I was reading an article that appeared on PR Daily (a great resource for PR professionals to get an overview of some of the trends and issues going on with social media in the industry) from Ragan Communications, and one article particularly sparked my interest. This article was discussing the nature of how to balance two Facebook profiles – one for your professional contacts and connections,and the other is for your personal contacts. The article raised some good points on why it is important if you do have one account, you will need to be aware of what you post and share with others in the online community.
Although it is fun to pretend to be something else on Halloween, trying to balance two personas is a recipe for disaster. Be yourself, everywhere and all the time!
In my personal opinion, I try to follow the advice of my grandfather, who said to have “one set of manners.” I do believe that this is the case even today, particularly when it comes to managing your reputation online. The balance of your professional and personal career needs to be strategically managed each day, but what does it say when you have two separate profiles? Employers, friends, and other contacts may ask you why you feel it is necessary to have two separate lives, even though you are the same person. In my experience, I have tried to blend my website, blog, and social media sites I belong to (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc) to combine both my professional and personal activities. There are certain guidelines that I have for myself that I have learned over the past 16 years managing my website and being active online:
- Think before you post: This is very true across all social media sites – the information is for public viewing, and first impressions are made very quickly online and this can affect how others see yourself as a person as well as a professional. Also, if you feel that someone important to you would not approve to what you are posting or sharing online, than that is something that you definitely need to consider!
- People will search online for you before meeting you in person: Whether it is before an important meeting or conference, there might be a chance that people will search for you online to see what is being said about you. This is why it is important to have one set of manners and one persona – because if you have many different personas and profiles online – how do you really know the person? Plus, there is the question people may ask about why you would have two separate profiles – so it is best to be consistent and present information that is reflective to the person and professional you are in real life.
- Actively monitor and listen to what is being presented online about you: It is key to look at what is being presented on you across different online sites and platforms, and determine what are some of the best practices and things to consider when sharing information online, how to communicate and interact with others online, and what are the best ways in managing your profiles consistently across these various sites. The Pew Research Center last year presented an interesting report looking specifically at how people manage their online profile.
- Facebook is just one outlet in managing your online reputation: Online reputation and how others perceive you comes from many different sources – and Facebook is just one of these sites. This is why it is important to have a foundation and ultimate hub where you can share information from a centralized source – which is what a personal website can do for you. A blog will give you a voice and allows you to share your thoughts, opinions, and comments about specific issues or interests you have professionally or personally. Facebook is about making connections and sharing information socially – and there are of course many other sites that you can do this as well. However, the key thing to remember here is that Facebook is just the beginning and one site people use to form their impression of you as a PR professional and person – but it should not be the only place or site you are on.
- Sharing information that is reflected to who you are professionally and personally: Whether it is sharing information on Facebook or posting articles on your blog, or commenting on a recent event in the industry or personal life – the key is to being open and honest with who you are as a person and professional. Being authentic and personable is absolutely key – it is very important to be transparent and balanced in how you conduct yourself online both personally and professionally. It can be almost like a science and art – but the best person that can do this for themselves is you.
In summary, I believe that it is important to have one set of manners, one persona online and offline, and to be aware of what others may see online can reflect how they perceive you as a person. We are becoming more of a global and connected community online – and people will make first impressions based on the information that they see, and determine if this is reflective of the person that they see. There are many resources and reports out there to look at how to manage your reputation across these various platforms and sites – and it is definitely worth the time and investment in doing so.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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