What are uSync Collections and How Should You Use Them?

There’s no wrong way to use social media. But these days, the pressure to have an online presence can be overwhelming. When it comes to face-to-face interactions, I’d consider myself an open book. But online, I’m much more private. Putting pictures of my home and family on social media makes me feel too exposed, and I’m not comfortable sharing updates online about personal or sentimental aspects of my life. In the hyper-connected reality we live in, there are just some things that I’d rather keep for myself.

Despite all this, I still love social media. I love drinking my morning coffee and scrolling through updates from my friends who live in other parts of the country. It makes me feel closer to the people I love.

I’m more of a content consumer than a content creator, but I’ve been in search of the right social media for me. I’d like to find a way to use social media as a means of participating in conversations about the things I value. And, professionally, I’d like to tap into industry resources in a more engaged way.

uSync—a newly launched social media platform—offers a feature that is ideal for someone like me. Collections. Using this feature is a lot like being a curator in a museum. You are able to find content you love, both within uSync and outside of it, and add it to your collection. So you can create collections of articles, stories, photos, music, events, and more.

I love the idea of this, because it allows me to actively engage with ideas that I’m passionate about. I spend tons of time online researching my hobbies, and I’m excited to be able to actually create something from that research. Not only will I be able to revisit the things that inspire me, but I can share them with my network. (And uSync allows you to choose which networks you share with: the public, all your friends, or a select group of friends.)

Collections are much more than just a “mood board” (although they work great for that, too). The Collections feature is integrated into a full social media platform. So my friends and colleagues can comment on my collections, repost, or even participate in them. And I can take photos, ideas, and art posted by my friends and incorporate them into my collections. Collections aren’t just a bulletin board of photos—they are moving, breathing resources that can be used to interact with the rest of the content on uSync.

There are so many creative ways to use Collections. Let’s say you teach a weekly urban farming class in your neighborhood’s community garden. You could create a Collection that includes photos from the class, event updates, and blog posts about each week’s lesson. But then you could also add tons of related articles about farming, local flora, and recipes that use the ingredients your class is growing. The students in the class could add to the Collection (if you wanted to grant them access to do so). It will all appear on your uSync page as a beautifully showcased information gallery.

Or let’s say you’re a real estate agent who specializes in Victorian-style homes. You could create a Collection of articles about architecture, as well as photos of homes for sale in your area and stories about each of those homes. You can continue using your uSync page to reach new clients, while also offering them great resources on home buying.

There is even potential for Collections to be used as a form of storytelling. The relationship between two different pieces of information tells a story. Our brain draws parallels between things. So when we see two articles curatorially placed next to each other, our brain automatically looks for ways to compare and contrast that information. That’s what makes creating a Collection so much fun. You are showcasing something you love—whether it’s a photo, article, or song—but you’re also creating a bigger picture.

And, of course, you can keep it simple and use Collections as a way to gather inspiration and store it all in one place.

Whether you’re using Collections to promote your work, create professional resources, tell stories, or collect inspiration—this feature has endless options for finding your own personal style.

And if you’re anything like me, and feel a little shy about sharing too much of your personal life online, Collections are a great way to actively and creatively participate in social media.