using social media professionally
DESCRIPTION
This slideshow tutorial give WRTG 3040 students basic information on how to maintain professionalism in their personal social media.TRANSCRIPT
Using Social Media Professionally a 3040 and Beyond presenta0on
If you are an adult human (or a really cute cat or dog), you probably have some social media ra:ling around your smartphone or filling up your procras<na<on hours. This presenta<on is going to review some basics for how to keep it professional, even when you’re using your personal social media.
“BUT WHY?” you cry. “IT’S MY SOCIAL MEDIA!” And so it is, my friend. But soon enough you’ll want a job or an internship and that’s when your social media has the power to help or hurt you. So now is a great <me to start using your social media like you’re already a professional.
First of all: This does not mean that you should go erase all evidence of your fun life from your social media plaTorms. Sure, some of that should go and we’ll talk about what of that needs to disappear, but one of the huge benefits to social media is that it has the power to build your personal brand. Above all your personal brand should be authen4c. So don’t go erasing “you” from the internet just yet.
Think of your social media as the preview to the in-‐person “you.” It can give new friends, employers, professional contacts an idea of who you are and what you offer before they even speak with you. It’s an opportunity to make sure your preview is authen<c and leaves an overall, good impression.
Let’s talk first about what should stay:
Pictures of you doing fun ac<vi<es with your friends. Happy, healthy smiling faces show what a great person you are to be around.
Evidence of your volunteering or service ac<vi<es.
Blogs, tumblrs, Pinterest accounts, etc. that showcase your ar<s<c, professional or crea<ve talent.
Status updates that are meaningful and that authen<cally tell the story of your life. Note: this doesn’t mean “making everything sound great.” If you want to remember the day your dad passed on Facebook, do so with respect. Or if you want to bring a:en<on to a global tragedy, do so without drama. If you want to share the news that you got your dream job, do so humbly, with gratefulness. There’s a trick to telling this story….
Authen4c Cura4on
Authen4c cura4on: Making choices about what you post on social media that tell the story of “you.” This story should have a purpose, a goal, a mission statement (to be determined by you). This story should have ups and downs. This story should be real. This story should represent your best self, but not necessarily have the effect of crea<ng the false seeming “Facebook-‐life.” Even your best self has bad days and vulnerabili<es. Everyone’s does. The idea of authen<c cura<on understands that we choose what to post on our social media plaTorms and that we can do it with inten0on and purpose.
Your first choice is: how do you want to be seen online? What do you want people to know about you before you meet in person? It’s not a bad idea to jot some ideas down and keep them somewhere private… Write your own personal mission statement.
Authen4c cura4on starts with awareness. Your skills as a reader and writer are invaluable here. You have to decide some things before you post: 1. Is this meaningful to me? 2. Will others find it meaningful? 3. What does this say about me, overall? 4. Is this the place to share it?
These choices are incredibly personal and I can’t tell you what to choose to post. I can, however, tell you from a professional standpoint what will harm the percep<on of your online persona.
Online persona: the collec<on of “who you are” online. The sum of all your social media plaTorms. It’s whoever we get when we pile up all your walls, <melines, photo albums, blogs, tumblrs, etc. All those things add up to “someone” (a “persona”) and we want that persona to be as much like the in-‐person you as possible.
So what can hurt the online persona, and therefore the in-‐person you?
Ran4ng: from li:le things like the jerk that sits next to you in bio, to your co-‐worker from hell, to your poli<cal or religious beliefs, ran<ng online won’t help the in-‐person you get ahead. BoJom line: Don’t get personal about anybody but yourself.
While we’re talking about talking about yourself, be careful there too. Doing the all-‐too-‐familiar “Facebook TMI” can hurt you professionally. BoJom line: It’s <me to get a <ny bit paranoid. Don’t talk badly about others online (avoid the subtweet and the passive aggressive facebook posts). In general, it’s best to avoid making purposefully antagonis<c posts about religion, poli<cs or any other ideology.
Start considering your future audience, now. Pretend like everything you post might be seen by a poten<al employer.
Stuff that will hurt you, no maJer what: • Pictures of you where you are obviously
inebriated • Pictures of your where most of your companions
are obviously inebriated • Pictures of you doing anything illegal • Pictures of you dressing up as a racial stereotype • Pictures of you engaging in hazing ac<vi<es • Any kind of discriminatory language • Evidence of bullying or harassment • Excessive profanity • Ran<ng about your job (or previous jobs) • Ran<ng about personal ideologies • Making personal accusa<ons or threats in private
forums • Threatening personal harm to others who
disagree with you
Addi4onally, you may need to dig into what other people have posted about you. Untag yourself in photos you wouldn’t want a poten<al employer to see – be:er yet, ask if they can be removed. Delete inappropriate status updates on Facebook, Twi:er, etc., but know that once they’re out there they never really disappear. If you have been involved in an egregious breach of professional behavior and it is documented on social media, begin to think about how you will explain yourself, if given the chance.
If you ever find yourself in the posi<on of needing to apologize publicly because you’ve damaged your online persona, s<ck with the simple stuff. 1. Show you understand why you need to apologize 2. Admit you’re wrong. The best way to admit you’re wrong is to say
“I was wrong” 3. Apologize to those you’ve hurt 4. If you can, make it up to them. If you don’t know how, ask them
how you make things right between you.
Avoid lengthy explana<ons of why you did what you did. If your intent was innocent explain, “I didn’t know that doing X was wrong, but I do now and it won’t happen again.” Apologies that get accepted are genuine, well thought out and don’t make excuses. Good apologies take lots of courage, but if you care about your online persona, be willing to make one.
As poten4ally dangerous as social media can be for our online personas, personal brands and in-‐real-‐life selves, all it takes is awareness and careful considera4on to keep it professional.
Furthermore, post to enrich your life. Post things that ma:er and that make meaning. Raise your consciousness to be aware that at its best social media should be used to connect us with others. Use yours to connect you and to open doors in your private and professional life. Put as much importance on what you post on social media as you would on what you say to the most important people in your life.
If you keep things classy, social media could take you anywhere!
This presenta<on was wri:en for you by your instructor:
Allison Carr Waechter
Images were obtained from: morguefile.com
and
Mary Henderson h:p://mkhmarke<ng.wordpress.com