Social Media Do's and Don'ts

You may have an online presence and may have developed a great online personality but it doesn’t matter if you’re on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr; until and unless you’re not maintaining those thing properly.

Lemme tell you how to improve and where you need to focus in terms of online branding. So here are some essential do's and don’ts when using social media.

Be active: Be active in relevant member groups, forums and associations and add value by posting useful links or just comments that offer some information that will help establish a candidate as someone who knows things about their niche and area of expertise.

Get recommendations: Get connected to professional networks and try to get recommendations from former employers and current supervisors is always good. If possible look outside of your organizations and get some valuable recommendations and get endorsed by clients, business partners and leaders that carry weight.

Fastidious Selection: Be careful with what information needs to be posted. A good practice is to restrict posting personal information that may not be relevant to professional career growth and development. You must know that Social media when used the wrong way can backfire and put at risk a job offer or even your current job. I am amazed that people still post "I hate my job" on Facebook / Twitter or complain about their boss without thinking of the possible complications. Then they're surprised if, all of a sudden, they don't have a job.

Don't talk about current or past employers: Show attention and make sure not to displeasure you’re current or past employers in your online profiles. Also, if you are currently employed, keep in mind any confidentiality and conduct agreements you may have signed to ensure you are not violating any terms.

Don't share personal information: can discuss regarding business and the emerging trends of industry, but limit posting information on your personal life coz it can be a subject of major examination by recruiters and hiring managers. So never show your bad hobbies or activities on your public profile.

Don't use inappropriate photos: be very selective in posting your personal photos and use your judgment to ensure that these photos are perfect also make sure you’re not posting any inappropriate language.

Don’t spam: And last but not least, the biggest no-no of them all. It is harmful and might even get you banned or penalized.

Always remember that using social media for an online personality is becoming a basic necessity in the virtual world. Hope these do’s and don’ts will help you develop a well-rounded approach to using social media. How about you the reader?