Social media is just for posting pictures, liking comments and communicating with friends, right? Wrong! Not only has social media moved beyond just a place to post statuses or message your pals, it has developed into a multifaceted cyber world full of possibilities that can maximize your professional life, academics and social life.
“After we graduate from college, our networks become one of our most important assets,” says Neal Schaffer, author of Maximize Your Social and founder of Maximize Social Business– and we could not agree more! We found a few social networking platforms you may not have heard about.
1. Podio
Ever been a part of an organization that needs some organization? Podio is perfect for situations like these because it’s an online work platform used to coordinate projects within a club, team or group. Podio users can separate each of their projects into different workspaces to ensure total organization in each.
Sona Kollarova, a second year at the University of Ottawa, describes Podio as a “more professional version of Facebook” because Podio allows users to post statuses and message other people within your club. This web tool also has other useful applications that can allow you to schedule meetings, organize the contacts you are working with or even send a user a “high five” to recognize her for a job well done.
This is a great web resource because although it works similarly to Facebook, it’s a more professional setting that creates a networking environment specific to your organization. “As students, we may have conflicting schedules, which makes it difficult for us to arrange meetings in person,” says Sona. “This way, you can get to know the people you are working with on both a professional and social level.”
To start using Podio, just go to the website and make an account with your e-mail address and you’re ready to get to work! Give your group, team or club a title on the site and add your colleagues via Facebook or invite them to your workspace after they have created a Podio account of their own. The result: a workspace specific to your organization!
2. Campus Quad
Campus Quad, called Quad for short, is a social networking phone application for those who need to communicate in large groups. It’s essentially an instant messaging app that allows larger groups, clubs, teams and organizations in general to all communicate instantly on one messaging thread.
“It’s awesome because unlike other apps, it can handle a group of more than 50 individuals, whereas other messaging apps cap at 50 members,” explains Lily Karbassioon, a collegiette at UC Irvine and intern for Quad.
Quad also has community groups you can join, which can be useful if you want to be included in a messaging thread for an organization, such as your sorority. “Quad is better than Facebook instant messaging and email chains because it is geared directly towards college students and creating personalized groups for them,” Lily says.
The community groups can be for any club or team, and users can request to be added to any groups that interest them. After your request is accepted, you will get notifications instantly to your phone each time someone posts in the group! Thanks to Quad, you’ll always be in the know any time your group is chatting, planning or corresponding.
3. Flock
Tired of those messages and posts that say, “POST PICTURES ALREADY!!!”? Then Flock is just what you need! This phone application allows a group of people to access a single album of photos that have been compiled from multiple users’ phones. If you’re all together, Flock will put all of the photos from each of your phones into one album you all can access. Flock will allow you to spend less time uploading photos or tediously sending them out individually and keep those needy picture fanatics happy along the way.
This app will allow any type of organization you’re involved in to use other social networking tools, such as Instagram or your group’s webpage, more efficiently. By making photos easily accessible to all members, all picture-displaying social media platforms can be updated in a timely fashion! Being an administrator of a club that has an efficiently run and up-to-date webpage can open career opportunities in the future – it shows off your organization and timeliness!
4. Meetup
Meetup is essentially an online meeting ground for city-specific groups of people who share a common interest. Whether you love scuba diving, rap music or even something more general like fashion, chances are there’s a Meetup group in your area that shares your love for whatever you’re into!
This tool can be beneficial for professional and networking purposes. For example, if you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur after college, go to the search bar on Meetup’s website and look for entrepreneurs. The results will be all the different entrepreneur groups in your area pertaining to any profession that interests you!
Meetup is also useful if you started a club and you’re trying to gain members. Create a Meetup group of your own that will be searchable on the Meetup website. This allows your club to be advertised and presents an opportunity for more people to join.
To get started, just go to the website, enter your city or zip code and begin searching for your interests! Each group listed should have contact information for the group leader so you can find out more info. Want to create your own Meetup group? Make an account and click the “Start a Meetup Group” tab to begin.
Did we miss a social media platform you love? Let us know in the comments below!