In a nutshell, it turns out that we don’t have one brand – we have 3 overlapping spheres encompassing the Personal, Professional, and Company areas. The overlaps among these spheres affect each other, and we all shift among them very naturally as we socialize online and express different parts of ourselves.
But the fact is that having a multitude of online “selves” or “brands” creates potential conflicts. There are benefits accrued by being very public and active on various social media channels, because such activity can lead to new contacts, prospects, personal, and professional opportunities.
At the same time, however, that also means that your personal and professional worlds can bleed together very awkwardly. For some, especially entrepreneurs, this isn’t a problem. For others, this can lead to embarrassing explanations and intrusions into private life.
Here are a few tips for dealing with these thorny issues –
- Review your employer’s social media policies. More and more, companies are enacting social media policies intended to protect both their own reputations and that of their employees. Many also offer trainings and resources so that employees can use their social media presences to assist the company while maintaining their own comfort and privacy.
- Review your own security settings on your preferred social media platforms. This includes share settings. There are no doubt certain things that you’d rather your employer not see. On the other hand, if you are a small business owner, you may want to engage your personal network heavily. And, with various hacks occurring these days, having tight password security is a must.
- Consult with your PR department about how your networks can be best leveraged to serve both your brand and that of your firm as per your personal and company goals.
You can read the complete article — entitled Social Media Spheres: The Dual Identity Conundrum — over at Social Media Today. Also, I’d love to hear about the issues and tactics you’ve employed to address this thorny issue. Also, please shoot me an e-mail or comment below.
