The Do’s and Dont’s of Social Media in the Workplace

I’d like to begin this post with a warm hello to all you readers out there (Hi, Mom and Dad). This is my first post in a while. Okay, it’s been about three months, but who’s counting? A lot has changed since August, and I am happy to say that I have been interning full-time at a PR firm in Manhattan since early September. After a few hectic weeks of waking up at dawn to commute into the city and surviving on the infinite coffee supply at the office, I’m now settled and can devote more time to relaxing, watching Glee and of course, blogging, tweeting and…whatever else the kids are calling it these days.

To kick off my entrance into working life, I thought I would continue building on the social media etiquette theme and share some do’s & don’ts of using social media in the office. Social media are engrained into our daily lives. From checking in at the grocery store via foursquare to checking out our friends on Facebook, we are becoming increasingly connected to our online social networks. Thanks to developments in mobile communications, what may have been just a website on our computer is now an app on our phone that we carry with us everywhere we go. Engaging in social media is no longer a hobby; it is a habit.

However, some habits are not necessarily conducive to the workplace. While I am a big proponent of both understanding and participating in social media, especially in the communications profession, I also believe that there should be some guiding principles in place to ensure that productivity and efficiency are not lost.

Without further adieu, my do’s & dont’s of social media in the office…

• DO make an effort to understand your employer’s policy on social media.
• DO use Twitter as a news aggregate to follow top stories as they develop.
• DO monitor the social media landscape for your clients or your company.
• DO respond to inquiries or comments that you receive via your organization’s social media outlets. This will depend largely upon your company’s social media policy. Some workplaces actively encourage all employees to engage and be responsive while others have a more tightened grip in which there are designated individuals with this responsibility.
• DO be respectful of your colleagues when it comes to friending, following, etc. Use some discretion here. I like to think of social media in this regard as a spectrum, with LinkedIn on one end and Facebook on the other; Twitter is somewhere in the middle. LinkedIn is the most appropriate outlet to connect with coworkers. Facebook, however, is the most personal outlet. I’d say you should really only friend a coworker if you have established a more personal, friendly relationship with him or her already.
• DO network, if it’s work-related. Tweet with a reporter or pose a question for your followers.
• DO position yourself as a social media expert. If you can’t get enough of social media,  then take initiative and establish yourself as the in-house maven. There is still a need for people who really “get” social media. Show that your interest in social media is an important asset to the business.
• DON’T get distracted. Repeat after me: I will not use social media during meetings or when I’m on deadline. I have many anecdotes from college about how I had a huge paper that took me seven hours to finish when in reality about four of those hours were spent online.
• DON’T make it personal. You can’t wait to tell your friends about ***insert wildly amusing story here***, but it can wait. Trust me. Avoid posting anything that is not directly relevant to your work. You will have plenty of time after hours to update everyone.
• DON’T stay logged in all day. Keeping a page open and refreshing throughout the day may seem like a good way of ensuring that you don’t miss anything, but it is an efficiency killer. Besides that, it’s just healthy to take a break from being “wired in”.
• DO ask yourself “Is this adding value for my client, my company, or my organization?” before using social media at work. If you only remember one thing from this post (ah who am I kidding, you’ll remember all of it, right?), then let it be this one.

Please feel free to comment with your own Do’s & Don’ts!

Looking forward to sharing more with you soon.

-Lindsey

 

From epic fail to shining moment: it’s all in how you handle yourself

I’ve had the interviewing process on my mind, and I’ve been trying to turn these bullet points on my resume into stories that reveal something insightful about me. There, in bonded paper form, are all my accomplishments. I’m proud of my contributions and I do enjoy talking about things that I’ve achieved. But sometimes when discussing myself through a resume, I feel a little bit like a multitasking superhuman extraordinaire.

Resumes state results. I did X, which resulted in Y. I like to think of resumes as graphing grids. They are good maps for plotting out what you do. They help to compartmentalize your qualifications into quadrants such as skills, honors, education and experience. Resumes do not, however, paint a full, rich picture of who you are, what you are capable of and how you think. If you want to stand out, you need to be the Van Gogh or Picasso of candidates- expressive, dynamic and energetic- but most importantly, unique. My brother gave me something to consider when he asked me how I made my resume. “Well, I went to all these resume-building seminars, read about it online and did advising sessions. You know, pretty much what everyone else does,” I told him. “Exactly,” he said. “Everyone gets told to do the same thing so all resumes are the same.” I hate to admit it, but my brother is right (he will be happy to see this in print).

