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Social media management
Description

Surely in your daily life you use social networks, such as Twitter or Instagram, but, do you know exactly what a social network is? In this training you will learn about social networks, and you will be able to use them in your benefit in order to improve your employability. You will learn about the types of social networks that exist, which are the most widely used today, and the different uses they can have. You will also explore the hidden side of social networks and the risks you should avoid.

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Social media

What are social networks?Click to read

The concept of "social network" has been used to analyse interactions between individuals and groups of people, even societies, since the end of the 19th century. In 1990, with the emergence of the Internet, the idea of social networking moved to the virtual world. In 2004, Facebook appeared, probably the world's best-known social network (you have probably seen the film "The Social Network" directed by David Fincher, which tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook!), but even before that, there were already other social networks on the Internet.
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Types of social mediaClick to read

Relationship-based social media

These are social networks that aim to connect people, such as Facebook.

Entertainment social media

In this type, the main objective is to consume digital content, such as YouTube or TikTok.

Niche social media

These target specific audiences, such as TripAdvisor.

Professional social media

These are those whose objective is to create professional relationships between users, such as LinkedIn.

However, this typology is very open, and some social medias could even fall into several categories; for example, Instagram today connects millions of people, and is in turn used to consume entertainment in the form of videos and pictures.
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Most popular social networksClick to read

Among the most popular social networks today, we can list the following:

Facebook. Created in 2004 with the aim of connecting people to share information, news, videos and photos. It has 2.9 billion active users in 2022.

YouTube. Created in 2005, it is the social network by excellence for video sharing, and gives its name to the profession of "youtubers". More than 2.5 billion active users by 2022.

Instagram. Launched in 2010, it is mainly used to share videos and photos. 1.5 billion active users by 2022.
Twitter. Founded in 2006, it is a microblogging social network, with short "tweets" of a maximum of 280 characters. More than 440 million active users by 2022.
LinkedIn. Professional social network founded in 2002, with 310 million monthly active users by 2022.
TikTok. Launched in 2016, it is used to share short videos, where music, editing and effects predominate. It already has 1 billion active users by 2022.
Pinterest. Created in 2010, it is a platform for sharing and discovering visual content. It has 444 million active users in 2022.
Reddit. Started in 2005, it is a news and social bookmarking site with sub-communities or "subreddits". In 2022 it has 430 million monthly active users.
Twitch. Launched in 2011, it is one of the largest live streaming platforms. It has more than 140 million monthly active users in 2022.
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Uses of social media in the 21st century

Personal useClick to read

Nowadays, we could say that the main use of social networks is for personal use: they allow you to keep up with the latest news, meet new people, keep in touch with people you already know from anywhere in the world, interact with different types of publications, and be entertained by a huge amount of audiovisual content.

Social media is fun, open and dynamic, but remember to use it responsibly - don't spend your whole day refreshing your Instagram homepage!

 
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Professional useClick to read

In addition to the personal use of social networks, they can also be used professionally, whether for job search, business networking, or as a corporate social network. For networking, there are social networks such as LinkedIn, Xing or Womenalia, while from the point of view of a company, it can be present in any social network that has the public to which its products or services are addressed, as a way to reach new and current customers.

 

As a result of the rise of social media, new professions have been created, such as the "community manager" or "social media manager", who work managing and administrating companies' social networks.

Social networks are also a valuable source of information, allowing researchers to extract highly relevant data for sociological studies that focus on people's social behaviour, as well as allowing companies themselves to learn valuable information for their business.

 
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Social media as a job: influencersClick to read

You probably already know what an influencer is, but we will give you a formal definition: an "influencer" or opinion leader is a person who has made social media their job, because of their lifestyle, beliefs or values, and who has a considerable number of followers or subscribers. This is one of the new professions that did not exist until 20 years ago, and which joins others such as "youtuber" or "streamer", although these are also usually considered influencers.

However, this is not such an easy and wonderful profession as it may seem; not everyone is able to make a living at it, and it is also mentally exhausting as you expose your entire daily life and leave your privacy behind.

You may follow or know some of the following examples:

PewDiePie. This Swedish youtuber has been active since 2010 and already has more than 110 million subscribers, making him one of the oldest youtubers on the YouTube platform, and also one of the best known. He is mainly dedicated to the creation of entertainment videos and video games. In 2016 he was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Chiara Ferragni. Italian influencer and entrepreneur who dedicates her content to fashion and lifestyle, she is also known worldwide, has almost 28 million followers on Instagram, and her blog "The Blonde Salad", active since 2009, registers thousands and thousands of visits every day.
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The hidden side of social media

The risks of social mediaClick to read

Although social networks can bring many good things, it should not be forgotten that they have a hidden side in which there are numerous risks and dangers, such as:

  • Loss of privacy. Remember that everything you upload to the Internet is going to be recorded forever somewhere, so consider the importance of your privacy.
  • Social media addiction. It is important to set limits when using social media, because it can lead to a serious addiction that alienates you from the people around you physically.
  • Cyberbullying. Whenever you witness someone bullying someone else online (and in real life), you should report it to the authorities so that they can take appropiate action.
  • Extortion of any kind. Be careful about what you post on social media to avoid being extorted. If this happens to you, report it to the authorities.
  • Fake news. Don't be influenced by unreliable media reports, always try to check the information.
  • Reality distortion. Sometimes, social networks provide a false image of constant happiness that is unrealistic, and can lead to disorders that distort the reality you perceive.
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Social media offencesClick to read

Since there are many dangers, there are also offences on social networks that each country covers in its legislation, but which can generally be summarised as follows:

