Most of us use social media almost daily for varying reasons. For some it is just for pure fun whilst for others, it is for business and work. Whichever the case might be, social media now forms a huge part of the lives of many. The question though is; are you using those platforms correctly? The quick answer is most of you are probably using them wrongly. Many of you might not even realize it because you have gotten so used to using them wrongly. With that said we must get to discuss how exactly you are using them wrongly.

YouTube

YouTube is a platform that many people use for watching videos – mostly musical videos. That does span to movies, series, documentaries, and so on. Sadly many people have barely scratched the surface when it comes to using YouTube. YouTube is not just a platform that you use for fun or while away time. There is much more to it than just that.

It is said that over 80 years of worth of content is uploaded on YouTube per day. In just 1 minute, over 300 hours of videos are uploaded on YouTube. This means that if you are not being strategic about your use of YouTube you will miss out on a lot. You must start seeing YouTube as more than just a platform to have fun. Yes, you can use it for pastime activities but use it more productively.

You can make money from it directly or indirectly. You can regularly make video content and get paid through ad placement or YouTube’s monetization service. Teach yourself or learn almost anything through video tutorials. I know of many people who are now expert musical instruments players, graphic designers and so on. They learnt all of that through watching YouTube videos. So it is high time you changed how you approach and use YouTube – it is more than just about fun and killing time.

Instagram

Instagram is what I would term one of the most visual social media platforms. The platform is well-designed for appealingly propagating multimedia aspects. This is why many Instagram users use all that to post pictures of themselves and their lifestyles. That is not necessarily bad but it opens up a topical debate but that is a story for another day. Why not take advantage of those multimedia aspects to explain your products or services? Why not use those aspects to explain or describe processes in any field.

You can use the platform for teaching or tutorial purposes because of those multimedia aspects. In business or entrepreneurship that is a gold mine because you can create brand awareness more emphatically. Instagram must be more than just a place to look good – that must be the bare minimum. There is more you can unlock and benefit from that platform if you become deliberate about what I am discussing here.

Twitter

For starters, many people in Zimbabwe are not on Twitter – that must change. If you are not already on Twitter you are missing out on a lot of great content. I have drawn some remarkable insights and inspirations from actively using Twitter for the past 5 months. One of the features on Twitter you must leverage is threads. Chances are usually that when someone puts together a thread it is loaded with wholesome information. Not forgetting Spaces where people get to have engaging discussions. Out of all the social media platforms I have gotten so much out of Twitter this year. I mean in terms of gaining invaluable knowledge and learning new skills. That can also be the same experience for you if you simply change your perspective.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is also another social media platform many Zimbabweans do not use. It is not your average social media platform where you get to post silly content. You cannot just post jokes, memes, and such as you do on other platforms. It is an extremely professional platform in many ways. Some people even find it depressing because of the high-level career and academic accomplishments people tend to post there. However, it is all about perspective really – I find such content to be inspiring.

Anyways, one of the biggest features of LinkedIn is job searches or making your profile discoverable for job offers. I have lost count of the number of job offers I keep getting every week from US firms. That is one of the ways you can use LinkedIn efficiently for maximum benefits. If you carefully build your LinkedIn profile you can receive life-changing emails. I challenge you to give LinkedIn a go today. If you are already on it, it is high time you take things a notch up.

I thought it was important I challenge you to think differently. Do not take any of these social media platforms for granted. There are people whose lives have been turned around for the best through them. Yet despite all that some people are wasting away their lives through the same platforms. Use these platforms to learn and earn.