By Shruti Khanna

Social media brings together websites and applications that let people create and share content worldwide and take part in social networking. What began as a leisure activity is now embraced by startups and online businesses. People build profiles on LinkedIn and pages on Instagram and Facebook, and these platforms help them develop a digital footprint through which clients approach them for collaborations and investments.

Social media also plays a crucial role in building relationships - not only with influencers but with customers, through comments and feedback. If a person offers a product or service online, customers usually reach out in the comments section or through direct messages, and the entrepreneur should be courteous enough to reply to every query. Influencer circles often work on what can be called a "mutual admiration society": an unspoken commitment between two influencers where a follow or a share is reciprocated.

How can someone succeed on social media?

Success comes down to three things: mindful content that is strong enough to hold attention and convince people, passionate engagement - regular updates and staying active on the platforms - and the courtesy to answer comments humbly.

How is social media useful?

It is a vast platform for almost every domain. It connects you with people who share your interests, lets you help others simply by stating an opinion on your blog, and allows you to brand and express yourself.

Where can it go wrong?

Every coin has two sides, and so does social media. People post inappropriate content against codes of conduct, accounts get hacked and misused in ways that damage reputations, and rumors spread widely, feeding conflict between communities.

Why does leveraging your network matter?

Social media is the fastest-growing career tool around. Bloggers, influencers, poets, and writers all use it to deliver their work. Many professionals are introverts who find it hard to put themselves on a big stage or self-promote; they succeed through quiet, one-to-one networking instead. A large share of job openings are never publicly advertised - they are filled through peers, colleagues, clients, partners, and supportive managers who speak in your favor and open doors to opportunities you could not otherwise reach. That is the real power of a network: it works for you even when you are not in the room.