Tips on how to have social media accounts that won’t get you in trouble at work

Social media and work, sometimes they just don’t mix. But let’s face it, today, most people have a social media account of some kind – including your boss! And so, we think learning how they can co-exist peacefully is pretty important. In this post we wanted to give you some tips on how to ensure your social media doesn’t ruffle feathers in the workplace.

Generally speaking, most people have several different social media accounts that they post different types of content to. Sometimes these platforms are separate but more and more we are noticing that they are linked to one another.

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube…the list goes on. You might have one of these or all of them.

All the above examples are focused on different types of content and interaction; a person might use Facebook for keeping up with family and friends, Instagram for sharing cool photos and perhaps, they use Twitter to keep up with their favourite celebrities.

How ever you use your social media accounts, you’ll realise the one thing they have in common; the way they reflect your identity. Often, social media accounts include your name and personal information. And, this means your employer can search for you and see how you behave online.

Below are a few tips on how to ‘work-proof’ your social media – just in case your employer or workmates decide they want to do a little cyber investigation. Following these guidelines will make sure your social media accounts always reflect the most positive (and appropriate) version of you. Happy posting!

Research

Understand how your accounts are linked to you and your personal information. Read up on your privacy settings and the privacy policies of each social media you use. This will ensure you are well-aware of how your posts are displayed and who can see them.

Settings

Take advantage of the ‘Settings’ section of your accounts. Most social media websites allow users to set different levels of privacy, often you can change them for each individual post. This allows you to post only to a particular group of your ‘followers’ or ‘friends’.

Requests

You don’t have to accept everyone. Sometimes, it’s better to deny a friend request than adding all your workmates. Figuring out some boundaries on what work contacts you will accept and which ones you won’t will help you in the long run. It’s not mean, it’s just #business!

Invite Only

A lot of social media websites give you the ability to create an invite-only group, this is a great way to communicate personal information to your close friends. There’s always the private messaging option as well.

Think Before You Post

Yep, your mum was right! The saying ‘think before you speak’ can be applied to posting online. A helpful question to ask before you post something is “would I be happy for all my LinkedIn contacts to see this post?”.