Professionalism: Offensive Posts (and Other Mistakes)

Bill O’Reilly. Rachel Maddow. Howard Stern.

These folks make a living by unapologetically giving their opinions – the louder they are and the more people they offend, the better their ratings and the more attention they attract.

That’s a great strategy for political analysts and shock jocks. It’s probably not the most effective technique for lawyers, electricians, and other small business owners. When it comes to your online presence, remember this simple truth: what you say, do, and post online will reflect your business! You want to make sure you’re sending the right message, so consider these things:

1. If you wouldn’t say it face-to-face, don’t post it online. You never know who’s going to see your social media accounts. If you wouldn’t call someone an ignorant putz to his/her face, don’t put it online – you never know who’s going to see it (and just because you take it down doesn’t mean people won’t see it).
2. If you wouldn’t hang it in your office or lobby, don’t post it. Yes, you look amazing in the bikini, or with those bikini-clad girls clinging to you and licking your face, but is that the professional image you want people to envision? If not, then safe that photo for your personal account.
3. If you don’t want it published in the New York Times, don’t send it. In case you’ve been living under a rock, here’s the scoop – emails are no longer personal. It doesn’t matter that you sent it from one work address to another work address, people around the world are snapping pictures of emails and letters and posting them online. If you work in the public sector, your emails are fair game (just look at what’s happened politically in the past 10 years). It may seem innocent to you, but not everyone thinks the same way you do.

Does this mean you can’t ever share personal pictures and stories? Of course not, but know where you’re sharing them – if you keep your work and personal life separate IRL (in real life), then do the same online.

Not sure if you’re content is biased or not? Contact me now and I can help you review your posts to see what kind of message you’re sending.