We all remember Justine Sacco’s poorly thought-out tweet about her trip to Africa, right? Perfect example of what NOT to tweet.
With the internet literally right at our fingertips, it’s never been easier to learn about someone through their social media accounts. Twitter is a popular platform and a favorite of many (including me), yet this social network has blurred the lines between personal and professionalism. Learning how to balance the two is a challenge. You don’t want to post a negative comment that may impact your future career (ahem Ms. Sacco); however, you also want to avoid only talking business matters and not having a human voice behind your account.
Below are some do’s and don’ts on how to master balancing personal and professional life on Twitter:
Connecting with professionals
- Do: Thank them for an informative article or blog post they wrote. “Thanks (name) for the great tips you listed in (name of article)!”
- Don’t: Annoy them with questions every day. DM or email them with any specific questions you may have.
Spring break
- Brea: Tell me about yourself
Maggie: I am a junior at Illinois State University majoring in Public Relations. I was born and raised in Chicago. I am a coffee addict and not afraid to admit it. You can always find me on my iPhone checking social media sites and staying up-to-date on the latest news!
- B: What do you like most about PR?
M: I like how there are so many directions in public relations. I love that it requires you to write, network, use social media, be creative and work with others. I love to write and I love social media, so being able to combine those two into a profession is what really attracted me.
- B: You recently rebranded your blog from PR Girl Maggie to imPRess PR, what was that process like? Did you learn anything new about branding?
M: I decided to create a brand that wasn’t so much about myself, but more about everyone I’m reaching out to. The process wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be because I had the help of Kayla Hollatz, founder of exPRessions PR! She really helped me with the visual aspect of my blog and after conversing with her, it helped point me in the direction of where I wanted to go.
The idea of rebranding had been a thought of mine since November of 2013 but I just didn’t have the time to commit to it yet. Using Weebly also made the process painless. Weebly gives you so many options to switch your look and idea without wiping out all your content, which was a plus! I also couldn’t have done it without the support of my Twitter followers spreading the word of my rebrand and following imPRess PR’s Twitter account!
- B: As Director of Relations at your university’s chapter of PRSSA, what are some benefits of joining the organization?
