Wednesday, August 21, 2013

LinkedIn Proves The Importance of a Social Media Presence

: Centel Media, www.centelmedia.com, centelmedia.com  Online Reputation Management, Online Reputation Repair, Remove Rip Off Reports
I began scouting colleges and universities five years ago, only five years, and in that time I selected undergraduate and graduate programs through meticulous research, index cards, and color coding. Of course, the internet provided a great deal of information, but there was no personal interaction, the closest I came to really finding a true feel for a potential school was through the standard tours on campus or when I read each school's marketing materials that came through the mail in bulky envelopes.
Having recently experienced the process of selecting a school, I am both excited for the new ways students can reach out to schools, while also envious that it isn't me who can reap the rewards. Not only do they have the perks of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, where they can connect with and follow the school and its alumni, LinkedIn just announced a revolutionary networking feature: ‘University Pages.’
University Pages allows schools worldwide to present themselves and connect with their future students, similar to how business professionals already connect with future clientele and employees. The real game changer here is not the development of a new page or flashy new service provided to schools, it's LinkedIn new membership policy that allows users as young as 13 to join the site to help plan out their future.
This is a marvelous strategy that produces double the rewards. Since its release, 200 universities have created their page on LinkedIn and this number will continue into the thousands in the coming weeks. With a membership base of 240 million users, that number will increase exponentially when you take not only the future students into account, but parents, educators, and all other parties related to the interests of academics.
What the young, up-and-coming students in the world should take out of all this, is that the importance of social media is continuing to gain steam. No longer is social media geared towards personal networking, but has since become a connection to every aspect of life. Now more than ever, it's crucial for everyone to keep their social media presence in mind, both in preventing possible embarrassment and highlighting what you can offer to future schools or professions.
If you need help crafting a presence in social media, consider Centel Media™. Their services can help you build a platform in social media that can expose your potential to the world.
LinkedIn's new 'University Pages' feature exposes the increasing importance of building a positive social media presence.