Take PR, for example. We all write press releases. We all do research. We all work with clients. What separates us is our thinking, our approach and our ideas. Stories- the hallmark of the profession- differentiate us. I’m not advising anyone to burn their resume and start working on a memoir to send out to potential employers. But I am suggesting that a second look at your resume may be worth it (I’m currently tweaking mine ) and more importantly, when interviewing, focus on how you did something, not just that you did it. Share stories, not bullet points.

Now, one essential aspect of storytelling is conflict. Imagine how boring movies and books would be if everything just went swimmingly for the characters. It’s unrealistic. Conflict is a natural, expected part of life. I am a firm believer that your handling of setbacks is a very telling look into your character and a good indicator of what kind of employee you will be. So what does this mean in an interviewing context? It means be honest. If you get asked about a time you failed, don’t say “I can’t think of a time that I failed, I strive to be successful in everything I do”.  If you get asked about how you dealt with tight deadlines, don’t say “I’ve never had to deal with tight deadlines because I make sure to plan ahead”. If you get asked about your weaknesses, don’t say something that sounds more like a strength (I’m talking to you, Mr. or Ms. Sometimes I Can Be Too Much Of A Perfectionist). I’m guilty of it, too. I once was asked about a time when I faced a major problem. My answer? Having to decide between two great PR classes that I really wanted to take.

Failure, stress, weaknesses- these seem like scary things to disclose to someone you’ve just met- but if you can shape a story around them and show what you’ve learned- you’re golden. This is where your Epic Fail comes in. Your Epic Fail should be a time when you messed up big. It should be something that was a complete and utter disappointment, something you were embarrassed about, something that you’d never ever put on a resume.

My Epic Fail came when I was working on an account team for a student-run public relations firm. Our client wanted a brochure. It seemed simple enough, so we set out to create a two-fold InDesign brochure with basic information and photos. We sent it out before we left to go home for the summer, confident that our beloved brochure was a winner. The client HATED it. I mean, really really hated it- enough to write a long, scathing e-mail to the director of the firm, who forwarded it to us. “The brochure screamed of student work and not even good student work at that,” the e-mail said. Ouch.

So how do you use the Epic Fail? Obviously, if I was on an interview, I would not volunteer that one time I helped to create a brochure that a client absolutely abhorred. The Epic Fail is something you use when you get asked about a challenging situation, a time you made a mistake, a big problem, or something you regret, etc. It’s a good story that can be easily tailored to fit these type of behavioral questions. And what makes it so good is that there is conflict, but also resolution.

In my case, I would briefly discuss what happened in objective terms. And then, I’d follow that up with how I reacted and what I learned. I’d say something along the lines of, “I was disappointed to see the client reaction, but I took corrective action right away. I e-mailed the director of our firm and asked if I could help to make modifications to the brochure. The director respected my initiative, and the client appreciated the effort even though they eventually decided to use another brochure. What I learned from that is the importance of communicating with clients on a regular basis, which is why, as a Project Leader for another student group, I made sure to send out drafts, notes from our brainstorming sessions and updates each week to ensure that we were on the right track”.

Keep in mind that interviewers are not looking for a superhuman to join their team. They just want someone who, when challenging situations arise, can respond appropriately, put things into perspective and move on in a reasonable way.

Social media adds some new spice to an old brand

Much has been written about the success of the Wieden + Kennedy campaign for P&G’s Old Spice.

 

I like the following articles:

http://www.socialtimes.com/2010/07/how-old-spice-swaggerized-their-brand-and-men-everywhere/

http://mashable.com/2010/07/15/old-spice-stats/

http://mashable.com/2010/07/15/old-spice-social-media-campaign/

 

The campaign epitomizes best practices in social media, creating buzz-building conversations and fostering engagement among users. What is even more impressive is that the campaign actually worked- garnering media impressions and helping to increase sales.

