Using Social Media Professionally
There are so many different social media platforms emerging which are building an increasingly large audience. The influence of these websites and apps is undeniable in our day-to-day life. The next step is using the strengths of this technology in the workplace.
What is Social Media? Social Media is a form of communication between people in a virtual, online community. It allows us to create and share thoughts and ideas quickly and efficiently on both a personal and professional level.
Below is a link to ‘The Conversation Prism,’ a diagram which categorises all Social Media sites: http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wpcontent/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/07/TCP4.jpg
Where do I start? 1) Firstly, you need to decide on the purpose of your Social Media profiles. Without this focus, the message amongst team members can become diluted. Discuss and decide whether the best uses are for networking, communicating 2) Choose an amongst each other, appropriate username. This research, etc. could include your name, job title or birth year. A perfect example would be something like ‘JSmith63’ or ‘JohnLearning.’ When you are happy with a name, you can use this online identity universally, making yourself immediately recognisable to colleagues as well as those you are sharing information and ideas with.
3) The next step is choosing an appropriate picture to represent you. Avoid stereotyping your job as others in the profession may see this as offensive. The best pictures tend to be of the person smiling with just their head and shoulders in the shot, showing that they are both dressed smartly and are approachable. So that’s no topless holiday pictures and pictures of your pets are off limits too‌ (no matter how cute you think they are.)
4) Make sure you include your job title on your profiles. This will help others in the same position share notions that are taking place in their work place.
Using
Getting Started The world of twitter can seem quite overwhelming at first, but once you’ve signed up and know what you want to gain from it, it is an extremely useful tool. A tweet is 140 characters. You can use these to share useful articles or communicate with team members.
Setting up your page is easy. Simple log onto www.twitter.com and you will find the sign up page here:
Fill out some basic details, press create account and you’re good to go! An online tutorial will guide you through the basic steps.
The Twitter Glossary ABC
@
Avatar
The ‘@’ sign is used to tag other users in a tweet so they can receive a message. For example “Hello @Twitter, how are you?” This tweet is visible to anyone who accesses your profile.
Your profile photo.
Bio
DE
A short personal description of 160 characters to define who you are on Twitter.
Direct Message Also known as a ‘DM.’ These are private messages sent between two users as long as they are both following each other.
Blocking Blocking another Twitter user from viewing your profile because of inappropriateness or offense they may have caused.
Discover The Discover tab is where you will find top tweets, who to follow, activity, find friends and browse categories. It is the best place to find new and engaging material that relates to your interests.
FG
HIJK
Favourite When pressing the yellow star on a tweet, you ‘favourite’ it. You can build up a library of favourites which are accessible via your profile. This is a great way to build up a collection of other people’s thoughts to refer back to.
Follow Count The numbers that reflect how many people you follow and how many people follow you.
Follower Someone who ‘follows’ your tweets and has made you visible to their timeline.
Following
Geotagging
The people you have taken an interest in and have chosen to view on your timeline.
Tweeting with a location attached. Normally from a mobile device.
Handle A “Twitter handle” is a person’s username.
HT Normally means ‘hat tip.’ This is a way of acknowledging a user who originally shared a piece of content such as a link to an article.
Hacking When someone gains unauthorised access to your twitter account. It is important to choose a tricky password to avoid this.
Hashtag # Marks keywords and topics in a tweet
LMNO Lists Groups of users that you can create so they appear altogether on their own timeline. For example, you may have a list of news accounts including users such as the BBC, The Guardian, The Sun etc, and then another list entitled ‘Colleagues,’ all collected in the same place. To be ‘listed’ is to be put on another users list.
PQRST Timeline
Mention Mentioning another user in your tweet using the ‘@’ sign.
MT Abbreviation for ‘modified tweet.’ placed before the retweeted text when users manually retweet a message but make modifications. This can be used when shortening a tweet.
Notifications Let’s you view people who have recently followed you, ‘favourited’ or ‘retweeted’ your tweet, new interactions and mentioning.
Trends
A real-time list of tweets from those you follow.
These are the ‘Trending Topics’ which are algorithmically determined.
UVQXYZ
Verification
Unfollow To stop following a user so their tweets no longer appear on your timeline.
A ‘tick’ which appears next to a persons username to identify that they are a legitimate source. This is useful for those who experience identity confusion on Twitter such as those with celebrity status.
For more help, watch KCOM’S guide to Twitter video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4tCn2KTLro
Or look at Twitter’s own guide on how to use it on your mobile: https://support.twitter.com/articles/14014-twitter-via-smsfaqs# https://support.twitter.com/groups/54-mobile-apps#
The Dos and Don'ts:
Do: • Include some after-work activities on your profile. These can allow career building opportunities to arise and also help develop the skills you already bring to your role. • Use the profile review feature. Every time you are tagged in something or it is posted to your wall you are given the power to approve or dismiss it. This can be found on ‘How tags work’ under privacy settings. • Review your photos. Any of you drinking or smoking should be deleted or untagged immediately as these carry a stigma and are associated with bad character. Anything sexually explicit or images that show you scantily clad are also offensive and off-putting to employers- so no bikini shots please! • Make sure your photo is actually a picture of you for an accurate representation.
Do: • Ask a colleague to review your profile to see if there is anything they believe to be out of place or inappropriate. • Remember potential employers will be researching you! • Make everything as private as possible. Set your privacy settings so only “friends” can view your photos and posts. • If someone posts something inappropriate to your timeline, remove immediately. This is very simple to do. Just click onto your profile and find the post you wish to delete. There will be an arrowhead in the top right hand corner. Once you click on it a bow will appear. You will then have the option to hide the post or completely delete it. • Follow the rule- if you wouldn’t show it to your grandparents, don’t put it on Facebook!
Don’t: • Swear. • Use Facebook as a diary. Any unwanted emotions should be dealt with by other means, not through a status update. • Take soppy photos where you’re kissing your boyfriend/girlfriend’s cheek and constantly update your status declaring your love for them! It is both unprofessional and incredibly annoying to colleagues. • Complain about your current employer or teachers. • Be friends with people who are likely to leave violent, vulgar and unsuitable comments. • Post about any illegal activities you may participate in. • Like groups that have racist connotations attached. • Be controversial
Don’t: • Become a Facebook addict. Your friends just don’t need to know how many cups of tea you’ve had today. • Overdo the personal details. Answer a minimal number of questions that Facebook provides, and unless you are married or engaged, a relationship status should remain hidden. • Press that poke button when it comes to people you don’t know. Excessive poking is also a no-go. • Have drunken pictures of your university days or friends 50th birthday parties scattered throughout your tagged photos. You may look like you’re having fun, but alcohol binging is unappealing for employers and promotes an idea of unreliability. • Use Facebook apps. When you allow this access the app companies use your details to personalise the adverts shown every time you log onto Facebook.
Founded in December 2002 LinkedIn has 300 million members Business-oriented social networking service Access knowledge, insights and opportunities In 2006, LinkedIn increased to 20 million viewers.
Has users in more than 200 countries and territories. Launched on May 5, 2003 The perfect platform for managing your professional identity