Mind your Ps and Qs on FB
Many great people I know and am friends with online are very comfortable with the social networking medium these days. So much so that they feel like they can post anything, and that includes bad language and photos of themselves in questionable situations.
I think people need to think about what they’re doing! A post on Facebook, or Twitter, or LinkedIn is like shouting out loud in a public place – it will likely be viewed by everyone you know and probably many people you don’t know, both now and in the future. A bit of banter between friends is perfectly ok face-to-face, but do you really want your family, co-workers, your boss or potential employer to think you’re a foul-mouthed yob? The fact is, once you post something online, it is out there forever. You never know who will see it and what unforeseen consequences that may have for you in the future. Imagine you have just applied for your dream job. Your potential employer looks you up on Google, Facebook, Twitter – what impression of you will they get? Go ahead, try it, Google yourself. How do you look?
We need to be careful what we post online – but that doesn’t mean you should be afraid to post anything. When properly managed, social networking is a great promotional tool, it can be used to market a business, a person, or just good clean fun. It is essential to post positive things about yourself online, because no-one else will do it for you. Whether you like it or not, people will talk about you or your company online. It’s up to you to control your online persona by ensuring that the stuff you want people to see gets published. If there are bad things about you online, swamp them with good things. Take control of your online persona.