Managing Multiple Personas - How to personally manage social outreach
This is an excerpt of an article for Food and Nutrition Magazine I was interviewed for and highlights the content I provided. A link to the article in it's entirety can be found below.
How the Pros Do It
Social media is on 24/7. But who are you at any given moment? Just as you interact differently with family than you would with coworkers, what you share online may need to shift from time to time. Among most communications experts, the prevailing best practice is to compartmentalize.
In new media, a “personal persona” refers to a profile used to share updates that would be most interesting to friends and family, such as vacation photos, personal opinions or announcements of life events. Many individuals choose to make their personal personas public, but most communications experts recommend keeping personal personas private; in addition to increasing cybersecurity concerns, there are career considerations. According to “A Social Media Primer for Professionals: Do’s and Don’ts” in the March 2014 Health Promotion Practice, what is shared online reveals one’s personality, priorities and values. People make decisions about who you are based on your photos, screen name, friends list, organizations and the profiles you follow, which can impact your career. And while hiring managers use sites like LinkedIn to recruit job candidates, a 2016 CareerBuilder survey showed that 60 percent of employers also use social media to screen candidates. What you (or others) post online could be a potential employer’s first — and last — impression.
A “professional persona” is where you share messaging that demonstrates your expertise, but it certainly doesn’t mean you should sound like a robot. This persona should include personable content, which can build trust and likability. The key is striking a balance between providing value and being relatable.
A “business persona” is for profiles from which you are officially representing a company or organization that has entrusted its message with you. You must stay on brand, and in most cases, there is little room for personal bias.
So What Is Appropriate?
Lorrie Thomas Ross, CEO of Web Marketing Therapy, says she encourages individuals to evaluate their values, business needs and goals to drive decisions. “Weaving in a little personal can humanize the persona, but it must align with the brand,” Ross says.
Contrary to popular advice to avoid political posts, Rodney Mason, CEO of Nurture Ranch, says there is a place for politics in professional social media when it’s relevant and appropriate. “If there’s a bill that impacts your industry, you might share it to raise awareness,” Mason says. “Encourage people to take action in their way, such as contacting a member of Congress.”
And regardless of what you think may make you relatable to followers, be safe. Darren Guccione, co-founder of Keeper Security, Inc., says, “Certain details, like the names of children, your home address and your real-time physical location, should be kept private.”