  • Phishing or impersonation. When you provide personal information on social networks, people may use it to impersonate you or someone else to obtain private information about other people. For example, there are people who use this technique to obtain sexual photographs to extort money from that person.
  • Harassment and cyberbullying. This is a crime that happens more often than it should, through harsh criticism, threats, hurtful comments and continued harassment. Always consider that behind the screen, there may be a person who is suffering from these kinds of comments.
  • Defamation and slander. This offence concerns attacks on the honour and defamation of a person or company. Freedom of expression must be considered to have a limit, as it cannot be used as an excuse to attack others without consequences.
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RecommendationsClick to read

  • Be wary of strangers.
  • Do not provide personal information such as your address or telephone number.
  • As far as possible, keep your accounts visible only to people you know by changing your privacy settings.
  • Check the rules of each social network; often rules are broken due to ignorance, for example with the minimum age for registration. Know your rights and obligations.
  • Do not post intimate or private photos, or photos of other people without their consent.
  • Find out which authorities you should contact if you witness a crime on social media.
  • Report any offensive acts or possible crimes. Social networks also have the option to block accounts if you feel you are being harassed or attacked.
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Summing up

Summing upClick to read

Social media

Social networks can be used for all sorts of things: entertainment (Twitch, YouTube), contacting people (Facebook), professional contacts (LinkedIn), finding hotels (TripAdvisor)...

Uses of social media

Social networks can be for personal use, for business use through community managers who manage them, and they can even become a job, as in the case of influencers.

The hidden side of social media

Social networks have a dark side, where there are dangers to avoid, such as addiction or distortion of reality.

Cautions and recommendations

You should check the rules of each social network, do not post personal information, and be wary of any signs of crime.

 
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Quests! Learn more.

Using social media to get a job

Social media management for your digital business


Test Yourself!



Related Glossary:
  • Blog:
    It is a type of website where content is published periodically in the form of posts or articles, and which usually has a specific theme (fashion blogs, food, sport, travel, IT, etc.). It can be of a personal nature, or used as a digital tool for companies.
  • E-commerce:
    E-commerce is the buying and selling of products or services over the Internet, through e-commerce platforms, social media and other websites.
  • HTTPS:
    The HTTPS protocol (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) enables secure connection and data transfer between the server and the browser.
  • SSL certificate:
    An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a security protocol that allows the transfer of data between a browser and a web server to take place in a secure and encrypted manner.
  • Website:
    A website is composed of all the web pages of the same domain stored on a server. Colloquially, the terms website and web page are used interchangeably, although they are not exactly the same.
  • See all terms
Educator Tips:

It is recommended to approach this training in the most practical way possible; given that the target group of the project is young people who are neither studying nor working, between 15 and 29 years old approximately, they will show more interest in what they find useful and entertaining.

Therefore, and taking into consideration that most of them will already use social networks on a daily basis (Instagram, Twitter...), it may be more effective to emphasise curiosities and things that are still unknown to them.

In addition, examples, such as influencers they may know, will draw their attention and help them understand how the world of social media works. Lessons should be dynamic and with constant feedback to keep their attention focused.

Quest 1: This task should be considered from the point of view of an unemployed person, who wants to use LinkedIn to get a job. It is important to focus on the need to be correct in the eyes of employers who may view the learner's profile. The importance of good spelling, providing valuable and relevant information, and showing respect for other users should be emphasised.

Quest 2: In this case, the focus is on entrepreneurship, although it should also not be forgotten that the management of a company's social media can be a potential job in a third party's company. Therefore, although the main focus is on entrepreneurship, the task has to be approached in a dual way.

Keywords

Social media, employability, networking, privacy, cyberbullying

Bibliography

Álvarez, J. (2022). ¿Qué es Reddit y para qué le sirve a una startup? Actualización 2022. LinkedIn. https://es.linkedin.com/pulse/qu%C3%A9-es-reddit-y-para-le-sirve-una-startup-2022-juan-rodrigo-alvarez

Centribal. Los 5 principales delitos en redes sociales. Centribal. (https://centribal.com/es/5-principales-delitos-redes-sociales/

Consumo Responde. Recomendaciones sobre la utilización de las redes sociales. Junta de Andalucía. https://www.consumoresponde.es/art%C3%ADculos/recomendaciones_sobre_la_utilizacion_de_las_redes_sociales

Dean, B. (2022). Twitch Usage and Growth Statistics: How Many People Use Twitch in 2022? Backlinko. https://backlinko.com/twitch-users

Esparza, I. (2017). El uso personal de las Redes Sociales. Medium. https://medium.com/@ileanaesparza/el-uso-personal-de-las-redes-sociales-5bad7e5c01e3

Fernández, R. (2022). Redes sociales con mayor número de usuarios activos a nivel mundial en enero de 2022. Statista. https://es.statista.com/estadisticas/600712/ranking-mundial-de-redes-sociales-por-numero-de-usuarios/

Grupo Atico34. Peligros de las redes sociales para niños y adolescentes. Grupo Atico34. https://protecciondatos-lopd.com/empresas/peligros-redes-sociales/

Mayordomo, J. (2021). La lista definitiva de estadísticas de LinkedIn para 2022. Findstack. https://findstack.com/es/linkedin-statistics/

McLachlan, S. (2022). 23 Estadísticas de YouTube esenciales para este año. Blog Hootsuite. https://blog.hootsuite.com/es/estadisticas-de-youtube/

Rodríguez, M. J. (2022). El uso profesional de las redes sociales. Cursos Femxa. https://www.cursosfemxa.es/blog/uso-profesional-redes-sociales

Wynter, G. (2022). ¿Qué es un influencer? Definición, tipos y ejemplos. Blog HubSpot. https://blog.hubspot.es/marketing/marketing-influencers


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2021-1-IS01-KA220-VET-000027983

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