How Not to Market Yourself Online
I was recently scrolling through pics of an new online friend seeing what he was up to. He seems like an OK normal guy and we have a bunch of mutual friends in Philly. I have never formally met him face to face. Our friendship is one of those which exists purely on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Tom, as I will call him, is a business man in the Philly area. He has a pretty successful professional career and seems to enjoy life. I figured I'd check out his profile as I do with alot of people who request my friendship on social media.
As a blogger, I sometimes get a couple odd birds that come out of the woodwork. I've learned not to accept everyone but if people want to read my blog, usually I'll give them the benefit of the doubt if they seem pretty normal. I accepted Tom's request and looked at the pics he has posted. All of his pics were edited to be public.
The first pic of him was the professional head shot from his firm which he used as his profile pic. Very dapper in his suit. Kind of like the pics they take at a professional portrait studio with the standard "library-esque" professional background.
The second pic gave me pause. I did a double take and then enlarged it. Did I click on someone else's pic? Um... no. There was Tom, doing his best George Costanza impression stretched out on a couch in his underwear. AND it was public. I won't show the actual pic to keep his identity secret but I'll show you the one floating around online of George Costanza from the 90's TV series Seinfeld. THE VERY SECOND PICTURE looked like this:
Listen, I'm definitely no expert about social media but I consider myself a little more savvy than your average person. If you are going to have a public professional persona online and expect people to be looking at your pictures, make sure they don't look like the one above. That is NOT the way you should be marketing yourself online.
Not every event needs to be recorded by a photograph. Not everyone needs to be tagged. Not every memory needs to be remembered. I usually ask permission before I tag somebody. I honestly do note like being tagged in posts unless its close friends or family and I regularly remove myself from tags. I routinely go through my pictures and delete those that seem a little too risque' or questionable for my online presence.
Think about what pictures you post and what they say about you. They may be counter productive to what you are trying to achieve in your career goals. I sometimes put photos up online when I'm out bar hopping with friends, but the next day after reviewing them, take them down. Also NEVER go on social media when you are intoxicated! Who knows what will end up online! At the beginning of each week, I'll review my posts online and often take down several here or there.
Again if you are fine being tagged in anything and everything, then this obviously does not apply to you. But there are people out there such as teachers, business leaders, law enforcement, doctors, lawyers as well as others whose work and professional image could be derailed or damaged by a questionable tag or picture. Think twice about tagging yourself or a friend in an embarrassing photo or video. I'm pretty sure that no one wants to be compared to George Costanza reclining seductively on a couch!
I have no questionable pics on my page. OK, maybe just a couple from my most recent birthday last June. At least I'm still in my clothes.
Tom, as I will call him, is a business man in the Philly area. He has a pretty successful professional career and seems to enjoy life. I figured I'd check out his profile as I do with alot of people who request my friendship on social media.
As a blogger, I sometimes get a couple odd birds that come out of the woodwork. I've learned not to accept everyone but if people want to read my blog, usually I'll give them the benefit of the doubt if they seem pretty normal. I accepted Tom's request and looked at the pics he has posted. All of his pics were edited to be public.
The first pic of him was the professional head shot from his firm which he used as his profile pic. Very dapper in his suit. Kind of like the pics they take at a professional portrait studio with the standard "library-esque" professional background.
The second pic gave me pause. I did a double take and then enlarged it. Did I click on someone else's pic? Um... no. There was Tom, doing his best George Costanza impression stretched out on a couch in his underwear. AND it was public. I won't show the actual pic to keep his identity secret but I'll show you the one floating around online of George Costanza from the 90's TV series Seinfeld. THE VERY SECOND PICTURE looked like this:
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| Thanks to http://www.seinfeld-fan.net/ for pic. |
Listen, I'm definitely no expert about social media but I consider myself a little more savvy than your average person. If you are going to have a public professional persona online and expect people to be looking at your pictures, make sure they don't look like the one above. That is NOT the way you should be marketing yourself online.
Not every event needs to be recorded by a photograph. Not everyone needs to be tagged. Not every memory needs to be remembered. I usually ask permission before I tag somebody. I honestly do note like being tagged in posts unless its close friends or family and I regularly remove myself from tags. I routinely go through my pictures and delete those that seem a little too risque' or questionable for my online presence.
Think about what pictures you post and what they say about you. They may be counter productive to what you are trying to achieve in your career goals. I sometimes put photos up online when I'm out bar hopping with friends, but the next day after reviewing them, take them down. Also NEVER go on social media when you are intoxicated! Who knows what will end up online! At the beginning of each week, I'll review my posts online and often take down several here or there.
Again if you are fine being tagged in anything and everything, then this obviously does not apply to you. But there are people out there such as teachers, business leaders, law enforcement, doctors, lawyers as well as others whose work and professional image could be derailed or damaged by a questionable tag or picture. Think twice about tagging yourself or a friend in an embarrassing photo or video. I'm pretty sure that no one wants to be compared to George Costanza reclining seductively on a couch!
I have no questionable pics on my page. OK, maybe just a couple from my most recent birthday last June. At least I'm still in my clothes.
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| Hamming it up with someone who shall not be tagged! :) |
HAHA - Great post! And I love this picture of you!
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you Chuck. And hopefully you mean me in the orange shirt and not the pic of Costanza on the couch! LOL
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