Chapter 2 Critical Analysis

    Chapter 2 of the textbook The Essentials of Social Media Marketing by Michelle Charello was surprisingly interesting to me. When I read the title I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy reading about it because I already knew some about the content the chapter covered. The author did a thorough job of explaining the best ways to brand yourself online through the use of social media platforms. The chapter also highlighted what steps you can and should take in order to create a successful brand for yourself. I found it interesting when the text stated this question “Is there anything I wouldn’t want a potential employer to see?”. This question reemphasized the fact that if you post something online, anyone and everyone will be able to see it forever. Even after you delete something, it can be found again and used which is often referred to as a digital footprint. People will look into your social media when they are considering hiring you and if they see posts of you that will make their company look bad, they likely will not want you as an employee. This is reiterated in the text, “In fact, according to a survey by CareerBuilder, 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates before making hiring decisions.” I thankfully learned this lesson early in life from my older sister Jules who learned this through my parents that have seen the damage posting recklessly online has done. 

    My favorite section from the reading was about social media etiquette. I personally don’t know a whole lot about what you should or shouldn’t do online so it was nice to have a kind of guide to protect your brand both professionally and personally. I liked when the text talked about the importance of not abusing the network and keeping some things private. Personally I believe this is not talked about enough, posting every day has a plethora of effects on the way you are perceived by the world. Posting too often can damage your brand by making you seem too spammy, it can dilute the quality of the content you post, it can disengage your audience causing them to possibly unfollow you, and it can even have mental health concerns as well. 

    This chapter was genuinely informative and reminded me that everything you do online can be seen by those hiring you. It quite literally can have a detrimental effect on your future, which I think is scary. How is it that something so innovative and evolutionary can be the reason you don’t have the job you want. Overall I just think it’s wild how big of an impact social media can have on your life which is why I am thankful to know how to use it in a way that is going to benefit me in the long run.