How I Use Social Media to Enhance My Life

A lot of people do not understand the power of social media. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are an important part of my real life. I am not talking about a separate life online. I interact with real people on the internet and that leads to real-world benefits.

Blogging

I have a lot of blogs, if you didn’t notice. I am actually considering shutting down a blog or two so I can focus more on other projects. My blogs, Personal Profitability, HWChet, this blog, and others have led to many great relationships and opportunities.

For example, I have been able to “bridge” relationships from my finance blog and write with some of the top finance minds I have ever had the pleasure to interact with. I am a part of a community of blogs that has led to increased income. I have met one of my finance heroes. I have been able to help readers with financial problems.  And, most importantly, I have had a lot of fun and have found personal fulfillment.

The free stuff, interactions, learning, sharing, and relationships continue to push me to write creative and useful content on all of my sites. I plan to keep going long into the future.

Facebook

I didn’t sign myself up for Facebook. One fateful day in October 2004, my friend and neighbor Emily walked into my apartment and told me we were Facebook friends.  Being one of the first 500,000 users, I was on a site few people outside of college had ever heard of. That site, however, has made a big impact in my life.

Thanks to “the FB,” I am able to continue relationships with friends and acquaintances from the past. My friend Dan Illouz, who I met on a trip to Israel, has become a top contact on the site. We work together on Israel advocacy projects and help promote each other’s great blog posts.

I use Facebook as my primary social event calendar as well. While I keep a Google Calendar too, I find out about the next happy hour, birthday party, and zombie bike ride from invites on Facebook. Those online invites lead to offline fun and friendships.

I also use FB to tie into my blogging life, which is slowly becoming a major part of my life in general. I have a fan page where you can “like” Eric Rosenberg (and get updates for this blog), Personal Profitability, my rap group, and my beer making group of friends.

Connections are an important part of our lives, and “the social network” is the best way I know to keep those connections alive.

Twitter

I have used Twitter, until recently, exclusively as a part of my blog promotion. @IsraelSituation got me listed as one of the top most influential Jewish Twitter users in the world. @PersonalProfits is focused on personal finance topics. Thanks to my Israel account, I have been able to connect with @eshanken in real life. We have discussed strategies of global domination.

I just started a new account for personal use, @EricProfits, that I hope you will follow and use to connect with me.

I have found that Twitter is a great way to find out about hot news and connect with influential people and friends around the world.  I follow entertainers, musicians, bloggers, and friends.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has the most impact on my real life. I had an in-person job interview because of a connection from LinkedIn. I wrote about how the connection came to me and how it can help in your career search on my finance blog.

LinkedIn is the Facebook for professionals. I keep my profile updated with all of my professional information. I have used the site to help people connect for business opportunities and jobs, and the site has brought possible jobs to me.

If you work in the business world, LinkedIn is a must.

Wrap Up

There are many other sites in my social media repository, but none with the impact of the sites above. I enjoy using Yelp when trying to find new restaurants and events.  Youtube and Flickr are great for videos and photos. Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, and Delicious are good for sharing websites.

Social media has changed our lives. While some people do not take part, the world is flying by them. I hate to miss out on something fun, and interacting with friends and family, and complete strangers, through social media has helped me stay on top of things.

If you are not taking advantage, I don’t know what you are waiting for. Go sign up and start connecting today!

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