This article was originally published in the InfoSec Survival Guide: Green Book. Find it free online HERE or order your $1.25 physical copy on the Spearphish General Store.

It is no surprise that growing your social network can help get your name out there and provide opportunities to advance your career. LinkedIn, one of the original career-focused networking sites, launched in 2003, making it older than Twitter (or “X”), Facebook, and Myspace (by just 2 months). LinkedIn became so popular that it was purchased in 2018 by Microsoft for a cool $26 Billion dollars. Capital B. LinkedIn might be the most popular career-focused networking website, but it’s far from the only option.

However, career advancement is just one reason people might make content. I started my TikTok account because I was bored. It was a few months into quarantine; I was working from home and spending way too much time scrolling on TikTok. I liked the short form videos, the trends, sounds, and interacting with people who have similar interests. Maybe your motivation is different.

There are hundreds of blogs on how to get the best read, what time of day you should post, how much you should post, etc. In my experience, it doesn’t really matter.

Don’t overcomplicate it. You don’t need to be an overnight success; you just need to share what you’re excited about and the rest will come.

If you’re interested in putting yourself out there, here are some tips:

1. Identify your goal: What is your motivation for creating content?
2. Identify your preferred medium: Do you prefer writing blogs? Recording videos? Streaming? Podcasting?
3. Pick a platform that supports your preferred medium: Look for platforms specializing in your preferred medium, not just the ability to upload the right file format.
4. Make the content YOU want: Don’t worry about monetization or views. Create based on what you find interesting and would like to share with others.
5. Post your content: Remember, done is better than perfect. You will improve over time and eventually find what works best for you.
6. Interact with people: Make friends and keep going.