 

The reinvention of Old Spice is interesting given that it is a 71-year-old brand, formerly associated with a past generation, but now relying on innovative uses of fairly new technological tactics. There still seems to be considerable hesitancy in implementing campaigns that depend on social media. The loss of control is seen as an enormous threat to established, carefully cultivated brands. Once you go viral, you can’t go back. Users are free to ridicule, mock or perhaps even worse, ignore.

 

Social media tend to be fickle, too. If any of the elements are off- if it seems too gimmicky or if it doesn’t fit the brand or if it doesn’t speak to people in just the right way- then the campaign fails. Toyota ventured into viral marketing only to be slapped with a lawsuit after launching a prank-style campaign called “Your Other You” in which social media starred. “Your Other You” allowed users to terrorize their friends by convincing them that they were being stalked by one of the “lunatic” characters. As it turns out, Toyota was the crazy one- and completely missed the mark.

 

More recently, Cisco attempted to ride the coattails of Old Spice’s campaign by creating a copycat one with “Ted From Accounting”. Could it have worked? Maybe. The tongue-in-cheek concept had some potential. But in the first 24 hours, there were only 2, 750 views on 18 videos. Success in the social media realm requires originality. The Old Spice campaign did so well because nothing like it had been done before; it was fresh and groundbreaking. Boredom sets in when users have already seen something- and I’m guessing that is the case with Cisco’s foray into social media. The Old Spice campaign  also had a certain degree of magic and bravado that cannot be duplicated.

 

It’s amazing, then, that Old Spice- an old brand- was able to breakthrough on social media. Its marketing efforts could have relied on nostalgic appeals as other mature brands have done (Campbell’s biggest soup sellers retained their old packaging). Or if it really wanted to reach a younger target market, it could have mimicked the modern, blatant sexuality of Axe. Instead, the campaign relied on social media to create a hybrid between the two options. The Old Spice Man is an ode to masculinity, celebrating the brand’s history while at the same time moving it forward in a relevant, humorous way.

 

Now,  I’m wondering not only what’s next for Old Spice, but also, what about other brands that could use updating?

 

I would like to see Maybelline New York tackle social media, especially for the iconic Great Lash brand. Introduced in 1971, it’s still the number-one best-selling mascara. What brands could successfully reinvent themselves using social media? And is the success of the Old Spice campaign a fluke, or will such success become the norm once more brands embrace social media?

Going social? Some things to consider

The PR field seems to love its acronyms (ROPE, RACE anyone?) so I decided to develop my own acronym for social media considerations. After I scored my first freelance project- building the web presence of a family practice- I went through the following checklist to work from a better strategic framework and determine what, if any, social media outlets would suitable. Unfortunately, not many words can be made with C, V, A, E and T- which is why I’m going with CAVEAT for now. Whatever works, right?

Commitment

Going social requires a commitment to update because content needs to be timely and relevant. How often are you willing to update? Monthly? Weekly? Daily? Who will do the updating and will updating be a priority? Are you ready for a long-term presence or are you looking to do a trial run to “see how it goes”?

Attention to users

Direct interaction with users is one of the key benefits of social media. How will you build and sustain relationships? Are you willing to respond to users’ comments and questions? What will be your tone? What matters to your users?

Variety of content

Your social media content should communicate a personality through words, images or sounds. Will there be mostly text (Twitter)? Will you blend text, images, videos and links (Blogs)? Will you have mostly videos (YouTube) or mostly photos (Flickr)?

Employee engagement

How can employees become involved in new social media initiatives? What stories can they tell? How interested are they in helping to maintain a social media presence? What social networking sites are they using  now?

Acceptance of risk

Social media require forfeiting some control- and with that, comes risk. How comfortable are you with risk? How will you handle inappropriate posts or misuses of your social networking channels? Will you develop policies regarding social media?

Time

How many hours per day, week, or month are you willing to put into developing social media content, responding to users, updating information and monitoring analytics?

Oops, BP did it again…another PR mishap

Tweets and blog posts are already lambasting BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward for taking a day off to watch his 52-foot yacht “Bob” compete in a race off England’s shore. Spokesman Robert Wine defended the first break for the embattled Hayward since the crisis began. “He’s spending a few hours with his family…I’m sure that everyone would understand that,” Wine said. 

