Monday, January 15, 2018

Guard Your Social Media Reputation


by Molly Jo Realy @RealMoJo68

We all love to blow off steam and when Friday rolls around, most of us are counting the seconds til closing hour. Then, bliss! Over sixty hours to spend however we want.

The thing is, with the instant publicity on social media, what you post on a Saturday or Sunday can greatly affect how people look at you the entire week.

Social media is a great tool for staying connected, offering your Swarm a nice token like a discount or free giveaway, and sharing glimpses of your personal life. But, how personal is too personal?

As a business-to-business tool used to enhance your readership, client base, or following of any kind, keep in mind that is your ultimate goal. I have seen many careers stall and stagnate because the person shared more photos of their, shall we say, fun weekend, than writing adventures.

[Note to self: Remember that your definition of “fun” is not the same as someone else’s definition.]

I’m not saying y’all should only post from behind a brick wall or wooden fence. No, you need to let your viewers catch more of you than your Mr. Wilson hat. But please, oh, please, let’s not go crazy and let them catch, well, too much of you.

It’s easy to share in the fun of tweeting comments or sharing photos, but too often I see well-intentioned people switch from Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hyde when the weekend comes around. I see photos of liquor bottles, crass jokes, or just an all-around bad attitude.

Think of social media as your fence line. You let people see into your yard, or you don’t. Some yards are walled off while others are open. Some are lovely to look at, because the owners take pride in pruning back the weeds and keeping away the trash. Others can’t be bothered with maintenance and let all who pass see everything. Now folks, you know I love being on the media, but even I don’t share everything openly. There comes a time when you need to go inside your house and close the door.

If you feel the need to vent, then please do so with those you trust, in a private chat. But don’t put yourself out there for any-and-everyone to get a glimpse of what they shouldn’t.

I like to think of my social media fence line as a chain link fence with a few strategically placed bushes. You can see past some of it if I trim the hedges, but mostly I just want you to enjoy the roses.

With some sweet tea and a (sometimes) open gate,
~ Happy writing. 

TWEETABLE
Guard your #socialmedia reputation - @RealMoJo68 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Molly Jo is a writer, editor, social media ninja, and producer of the weekly Firsts in Fiction podcast. She has been featured in children’s magazines, on blogs and devotional websites, and her short stories have earned her awards and scholarships from nationally acclaimed writing programs. She is the founder of New Inklings Press and author of The Unemployment Cookbook: Ideas for Feeding Families One Meal at a Time, and other books available through her website and on Amazon.

Her current work in progress, NOLA, is a location mystery set in New Orleans and is scheduled for publication in late 2017.

You can find her on FacebookTwitterPinterestInstagram, and her blog, Frankly, My Dear . . .

15 comments:

  1. Great information!! We always need to know we're speaking to the entire world when we're on Social Media. Thanks, Molly.

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    1. Yes, Robin. It's too easy to forget what we post isn't always to a select audience.

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  2. Molly,

    Thank you for this much needed reminder. I often see posts from others on social media where I groan and wonder if they remembered when the pushed "send" that their comment will be online FOREVER (a really long time). I've posted on twitter over 40,000 times and it's something I try to recall with each post.

    Terry
    Straight Talk From The Editor, 18 Keys To A Rejection-Proof Submission

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    1. Thank you, Terry. I often cringe when I remember the posts I used to do as a "newbie." Oy, if I only knew then what I know now. Thank goodness for the "delete" option.

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  3. Great post, Molly.
    Authors are their own brand. Hence the need to look professional on social media always.
    In the age of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram no posts ever truly goes away.

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    1. Agreed, Ingmar. We can delete, but that doesn't delete the memory of it.

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  4. Needful and wise guidance, Molly Jo. Your “fence line” illustration is a good way to add perspective to our social media space.

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    1. Thank you, Charla. May your fence be lined with roses!

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    1. Thank you, Karen. I appreciate your comment.

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  6. Molly, I started guarding my words on social media a lot more carefully when an outspoken Democrat and an outspoken Republican both hired me to write for them around the same time. They both offered good, solid writing work for companies that helped others. I realized that I could easily offend either one, solve nothing, and lose a good job with a few careless words on Facebook. It changed what I type, share, and comment on. And you know what? It changed my outlook, too. By the way, I shared this article on Twitter; you don't think that's oversharing, do you? :)

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    1. Holland, thank you for your encouragement and sharing! :) I also think it's important to be positive in what we share. I don't want someone else to have a bad day because of anything negative I may posted in the heat of the moment.

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  7. Thank you, Molly, for this reminder to keep social media ... well, social, but not too social.

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