Six tips to building a huge social network

Social media is a great way to put yourself out there and receive a rewarding, fulfilling response from likeminded (or just open-minded) individuals from all over the world. It’s also a great way to expand your personal and professional networks, which can result in all kinds of advantages down the line, from fun opportunities to a free exchange of ideas to measurable professional gain. And anyone can build a respectable online network with a little diligence and some online savvy.

Here are six ways to help you stand out in the increasingly busy social media crowd and build a massive following for yourself by leveraging the latest apps, best practices, and Intel-powered mobile devices.

1. Reach out to readers and networks that make sense
While it’s wise to have a presence on every major social media network, you’re going to get the best response by focusing your energies on the most appropriate networks for you. Determining this is a matter of researching demographics and usage patterns, trial and error, and common sense. For example, a professional looking to establish leadership or expand visibility in his chosen industry (perhaps to get a better job offer) might choose to focus heavily on LinkedIn, while an aspiring fashion designer or visual artist would likely be best on a more visual network like Pinterest or Instagram, where folks with similar interests are more likely to spend time. Try starting here to help you get started on your strategy.

Regardless of which networks you choose, remember to tailor your messaging appropriately. Updates on Twitter should fit well within its 140-character limit, and should use hashtags when appropriate. Videos on YouTube should be short and professionally edited. Continue to refine your messaging based on the updates that bring in the most Likes, Retweets, and new followers. And remember, all of the major social networks have their own apps, so it’s easy to make updates on the fly with the lightning fast processor inside your Intel tablet. But opening all those apps individually can suck up a lot of time if you’re going to be active across many networks. Not to worry: there’s an app for that!

2. Use an app to streamline the process
Juggling a half dozen social media platforms and possibly even more actual accounts can suck up a huge amount of time. There’s no need to handle them all individually. You can use a centralized app or online service to help streamline the operation. Services like Hootsuite, Buffer, and SocialFlow let you register all your accounts, then manage them from a central dashboard, where you can create posts, schedule them for release, and better manage the chatter about you and the topics you care about. These apps let you turn an Android tablet like the Acer Iconia A1 into a convenient multi-tasking dashboard, and no matter what you’re sharing, it’ll be easy to do it from anywhere thanks to its zippy Intel® Core™ processor.

3. Share and re-share original content
Sure, sharing third-party content like lists and gifs is fun, but your social network may be more interested in content you’ve created yourself. Original blog posts are especially appealing, as they give the reader a personal peek into your mind, helping to establish you as a unique voice and build a stronger bond with your online network.

While most social media shares should be sent out only once, feel free to re-share your best original content multiple times. Experts advise sharing posts up to three times, at intervals of eight hours apart, in order to reach readers located in every time zone around the world. But remember: social networking isn’t all about you, it’s about communication, and that means more than sending out content for feedback.

4. Spend time responding, rather than just posting
Social media is a two-way (or multi-way) conversation, and you prove that you’re actively listening when you take part in that conversation rather than simply sending out blind updates. The biggest social media players have shown how successful it can be if you actually respond to other people’s posts more often than you create your own original ones. Social media users feel a connection when you write back. And when they know that you’re a real person with a legitimate interest in them who takes them seriously, they’ll be more likely to reciprocate. (Pro tip: make sure you use the appropriate syntax and standards for @ replies, hashtags, and the like. Not doing so may cause followers to quickly lose patience with you.) And once you’ve started to forge a connection, make sure you maintain it by staying active, no matter what distractions come up, or where you find yourself.

5. Leverage mobility to very your message
Life doesn’t just happen in the office and the living room. Thanks to ubiquitous connectivity and portable devices like Intel-powered tablets, you can (and should) get your message across from just about anywhere. Rather than writing a social media update about what you’re thinking, now you can tell people what you’re actually doing. Better yet, show them with a photo or short video. The Asus VivoTab Note 8 makes capturing and sharing a photo or video with your followers easy, and its Intel processor keeps it running quickly and efficiently, so you can post those updates in a snap and not miss out on any of the fun.

Mix up your message and leverage these kinds of images whenever possible; studies show that users are more apt to Like or Retweet posts that contain photos than those that only contain text. And when those photos and videos include familiar faces, all the better.

6. Meld online social with real world social
Building a presence on the Internet will only get you so far. When you venture into society, use the opportunity to engage nearby members of your online network in person. This can be in the form of hosting meetups or other get-togethers at your favorite café or watering hole, or exploring further afield by pulling together groups when you’re on the road. Invite people individually on Facebook, or broadcast your whereabouts via Twitter or Foursquare. Don’t forget to capture photographs and commentary from the gathering while the fun times are raging. Nothing beats a great party picture captured on your tablet to help build your network even further!

Follow these tips and you should start to see your social presence gain momentum. But whichever tips you take to heart, remember an Intel-powered tablet can help bump you up to the next social strata. All-day battery life gives you the power to post those selfies well into the night, and copious connectivity options let you keep your feeds active until dawn.