIn!
• Be sure to create or update your existing profile with your work history, education and other relevant experience as well as links to your blog, Twitter or Facebook page.
• Write a thoughtful and descriptive headline for your profile.
• Be sure to connect with anyone in your address book that currently has a LinkedIn page and ask them for recommendations.
• Join (or start) industry groups and post an ad describing the job you are searching for in the jobs section of each group.  Be sure to actively participate in any group you join by sharing great ideas and information with your peers and it is a great way to get noticed by potential employers.
  
• Add applications to your profile that will pull your blog posts, Twitter updates or even presentations that you have created and shared online.
• Post and answers questions.

Social media resume

• This is a virtual copy of your resume that can be hosted on your website or your blog.
• Add video, audio or images that showcase your expertise.
• Make your resume shareable by adding a sharing utility such as Share This, Add to Any or Add This that site visitors can access readily to share with others.
  

Social media: Manage and update all your social media outlets from one source

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If you are a business owner hoping to tap into social media to market your business  there are some shortcuts to help you reach out to your audience on the various social networking platforms (Blogger, WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) without taking too much time from your already busy schedule.  Sites like Postling, Posterous, Ping.fm, Hellotxt and desktop applications like TweetDeck offer you a one-stop way of posting to all your social media accounts at once or just a select few at a time.  Many of these sites can also be accessed directly via your mobile phone or by using a downloadable mobile appication.  An added benefit from these services is that you can create and preschedule your blog posts and status updates to post at a desired time so you don't have to worry about being at your computer at the desired posting time.

Social Networking beyond Facebook and Twitter

Tweet By now, many professionals are using of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to reach clients, network with industry peers and market their businesses. But they can also tap into many niche social networking sites that cater to individuals based on interest or profession.

Here is a list of just a few of the social networking sites specifically for real estate professionals:

* Real Town - For consumers looking for buyer and seller information and real estate professional seeking resources and networking opportunities
* Active Rain - A social network and marketing site
* RealEstateVoices - A social real estate news site
* Zolve - Connect buyers, sellers and owners with information provided by real estate professionals
* Broker Agent Social - "A peer to peer community open to real estate professionals of all types: Real Estate Sales, Mortgage, Title, and all those who provide support to the Real Estate Industry"

We found a list of many niche social networks broken down by industry/interest on Social Media Answers - many of the sites listed are built using Ning, a site that allows you to create your own social network.