Social networks and online communities deserve consideration for just about anyone hoping to have a presence on the Internet. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from headline roundups and forums to search directories and profile pages.
$ N5 ?) T5 d* V, nAlthough there are hundreds to choose from, I'm mentioned
three today because they demonstrate very distinct approaches. However, the post is a little long in the tooth, so you can read up on the other two (MyRagan and Blogcatalog) there or what I said about the most relevant to recruiters here ... RecruitingBlogs.com
5 {: v9 I2 S4 ~) y+ n$ l2 eOf the three social networks, for lack of a better definition, I called them a closed niche membership, open niche membership, and open general membership with RecruitingBlogs.com falling in the middle.
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, U& `# I8 O- {* \8 F8 g# lRecruitingBlogs.com. RecruitingBlogs.com was created by Jason Davis after he, um, retired from Recruiting.com. It’s everything a niche social network should be and opens to the
Ning platform. Bouncing around Ning helps you connect with people in many fields and industries.
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Thus, in many ways, RecruitingBlogs.com is an open niche network. It’s laid out extremely well as everything is on the front page, including scrolling RSS feeds from every recruiting blog on the planet (that’s worth reading) and then some. Keep in mind though, not all Ning networks are created equal; Davis really knows his stuff.
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Stand Outs: RecruitingBlogs.com not only benefits from an expert network creator, but also an experienced group of recruiters who blog. Many of them have had blogs for two years or more. They also make up some of the best read blogs on the Web, which means most content is razor sharp. It is a niche model to be followed, pure and simple. To check out the greater Ning network, click one button. Done.
) x0 C0 O5 s/ k8 T GStand Offs: Not much, unless you just don’t like recruiters (I do). While I know Davis is not able to do everything he wants to do on Ning, most people would never know it. Seriously, other than the occasional lag and maybe a missing “about page” or “highlighted features page” for newcomers (eg. I know what the chatter wall is good for on my profile, but newcomers might not), I love it.
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In summing up the roundup, I mentioned that each has its own culture and climate and they are just like any group you might belong to in person: you get back what you put into them. (The same can be said for RecruitingBloggers.com, given the recent demise of one writer.)
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# n! K2 x& b) h$ _8 u2 w4 _) Q) k; }The best bet for most professionals is to put their company (or personal) strategy first. Then, join several but only become active on those that best fit your objectives because as we all know (I hope), there is no such thing as a social media strategy. Social media is a versatile tactic.
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2 f7 D2 B7 }+ z% b: w# LBeyond that, social networks are allowing people to participate online without ever starting a blog, vlog, or radio show. But for those who do, they represent the best way to gain targeted exposure.
