Social media is evolving from just a way of communication to a tool that can be used for various purposes. This year, I’ve cut down on scrolling through my feed just to see what’s on people’s minds and have started using social media in a more productive manner, especially Facebook. For a while, I was wondering why I even bothered with Facebook anymore but these following examples are the reasons why I haven’t deactivated it because I have found the true purposes behind this tool.
Promoting Yourself
Facebook is a great place to promote yourself. With your list of 400 friends, or even more, many people are bound to see your content. My mom uses Facebook to promote herself as a Zumba instructor and through her interesting pictures and videos, keeps an audience engaged to show people how fun her classes can be. I use Facebook to promote the articles I write. What better method to get views and shares? Furthermore, it is an effective way to let people know what is on my mind.
Buy and Sell
I am a sucker for the saying "One man’s trash is another man’s treasure." One of my favorite pages on Facebook is the USF Free & For Sale page. I was able to furnish my whole two bedroom apartment for around $200.00 using that page. That’s a steal! And I’ve even used the page to sell a few items of my own. I trust this page more than I do Craigslist because I am buying and selling from fellow students. Plus, I get more inquiries from serious buyers. I have recieved nothing but quick, easy, and friendly transactions from this page. I encourage all to like and to find or even create similar pages for their own schools.
Find Opportunities
Another one of my favorite pages is the Jobs & Internships page. The internship I currently participate in, was actually found through a post I saw on that page. And I am so thrilled I found it, because I found my dream job in the form of an internship. This has led me to apply for another job in my major, and it's all thanks to that page. All kinds of opportunities are posted on that page including: part-time work, full-time, easy side jobs, unpaid/paid internships, and much more!
Collaboration
My ultimate frisbee team uses Facebook to not only promote our team but for a way for us to collaborate in one place. We post all our pictures, questions, and announcements on the Facebook page as it is a clean, organized and effective way to share content. We have two separate pages. One is a fan page to promote the team itself and the other is a closed group for members of the club.
Community
Facebook is also another great outlet to get involved in your community. USF has a page for every class by year of your graduation date. This page is a place to ask questions about what’s going on in your community including where to go or who to ask. I like this page because I get to see fellow Bulls helping each other out.
