The current status of the economy is pretty tough for everyone – even with professionals who are educated. More people are getting on board with the realization that social media is a window of opportunity to showcase their skills to separate themselves from the rest of the crowd. While there are many opportunities with this medium, there are also some things to consider. We are living in an age where our activities online through various social media platforms do represent how we are perceived and what attributes are assigned to us. Our digital behavior is connected to what we do in real life to be integrated into the comprehensive view of our reputation both professionally and personally.
There have been many discussions and posts written about proper etiquette on social media and what we need to consider when we are conversing and sharing information online. However, what we really need to have one set of manners for our digital and offline behavior.
Chris Brogan has a great post on social media etiquette – what do in terms of presenting yourself on social media platforms as well as protocol for friending and how to converse via social media. All of these are great suggestions on how to effectively manage your reputation. In addition to these suggestions and tips, it is also good to be aware that there are various expectations across these different platforms, including blogging.
In addition to these great suggestions on how to manage your online presence but have proper etiquette on social media, here are a few things to take into consideration.
- Dress the part for video conferences and virtual office hours: If you would wear a business suit at a real life conference or presentation, you should do the same here. Look at the background and see if you are in your home and apartment that is reflective of a professional work environment. Test this before having a virtual office hour with students on Google+ or a video conference call with potential clients.
- Engage in conversations proactively and positively: Thank people for their comments and personalize these as well – individuals want to have their voices heard and acknowledged, and while it may be easier to save time and have a prepared statement – personalized and thoughtful messages are the best way to go.
- Think about all elements on social media presence that is reflective of your personal brand: Whether it is your picture or the posts/comments you allow on your wall, blog feed, or Google+ stream, all of these are going to be what people take away from you in terms of perception and reputation. Be actively monitoring what people are saying and engaging them proactively.
- Tap into your positive voice consistently across social media platforms. You want to have the same manners and behavior across all platforms – while there may be some differences in the friends and followers you have on these sites, it is best to have a consistent communication stream and interaction on these sites. This will present to others a more transparent and trustworthy image of yourself as a professional in the field.
- Contribute to the field with information, insights, and interaction: People are looking for resources online for their work and research, and if you are able to help people along the way with some articles and reports that might be useful for them – they will be very grateful. It is about having a balance between sharing information about what makes you unique but also providing information that may be useful to others at the same time.
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