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When it comes to personal branding and new media, there are countless examples of professionals, businesses, and individuals who have built popular and effective networks of followers, friends, and business contacts. As new media tools and strategies become an increasingly important part of the business world, PR, marketing, and communications professionals are adopting these tactics for both personal and professional use. So, what’s your new media strategy? Do you mix business with personal on Twitter? Do you only accept friend requests from those you know on Facebook? Are you a virtual free-for-all networker across the web?
Let’s talk about your opinions, stories, and theories about how professionals should use new media.
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Comments
08.10.09
Hey Tiffany,
Great video post. I hope to see more of these from you soon.
For me, business and personal are so intertwined that it only makes sense for me to leverage personal accounts for work-related activities.
I'm virtually connected to anyone and everyone who wants to keep track of what I do. Is it a problem? Not really. I think it provides me with more opportunities to connect with my community, and if that means giving them more access to me, then I'm okay with that!
-RP
08.10.09
Hey, Ryan, Thanks!
I've been wanting to do video for a while so I had a few minutes this weekend and decided to just go for it. Turned out pretty good, and I love how easy my Mac made the job.
Anyway, I tend to agree with you that business and professional is pretty intertwined these days. I think that integrity is really important in your online communication, and I err on the side of the professional because of that, but over the last year or so, I've started crossing these over more intentionally, and it's been really fun, freeing, and worthwhile, I think.
08.10.09
Another thing Tiffany ... I've been using the traditionally personal sites like Facebook less and less for keeping in touch with family and friends.
I'm not sure if it's because I am getting older and my circle is becoming smaller or if it's because they have become more of a tool for my professional life instead.
I've heard of this happening other people in the Community who are heavily concentrated in social media for their career. Have you noticed any effect?
08.10.09
I think you should be seamless online. That's scarey for some people because they have professional personas that are different from their personal personas. I don't.
I have this whole theory about how the industrial age brought about these dual personalities in people and the information age is stripping them down.
It may be easier for me, because I'm in my 30s and done with my "party" stage. At the same time, most people know that younger folks like to go out. So as long as you don't get photographed in a pool of your own vomit, I think it's perfectly fine to admit you went out dancing at the bar last weekend.
I think if you try to concoct this online persona, it's just going to be hard to maintain longterm.
Be yourself. Respect yourself. You'll be good. People want to know the real you (even old people want to know the real you).
08.10.09
Hi Tiffany!
What a great question and wonderful way of asking it!
I offer a couple of thoughts.
First, I have long been been a proponent of bringing "one's entire self to work". When people can't feel completely comfortable at work to be who they really are, are they really as productive and creative as they can be?
Second, while I use Twitter and other social media sites to connect with others on the business side of my life, my personal side also comes through. I am so passionate about my "works and plays well with others" mantra that it shows up both professionally and personally.
I offer one caveat. As I shared in a recent post on my blog http://www.workingwithtwentysomethings.com, I pay attention to the fact that I live a very public life both online and off and I act accordingly.
08.10.09
@ Ryan - It's interesting - I actually use Facebook more for personal and Twitter and my blog more for in-person, but another thing that's popping up to me more is local. More local professionals want to network on Facebook than ever before.
I didn't get into the group management tools they put out for different privacy levels, so I don't accept requests from people I don't know on FB, but I plan to change that, because I think one thing that's really affecting the FB use as more business is that the demographics are skewing older and older. That, plus the unemployment rate probably impacts this. People on Facebook are harnessing the old college "Friends of Parents and Parents of Friends" networking technique by tapping into more traditionally "personal" networks to hear about job prospects with peopel they know.
What do you think? Does that impact the use of the tools?
08.10.09
@ Suz - Is it alright if I call you that! :)
Anyway, I'm totally with you. I really firmly belive that, no matter how "safe" you think things are online, you never know where they'll end up anyway. So if you're going to assume (like I do) that anything you post out there could be seen by grandma, your future kids, or your religious advisor, why not just find the line of how personal you want to get and interject that into your persona? I don't worry as much that way what will happen with what I post.
Plus, I think that the way we view work affects this too. Work is blurring anyway. Where I do it. How I do it. So why worry that my professional contacts also can see pictures of my dog? I personally enjoy a sneak peek into the lives of the people I network with - let's celebrate that we're all people, right? But with this stance does come the responsibility of what you share and an awareness of how it impacts your image and credibility. So it's integrity and discretion. For your self, your employer, your career.
@ Dr. John - Thanks for the eProps! This is my first video post, so I really appreciate the encouragement! I was a little nervous, I'll admit, but I think it's fun to add an even more personal level by doing the post via video, since that's what it's all about!
Anyway, I'm with you on the need for crossover. Otherwise, how horrible would it be to build an online persona that was so dissonant from your real self that it didn't serve your in-person career?
I'll have to check out your example, because I agree with you that when you take this approach, it does require a certain level of self-awareness and discipline.
08.10.09
If you have something to hide, you probably should not be on Facebook.
@Ryan - my company for instance now has an (unofficial) policy that we have to have our work email on our facebook page...
@Suz - yes indeed the wall between personal/professional is starting to crumble.
08.10.09
@ Will - Very interesting. I'm fascinate by this Facebook/work e-mail thing. How big is the company? And do they have an official FB presence?
08.14.09
I try to keep a healthy mix of business and personal. I think there's a way to act professional and portray your natural personality on new media if you are careful and thoughtful about what you write and post on there. Your career is a big part of your life, so why would you ever want to separate it from your personal life?
I understand the cliche, "don't mix business with pleasure", but new media comes with new rules, and I personally believe that your business pursuits on new media will not be effective without a personal element to it.
08.27.09
I would say I use ONE persona online, as I do think honesty is the key to online success. But that doesn't mean I have to spill the beans in all channels - just like blogs can be centered around topics, I believe in being somewhat topical in social media.
For instance:
Facebook - I will only connect with people that I know beyond business. Might be "real" or online friends - but not strictly business contacts.
On Twitter I will mainly follow people that I'm interested in for a business purpose - but I DO have a personal account and I follow friends as well. However I don't "chat" to friends on Twitter - I use MSN/Skype for that :)
On LinkedIn I'm connected to co-workers and classmates etc. Not to my close friends.
08.27.09
@ Erik -- I'm with you on the mix. It's a balancing act, but I personally don't like to connect with the billboard-persona online.
@ Linn -- Transparency is key, I agree, but I agree with you that it's important to keep in mind having a level of self-editing, especially if your business/personal networks overlap. And in some social sites, you can't really control who opts-in to you, so I just try to keep in the back of my mind all the different types of people who might connect with or observe me. I think some people may feel this comes off as narcicism, but I really think it's just plain common sense these days.
12.18.09
It's a good discussion. I've been at both ends of the spectrum. I even created 2 separate Facebook profiles, one for personal use and the other to promote my business. I've found lately that letting them bleed over into each other can be beneficial. The way I've been using Twitter has been far less personal than what most people seem to be doing but it seems to work well for the followers I've got.
My LinkedIn strategy has also undergone a reversal lately. When I realized the potential for expanding my network across the world, I threw the doors open wide and have been amazed at the people I might otherwise not haave been able to connect with.
Flexibility seems to be key. With online networking, you're missing out when you close down your profiles to anyone who might want to pay attention.
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