Good Works Grapevine

I’m on several Listservs on a variety of topics. Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about managing your online persona. How much personal information is too much? How do you control what other folks are posting about you? Should you avoid social media altogether or lock down your profiles so tightly that no one can get information about you?

My take is (and always has been) - if you are going to participate in the social media space, you need to manage your brand (in this case - you name). Social media is just what the name implies - having social interaction within a media (in this case - an online platform). In order to keep your reputation in check, manage your message. Be a real person with real stories, ideas and opinions. Share the YOU that you want people to see. Sure, someone may post a photo of you at a college frat party on Facebook, but, whether you like it or not - that’s part of your life. We’re all humans behaving humanly (Brilliant!)

Now, I completely understand that privacy is an issue and certainly don’t condone posting your social security number on the side of a cargo truck. But, by putting your name, information and what you’re all about out there, it’s much easier to say “Hey - this is me.” It’s also easier to rebut any negative information about you.

In a nutshell, if you put yourself out there, manage your name and let the world know who you are - you build your personal brand, you make new friends and you grow your standing within your space.