{"id":336,"date":"2015-05-19T09:00:51","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T13:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.law.temple.edu\/10q\/?p=336"},"modified":"2015-05-19T09:00:51","modified_gmt":"2015-05-19T13:00:51","slug":"5-tips-for-building-your-social-media-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/law.temple.edu\/10q\/5-tips-for-building-your-social-media-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips for Building Your Social Media Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Social media has been and continues to be an incredible platform on which to build and improve a professional brand. But while the American Bar Association’s (ABA) most recent Legal Technology Survey indicates that lawyers are beginning to experiment with social media more than ever<\/a>, for more risk-averse individuals, navigating the social media waters remains a daunting task. That\u2019s likely due to social media mistakes, which are incredibly public and often lead to salacious headlines and high page views for news and gossip sites alike.<\/p>\n

In 2009, a Florida lawyer blogged<\/a> about a Fort Lauderdale Judge, calling her \u201cAn evil, unfair witch.\u201d The lawyer was reprimanded by the Florida Bar and issued a fine.<\/p>\n

In 2012, a Miami public defender \u2013 really, again Florida?<\/em> \u2013 posted a picture of her client\u2019s underwear to Facebook, with the caption, \u201cproper court attire.\u201d The trial, a murder case, was declared a mistrial<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These mistakes are not just reserved for those in the legal industry. In 2013, Justine Sacco, a senior director of corporate communications, sent an ill-advised tweet just prior to boarding a flight from London to South Africa.<\/p>\n

\"Justine<\/a>
In 2013, Communications Director Justine Sacco lost her job and became a worldwide trending topic for her ill-advised tweet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sacco became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter in the hours that followed, all while mid-flight and completely unaware of her public gaffe. Her subsequent firing, and battle to regain her reputation, was recently profiled by the New York Times<\/em>.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Stories like these are popular Internet fodder and serve as a warning to everyone who uses social media on a daily or even occasional basis. But you shouldn\u2019t be scared away from social media by these horror stories. Here are five tips that will help you start building a healthy and professional social media identity today.<\/p>\n

Set Your Goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before venturing into the world of social media, it\u2019s important to ask yourself what your goals are for the medium. Do you want to be seen as an industry thought leader? Build your network? Attract new clients? Land your next job?<\/p>\n

Having a plan for social media will help you choose which networks to join, which networks to focus the bulk of your attention on, and what types of content to share.<\/p>\n

Start Small<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are dozens of popular social networks out there, each with its strengths, weaknesses, unique audience, and level of complexity. This can lead to confusion and paralysis when determining what and where to post content.<\/p>\n

If you are just getting started with social media, start small with a few of the more well-known and established social networks. By focusing on establishing a consistent presence on a few select networks, you\u2019ll avoid spreading yourself too thin, which often results in inactive, inconsistent, and outdated social media accounts.<\/p>\n

Listen First<\/strong><\/p>\n

With each new social network you join, it\u2019s important to observe network best practices before barraging your followers with status updates. Search for and connect with colleagues, mentors, or industry leaders on each network. Then, observe those users and try to answer some of the following questions:<\/p>\n