Which Social Media Platforms Should I Use to Grow My Career?
If you are wondering which social media platform you should invest your time in to grow your professional career, the answer is…it depends! Each platform is always different, and they are continuously evolving.
Whether you are looking for the best social media for career growth or to propel your small business, the good news is all major social platforms offer an economical way to advance yourself! The tricky part is knowing where to best invest your time!
We’ve broken down each major social media platform below with the best reasons to use each below.
Best Social Media Platforms for Career Growth
| Platform | Magic (Core Strength) | Small Biz | Large Biz | Students | Networking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional networking & thought leadership | ⭐⭐ Build trust & leads | ⭐⭐⭐ Talent & authority | ⭐⭐⭐ Careers & jobs | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strongest option | |
| Visual brand & community engagement | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Local reach & Reels | ⭐⭐⭐ Brand awareness | ⭐⭐ Show work & connect | ⭐⭐ Collabs & DMs | |
| Community building & targeted ads | ⭐⭐⭐ Groups & shops | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Events & retargeting | ⭐⭐ Student groups | ⭐⭐ Alumni & interest groups | |
| YouTube | Evergreen video content & search traffic | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tutorials & demos | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Deep storytelling | ⭐⭐⭐ Learn & showcase | ⭐⭐ Thought leadership |
| TikTok | Viral trends & relatability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low-cost visibility | ⭐⭐ Gen Z recruiting | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Build following | ⭐ Mostly indirect |
| Visual search & long-term traffic | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Web traffic & inspo | ⭐⭐ E-comm catalog | ⭐⭐ Study & project ideas | ⭐ Personal branding |
LinkedIn for Career Growth
Having a LinkedIn page is a great way to boost your professional profile. It is essentially a digital resume and it is completely FREE To use! You can also connect with alumni, teachers, family, and friends to grow your network. You can set it up to automatically get discovered by companies if you are looking for a job. LinkedIn has a wonderful guide for getting started with building a LinkedIn profile for students as well as building a LinkedIn page for your business.
Check out this tutorial on how to create a LinkedIn profile that will make you stand out:
Once you set up your personal profile on LinkedIn, you can also set up a basic business page for FREE! Check out this quick-start tutorial to learn how to set up your LinkedIn business page in minutes:
Facebook and Instagram for Business Visibility
Facebook is the most prevalent social media platform for businesses. It is a great way to get information out quickly, provide updates on sales, and cross-post to your personal page. Meta Business Suite is also a wonderful free tool to help you schedule content to post up to a few weeks in advance. Plus, you can cross-post to Instagram, review comments and check out analytics all in one place.
According to Women’s Business Daily, Instagram is the best for “visual storytelling” and building a strong community presence. After 8+ years in the creator space, we tend to agree! Instagram is one of the top ways to build your brand by telling. It is also a wonderful way to connect with others in your community or space.
Other Niche Social Platforms for Growing Your Career
If you are a woman in the tech industry, LinkedIn still leads the pack for the best social media platform for female professionals. WomenTech.net also offers some suggestions on smaller niche platforms that you may want to look in to!
Which social media platform works best for you? Let us know in the comments below!
