Which professional social network to choose?

Today, ignoring a is the international treasure professional is no longer an option. It is an absolute necessity. A professional social network offers the visibility that a company needs and one profile per platform is therefore necessary. Or is it really? The question can be debated. Nevertheless, in the world of work, a digital presence is vital, whatever the objectives of a professional or a company. Building your reputation, your e-reputation, is a long-term job and a presence on a professional social network is imperative to carry out your work.

Given the extent of professional social networks available on the web, it is not easy to make the right choice. Tremplin Numérique offers you to review several online networking platforms to help you see more clearly.

Professional social network: a definition

A professional social network is, quite simply, a platform that allows subscribers to practice networking. LinkedIn and Viadéo are the first platforms considered, in France, as essential professional social networks, and attract a large number of users: 106 million for LinkedIn (in France and abroad) and 65 million for Viadéo, including 9 million of users in France.

Being present on social networks: is it really necessary on a professional level?

If you are wondering if having a presence on social networks is really essential, as a business or as a professional, the answer is simply YES. By the way, take the opportunity to read one of our recently published articles: Network to better prospect. If after reading this article you are still not convinced that a professional social media presence is necessary, take some examples of successful individuals and companies around you and check for yourself. -even…

Of course, you will ask yourself questions of time, budget, personal investment. It's up to you to judge what you will have to do to ensure your presence on professional social networks. Nevertheless, once you have acquired a taste for it and above all, once you have benefited from the repercussions of professional social networks, you will understand that the effort is worth devoting to this activity.

Which professional social network to choose?

Here's a great question! If you are wondering which professional social network to choose, you already know that there are several… Enough joking. Far be it from us to be condescending. But believe it or not, many professionals believe LinkedIn is the only professional social network out there.

Know, dear reader, that there are a multitude of professional social networks. Viadéo, LinkedIn, of course, but also Xing, a German social network originally, bringing together (according to the words of the platform) nearly 7 million users. Other professional social networks exist, devoted to very specific fields of activity such as luxury or agriculture, for example.

You will have understood: when it comes to professional social networks, there is something for everyone!

Social networks for the general public, for the use of professionals

If Twitter and Facebook are mainly designed and used by individuals, it is out of the question that, as a professional or business, you ignore these social networks. A corner of Facebook is particularly reserved for professionals: Workplace by Facebook. In this part of the social media giant, you can meet and chat with other professionals. In addition, Workplace by Facebook allows the sharing of documents and the possibility of switching from a professional profile to a private profile. Paid, the platform works on the basis of a monthly subscription.

Essential professional social networks

The first steps of a company or a professional on social networks must imperatively include the following three networks: Twitter, Viadeo and LinkedIn. Note that Viadeo is essentially geared towards relationships in France, while LinkedIn opens doors internationally. Your choice will therefore depend on your field of activity, the nature of your activities and your business objectives.

Why choose LinkedIn?

LinkedIn presents itself as the world leader in socio-professional networks, with nearly 110 million active users per month, and more than twice as many subscribers. At first, LinkedIn was seen as an escape route for those looking to find work. Today, even if it is still the case for some, LinkedIn has evolved. The platform makes it possible to deepen one's knowledge in very specific areas of expertise, to ensure a presence and visibility on a professional level. On LinkedIn, we recommend that you take care of your profile in order to be visible on social networks, but also to give the best image of yourself and your company, if necessary.

Your content, meanwhile, should be published regularly on LinkedIn Pulse, in order to increase your credibility on a large scale.

About: follow you Tremplin Numérique on LinkedIn? It's time to do it by clicking here !

Why choose Viadeo?

In France, Viadeo brings together around 10 million users, including around one third of active members. The number of users on Viadeo is equivalent to the population of France, approximately 65 million, this professional social network cannot be excluded from your choices.

Viadeo's functionalities are very similar to those of its competitor LinkedIn, with the possibility of searching for a job according to individual skills, the possibility of contacting other professionals, companies and expanding one's network.

For a few years, Viadeo has allowed, just like LinkedIn, to create a company page. This feature is free and must be used to take advantage of the visibility offered by the French-speaking platform.

Why use Twitter?

The little blue bird has not said its last word! Twitter relies on real-time communication and, despite its limitations, allows very interesting exchanges on a professional level. By taking the time to build your network on Twitter, to caress your contacts in the direction of the hair, by reacting or retweeting their publications for example, you will notice very quickly that Twitter must be one of your choices. With more than 320 million highly active users, Twitter is an essential professional network.

If your presence on socio-professional networks is essential, make no mistake: you will have to devote time and effort to it, especially at the beginning. The most important thing is to establish your objectives upstream, to then direct your work towards achieving concrete results for you, for your company, for your future.