The Importance of Having a Professional Social Media Presence

What is the trick to accentuate your overall image?​

By: Hector Tepayotl Zarate

​Having a professional social media presence can be instrumental to an aspiring public relations professional. PR practitioners can be passed over for positions and promotions because of content posted on their social media accounts. While social media can be useful in the creation of an online media presence, it can also highlight inappropriate or insensitive behavior. Here are some tips for effectively maintaining a professional social media presence:

1. Photos 
Strategically and consistently post photos that highlight your aesthetic, hobbies and personal qualities. The trick is to post images that accentuate your overall brand. Never post images that compromise your character such as being drunk, participating in drugs or any other offensive content. For a more detailed list of what not to post on social media, head over to Business Insider. 

2. Captions and Comments
Although many social media pages are image driven, well written captions and comments are essential to the overall development of a professional social media presence. Strategic communication can be effectively implemented by typing cohesive, punctual and entertaining captions and comments.  
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3.Resharing 
Memes have become embedded in all forms of social media. Not only are they entertaining but some are also informative. Take a look at what Forbes had to say about memes. Although memes are prevalent throughout all social media channels, it is crucial to not post or reshare any potentially controversial or insensitive content on your personal account. Just because you didn't create it doesn't mean you can't be associated with it if you liked it or reshared it. 

For the aspiring PR practitioner social media can be essential in effectively creating an online presence but make no mistake, not everything of your personal life should be shared with the world. Always be mindful of the photos uploaded, captions and comments, and content reshared. A good piece of advice to keep in mind is, would you want your future employer to see this? If the answer is no, then it's probably a good idea to keep it to yourself.

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