At my high school I was very much a late bloomer onto this scene. I was a sophomore in high school before I started using social media. Most of my friends had two or three social medias they were constantly on by the time they reached 9th grade. I didn’t do much on mine except post random photos I took throughout the day.
However, when I got into college I started learning the perks of social media. When I was feeling homesick, I could get on Facebook and keep in contact with friends in my hometown. Then I got my first smart phone and got Instagram. Then I got twitter, and before I knew it I was hooked to multiple social medias.
Then a couple years ago I started this blog and found some “silent” rules about social media when applied to something you want to keep professional. These are some of my own personal rules for social media I would like to share with you today:
DO:
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Interact
Interact with people. Respond to any comments on your posts. Even if you love the comments and don’t respond, it seems like you don’t care about what’s going on, you’re just there for the likes. Well, it could be assumed to be like this. Mind you, if you get 300 comments on your post it’s hard to respond to everyone, but try your best.
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Experiment
Try new things with your posts. Add some variety with the angles you take your pictures, or even change the way you write your caption. By doing these little changes, you’ll learn more about your style, and how it can show off what you’re working on currently.
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Have Fun
Sure, you’ve created this social media for something you want to make professional, but it’s okay to goof off and share jokes on your page.
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Stay positive
Some days it’s rough to stay positive, but if you can keep at least a little smile metaphorically on your social media page, it works out better for you.
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Share Your Passions
For example, I created this blog to journal my journey in improving my arts and crafts skills. How do I apply these skills to everyday life? This is a question I ask myself, and hope to share on some of my social media pages to show that I’m still human, I mean, a robot. 😉
Don’t:
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Constantly rant
Everyone has that topic that they get heated about. When that topic becomes viral, it’s hard not to chip in your opinion about it. But remember to keep your cool. What I mean by this is explain your side, or your opinion, on that matter without sounding bitter about it.
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Share personal information
When you’re using social media as a professional outlet for whatever you’re working on, or even for your own enjoyment, be careful of how much personal information you put out there. For example, don’t explain to everyone where you live at unless you’re okay with random people showing up on your doorstep.
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Bully
Bullying is a real problem on the internet. People love using this digital world as a way to express themselves, but sometimes they get a little too expressive. Some become “a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.” (As stated when you google the meaning of bullying.) When you see it happening to yourself, or someone on your posts, try to help. It might be a minor thing to you, but it could change someone’s bad day.
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Immediately assume
It’s okay if you’re having a bad day. It’s okay to let your internet friends, and maybe even fans, know why your past week has been rough. But in today’s world most people type whatever they instantly think. This means that their post could not have meant to be offensive, they were just having a bad day. The only thing you should assume about someone commenting on your post is that they’re human.
Any there any tips you have for keeping your social media professional?
Please keep in mind that these are just a few ideas and my opinions on social media. Social media is a personal thing. You have to find your style, but hopefully this can help you get one step closer to finding your way.
Thank you guys for reading, and I hope you have a great day!
ArtsyRobotz 