I just had a conversation with a client who said she was happy to see that I was back from Napa Valley safely. I was confused and told her I hadn’t gone to Napa Valley. She said she thought she read on her Facebook page that I’d gone to Napa Valley and drank too much this weekend…and she was wondering why I went to Napa Valley for the weekend when I live in South Carolina!
Just goes to show that your clients, potential clients and colleagues ARE watching – but sometimes they are watching someone else! What if that client was totally put-off by the thought that I really was out boozing it up in Napa? What if that ONE message (that I didn’t even post) made them decide to cut me loose as their assistant because of what they THOUGHT I was doing because she was “skimming” her social network updates?
I’m glad she and I were able to have a laugh about this one, but it could have turned out differently. Scary.
Have you ever had something like that happen to you?
This is exactly why I watch my P’s & Q’s on social networking sites – you just never know who’s watching. The internet is NOT anonymous as so many people might think. Those of us that utilize the internet every day for our business have a presence and you hit the nail on the head with your post. Thanks!!
I had something similar. I had a client look me up by my name on twitter (which is how I am listed) and they got a different Rebecca Thompson and followed her. Only to gasp when she saw the next status update was “Click here for my new nude pix”. She called me to tell me that she was following me and that she was hoping it was the wrong person. Needless to say that we got it corrected and had her block that one. 🙂
In response to the question you asked,
“What if that client was totally put-off by the thought that I really was out boozing it up in Napa?”
My first reaction is then that was not the client for you. Should that door close, then another door will open. Another client will choose to work with you because you showed a human side to yourself.
I think we sometimes forget history. During a time in the not too distant past, all business was conducted within a relatively small geographical location. In small towns everyone knew the business owner’s professional and personal life. If you lived next door to the butcher, chances are you were going to observe their personal habits. Where do you think the phrase “I have a reputation to protect” started? It was not due to the invention of the Internet or Social Networking/Media.
Any one in the public eye is going to have a reputation to protect, whether they be a celebrity or business owner.
I haven’t had anything like this happen. Of course I didn’t realize that someone else had posted it until now, but it did take me aback because I know the information and tweets/posts that you usually put out there are all of exceptional quality. I honestly saw that post on Twitter and first thought – wow, for someone with Sherra’s smarts, that’s an incredibly dumb thing to post.. It just makes me feel stronger in the belief that social networks do need to do a better job of preventing such things. It could result in a lost reputation or worse, a lost relationship. It also validates (in my mind) sites like ReallyWho.com who will go through the process of verifying that you are who you say you are. I hope you don’t experience this blip on the radar again. 🙂
Social Media is another form of PR. When I worked as an Image Consultant my motto was “Image is Everything.” It applies here. We have to protect our reputations and this post gives us something to think about.
Through no fault of our own, the lines get blurred. Just one of the hundreds, maybe thousands of signs of just how busy life is for everyone. Skimming is all very well but people need to check their facts first before speaking to someone about something they’ve read.
I prefer to keep business separate from personal when it comes to social networking and encourage my clients and peers to do the same. But many don’t and this is when they will see comments about someone’s drinking weekend next to someone else’s business feed.
I keep different social networking accounts for personal and business for that reason. I have an online “moniker” that I’ve used since 1994 for my personal and hobby stuff. All of my personal friends know of my online moniker. So they would never dream to search for my real name on social sites, because they know it’s all business! They first search for my moniker that my clients and potential clients would not know. I use my real name for business dealings. I find things work better that way. Just don’t do it on Facebook, because they only allow you one account period, but sites like Twitter don’t care how many accounts you have.
Social Networking is a very powerful resource for so many. With that said we have to caution that there may be others out there with the same name that are not so ethical or professional as we strive to be in our businesses. For this reason I have clients that ask me to Google their name and check periodically to see what comes up from other sources not related to them or their business.