How to keep your social media personal but still professional

​In a digital era, your social media reputation is as important as your personal one. 

By Samantha Baldovines

​How would someone describe you based on the content that you post on social media? Is that an accurate representation of yourself? The reputation you have will follow you everywhere. It’s important now more than ever to monitor your online reputation just as you would in person. 

There is a social channel for every interest, the key is to balance them. You wouldn’t post an essay on Twitter, but you would post it on LinkedIn. For every social channel you have a different audience, therefore it’s important to understand the purpose of the content and make conscious decisions when you are about to post. 

I don’t recommend having two different social media accounts, instead, you should focus on a brand identity. Creating an online persona is important to your brand identity, for example, Facebook has more family and friends so you would share more that triggers emotion or comments. Twitter is more of a platform to share ideas, such as posting your views on certain subjects but it’s also important not to go overboard and be unethical. 

When you post something online it lives forever, so being digitally conscious is crucial to your online reputation. It’s possible to be both personal and professional on social media, you just have to make sure they’re balanced. Before you post ask yourself: Would I be able to tell this to someone in person? If the answer is no, don’t post it. If the answer is yes, feel free but be prepared for feedback whether that be good or bad. 
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I leave you with these three tips: 
1.    Create one digital persona and choose the right channels to express yourself.
2.   If you wouldn’t say it in person, you shouldn’t post it. 
3.   Remember, once it’s posted online it’s there forever.