social media | PRepping for the Professional World

With the growth of social media and the online community, it has been key for companies and organizations to not only have an online presence but strong social media accounts as well. The social media accounts are not only used for conversations and promotions, it’s also a way for the brand to show its true personality and colors. The ability to show themselves is both a weapon and a blessing. These organizations and brands can build and strengthen fan bases on simple re-tweets alone or they can completely destroy the trust of their followers with one inappropriate comment or picture.

I’m personally guilty of following all my favorite brands on Instagram and Twitter. I know my friends and many others do it as well. I love reading their posts and having the chance to “like” or respond to something they have shared with what feels like me personally.

I recently posted a picture on Instagram of my gelato and tagged the brand talenti as well as ABC’s The Bachelor as I was watching with a friend. When I woke up the next day not only had both talenti and The Bachelor “liked” my picture but talenti had actually commented on it as well. I had a smile on my face as if a celebrity had just commented on my picture. Of course it was most likely a public relations associate at the companies doing a simple media search who found my picture and decided to hit “like” but it had made my day and for that I will always go back to talenti when I’m craving a sweet treat.

Last week as I was making my all to familiar trip to Target when I decided to post a tweet saying, “True Life: I’m addicted to Target.” A day later Target tweeted back at me saying, “We consider that a healthy addiction. ;)” I loved it! I retweeted them and told my classmates as I read it.

Talk about simple and effective communications! The people behind those brands decided to make my day by mentioning me in a comment or liking my posts and spent probably less than a minute in doing so and still left a lasting positive impression.

All it takes sometimes is some positive interactions to completely gain my brand loyalty. Those are two of my favorite social media brand stories and I would love to hear some of yours! Are there any brands or organizations you suggest following or do you have any stories of brands interacting with you? Share in the comments below!

Today, fortunately and unfortunately social media is a part of a person’s identity. If you’re using online sites then you are sharing yourself with the public and everything you say or share becomes public information you can’t take back. In the PR industry many future employers and companies want to know that you understand social media and are actively participating on it. That being said, your personal social media sites are free game and an easy way for clients and employers to learn more about your personality and brand.

If you plan to have your personal Instagram account open to public viewing then it’s time to make sure it reflects your personality in a good way and shows that you can be professional as well.

Follow these easy tips to get started cleaning up and developing your personal brand on Instagram:

1. Make sure your username is both appropriate and relevant. A simple username that includes your name or organization is perfect. Keep it short and easy to read.

2. Share your interests, major, job or any personal websites in your bio. This is a space for you to literally share in words what you want people to know about yourself. Make sure you include your full name on your profile so they know correct spelling. If you’re a student, add your major! If you’re a graduate share what company you work for and the field you work in. If you have a specific favorite field of PR let people know! Don’t be afraid to add a personal touch as well. If you love coffee or flowers one or two of your favorite emoji’s at the end can show your character. Lastly, include a link to your blog or an email if you want people to be able to contact you.

3. Be careful when choosing a profile picture. Your profile picture is the first thing people see. Many people find it helpful to keep the same profile picture on all their social media sites from Instagram to Facebook to LinkedIn. Whether or not you want the same is up to you! My Instagram is primarily for personal use so I don’t have the same headshot profile picture as I do on my LinkedIn. It’s still important to make sure it’s appropriate though; stay away from too much skin, party pictures, you know the rules.

4. Post party pictures wisely. If you’re of age, I don’t see anything wrong with posting a picture, drink in hand. But I wouldn’t post pictures doing shots on a table. Steer clear of pictures with stacked red cups all over the background and empty bottles covering the counters. You’re allowed to have fun but your future boss might not want to know just how much fun you had.

5. Pay attention to your attire. If you’re going to be uploading pictures of yourself just make sure you’re wearing something you would be comfortable with both your family and future clients seeing you in. You don’t need to be wearing a turtleneck or business suit in every picture because that most likely doesn’t show you character but if you’re wearing a revealing cocktail dress in Vegas for your friends bachelorette party, maybe you should stick to a picture neck up. You’re the judge and every situation is different but just think about the context and who might be viewing these pictures before posting.

6. Do spell check. When posting a caption you must spell check! Most people understand that captions are just short blurbs about the picture and don’t expect to see complete sentences but do make sure your spelling is correct and clear.

Each person will have a different opinion to personal social media sites and many people use them for different reasons but I think we can all agree if you’re in the PR industry and your account is set to public then it’s important to make sure you’re comfortable with anyone seeing it. Once you post something on the internet there’s no going back.

Once you have cleaned up your Instagram feel free to tackle your other accounts as well! Here’s a useful article about enhancing your personal brand on Twitter:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240642