The Smart Manager's Guide to Social Media.

Twitter.  Facebook.  Spoke. Linked In.  It's enough to make your head spin, right?  I've made use of a lot of these tools for both fun and to promote my consulting practice, and so I've picked up a few tips that I'd like to share with you.  There is a ton written about how to use these tools, so I'm not going to go there.  But a few thoughts for those of you dipping your toe into social media.

1) Never post anything that you wouldn't want written on a postcard and mailed to your boss, future employer, client, or customer.  Yes, that means no racy photos, no commenting on rude jokes, and no attacks.  Everything you write is public.  Even if you don't "friend" your boss, these things have a way of getting around. 

2) Related to #1, PLEASE don't use these tools to complain about your job or other people.  When your company has to think about layoffs or promotions, your griping can only hurt you.  Your profile and history can become a kind of resume, and yes, potential employers ARE looking you up.

3) Make use of privacy settings.  While they are not a guarantee, you can lock your profile down on facebook to avoid having non-friends view it.  This can be a good idea.

4) Don't be pressured into signing up for things you don't want to sign up for.  Many times you end up giving away a measure of your information and privacy for participation.  It's OK to say no.  Read the user policies.

5) Limit your time.   There is something addictive in these tools, especially Twitter and Facebook which can provide "instant" information on the people you are interested in.  Avoid letting it take away your productive hours.  For example, I've begun using Twitter, but I limit it to about 3 minutes each morning. 

6) Have a strategy.   Do you want to use social media for work or personal life?  Both?  That is OK, but be clear about your intentions. 

7) Be selective.  Individuals have varying standards for who constitutes a good "connection" in social media, so it is perfectly acceptable to say "no thank you" to friend requests.  It is polite to say "Thanks for the invitation, but I use Facebook only for... (close friends, family, etc...)"  Likewise, don't be offended if your requests are not accepted.

8) If you have employees, don't ask to connect with them on social sites, although connecting on Linked In (which is the most professional of the group) may be OK.  Your employees may be pressured to say yes if you ask to be their "frend" online, which is not a good thing.  Besides, maintaining that line between work and home is harder when your boss is all "up in your business."

9) Tell your friends that you'd prefer your profile reflect well upon you professionally.  That means no cussing, no strange photos, and keep most personal communications in private mode.  While most employers won't be phased to see you plan to attend a Yankees game, they might judge your commentary on how many beers you can drink before halftime.

Have fun, but be careful out there! I love the way social media has given me new ways to build relationships both personally and professionally.  But like any communication channel, there is both good and bad depending upon how you use it.

Cheri Baker can be found on Twitter (cheribaker), Linked In, and Facebook.

Comments

[Cara]

Hi Cheri-
Your blog is getting better and better; nice work! I enjoy seeing what you're writing about (even from way down here in NM) and I think you do a fantastic job w/your topics and materials. Hope all is well!

[Cheri]

Thanks Cara, I've been thinking about you and your move, and hoping you're having a wonderful time in your new city.

Always great to hear from you!

Cheri

[Adi]

There's a danger of assuming all social media is a time waster rather than a tool to help you in your work.

For instance I recently set our PR manager up with a Twitter account with a few hundred journalists to follow and interact with. So it helped him to do his job. There are lots of other examples where the platform helps you in your work, likewise with LinkedIn et al.

Of course these sites can waste time and be unproductive but they can also be real assets. We have to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water.

[Sarah Murphy-Kangas]

I want everyone to read this, Cheri. Concise, wise, funny. Perfect.