In the beginning there were tablets, papyrus ….. maybe I’m going a bit too far back. Fast forward to mail service where we put a stamp on an envelope and hoped the contents arrived at their destination (such as the $50 cheque mailed to my son by his grandmother that got “lost in the mail”. We then had courier, fax machines, email, text messaging and then social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and now Twitter.
Social media is really very easy to use. It’s a click here and a click there. Fill in a few bits of information and voila! It takes all of about five to 10 minutes to install the software or enter the website and you are free to share your opinions, pictures etc. with the world.
PR practitioners have become very adept with this relatively new communication medium. Since they are, as a whole, a group who like to speak their minds, it’s a good fit. Some have chosen to blog, publishing a personal or business newsletter posted online so that people can follow. These can be informative and fun to read.
If you can’t be bothered to craft a regular column for your online blog, the latest rage is the 140 character “micro-blogging” known as Twitter. Using this tool you can create a following (people who have expressed interest in reading what you post) for you, your brand and/ or your company and clients, Tweeting is the vernacular for updating a simple message field that is designed to share information about “what are you doing right now.”
However, because it is so simple to use, it can create a lot of online noise. (Think of the first time you searched the internet for information.) The volume of information can be daunting as you search for your desired destination, or build a following.
Since anyone can tweet, blog, or provide opinion online for everyone to see, you need to ask yourself: What’s going to make your blog stand out? What can you say that is worth following? What value will someone – a client or prospective employer – find in following your updates and insights?
Social media provides a sounding board for anyone to be heard everywhere online. Your photos, connections, votes, submissions and opinions become part of your online history so be very careful when considering how you choose to represent yourself.
While these tools provide a powerful way to stay in contact with people we have met, which is a key value to networking, they have to be used appropriately. For example, if you have a job, don’t advertise on LinkedIn that you are looking … your employer could see it and show you the door. I know of at least one case where this happened so don’t think you won’t get caught. If you have a job, the risk is too great.
From a potential employer’s stand point, I would not look too highly upon someone having a Facebook homepage picture that was inappropriate or raunchy.
There’s an old journalism saying: “Publish at your own peril”. I think this is an appropriate consideration today … think before you upload your pictures or thoughts to the world. Consider how others will view it and it is could come back to haunt you later … like when you have applied for a prestigious job.
Social media is immediate, and sometimes this immediacy leads people to post flippant or unprofessional comments believing it will pass within a day or so as new posts trump your comments. But, the Internet has a long lifespan and it is easy to review histories of a person and their views.
Don’t get misled into believing your social media strategy is only about one application or one website. More than likely, you will need to engage in conversations across a variety of platforms. Start with one site and learn how to use it effectively, and then consider adding another medium. Remember through your use of social media vehicles that you are building your brand so you want to create consistent, powerful and professional messages online.
Christian Hasse joined the recruitment firm Cramer & Co. – following more than a dozen years of senior public relations experience. His focus is on supporting searches in PR, Communications, Investor Relations, and Public Affairs, and building on his background in journalism and sports PR. He is also an industry guest speaker at various educational institutions and CPRS events.
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