This latest misstep provides another cautionary tale for PR professionals when it comes to managing crises. Never underestimate the power of the human element. Sometimes, all the planning in the world is not enough. A crisis team could prepare well-written statements, train spokespeople effectively, develop strategies to handle media inquiries and run through every possible what-if scenario. But, people are unpredictable and prone to mistakes. One yacht race later, and BP has yet another media attack, more public outcry and a social media firestorm on its hands.

Hayward’s timing for a “break” could not have been worse. Judith C. Hoffman’s book Keeping Cool in the Hot Seat defines crises as major turning points for organizations. Every second becomes critical. There are no breaks during a crisis. Now is the time for Hayward to sharpen his leadership, confronting the catastrophe with both humility and assurance. His need for a break shows a passivity that is alarming. What happened to taking responsibility?

Another “what not to do during a crisis” lesson? Never portray the company as the victim. Hayward is tired. He needs a break. Wouldn’t residents along the Gulf Coast dealing with the aftermath love a break, too? Or the volunteers that are working to clean up beaches and help marine life?

No one can blame Hayward for being tired. He’s only human. But couldn’t he have spent his “break” in a more productive way? A yacht race epitomizes leisure and luxury, which is not exactly the right message to convey right now. Why not spend time with his family working alongside volunteers to clean up oil from a Gulf Coast beach?  It would be a start toward generating some goodwill.

The right people can turn a devastating situation into an opportunity to rebuild trust and restore organizational reputation over time. If only BP had such leadership.

(Check out http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100619/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill for more information)

In Good Company: Family and Friends as Career Coaches

I could probably wallpaper a room with all the brochures and information sheets that I’ve picked up from the career center. I read career and industry websites, follow experts via Twitter, subscribe to PRSA’s newsletters and have even purchased a few of those corny ‘college to career’ guides. There are many resources for the job search, but I am finding that the best place to go for advice- honest and meaningful advice- is my family and friends.

Once in a while, I need someone to tell me “you know, I don’t think this is you…”. It’s one of the reasons that I love going shopping with my mom. I was looking for a graduation dress and stumbled upon a wild, technicolor striped dress that could probably double as a parachute of kindergarten gym class fame. “I bet this looks better on,” I said hesitantly. My mom gave it a quick look. “No, probably not”. I trusted her judgment enough to keep on with the search. I finally settled on something that was more me- one that my mom picked out.

This same kind of help applies in the job search. No one knows me better than my family and close friends. They know my personality, temperament, quirks, talents and weaknesses or “areas of improvement” if you’re into those career books. They know when I’m happy and motivated, and when I’m just going through the motions. And they give advice that is both objective and personal.

During the fall, I started to consider a master’s in finance so that I could pursue something less creative and more numbers-oriented. A strong financial background would make me a more attractive candidate, I reasoned. But my parents told me to not give up on PR before I even tried. “I just don’t think that would make you happy, to have your creativity stifled,” they said. And my friend added, “After four years, we owe it to ourselves to at least try”.

Most recently, I’ve been trying to figure out what type of PR to pursue. Last night, I went out to dinner with my friend to celebrate being officially done with classes and finals. We talked about life over delicious Mexican food (check out El Canelo if you are ever in Syracuse). She said to me, “I really see you doing something in travel PR, it would be a good fit with your personality”. I had never really considered travel PR before, but when she said that, something clicked and it gave me another option.

My family and friends provide the best advice, but more importantly, they have become my cheerleaders. Let’s face it, the job search is a lot of up and down. It helps to have people on the sidelines supporting you during those moments of doubt. That’s more than any career book or website can do.

So, do you want to go out sometime? Why the job search is like dating.

I’ve come to realize that the job search is like dating. Interviews are blind dates. You present the best version of yourself and get sized up. You worry about what to wear and hope your “date” likes you enough to see you again. You do a little Google search action to check “him” out first.  He tells you it’s been nice getting to know you and that he will be in touch. You spend a lot of time waiting by the phone or checking your e-mail. Should I call and follow up now? Does that look too clingy? Should I keep waiting? Do I cut my losses and move on? You consult people you know for advice.

There is considerable rejection. You find out that the employer of your dreams is playing the field with hundreds of other candidates- and finds someone else. You might need to have a glass of wine and some ice cream at this point.  That’s okay. You weren’t that into him, anyway. He was too stuffy or too out there or too much of a workaholic or too (insert your adjective here).You don’t want to seem desperate, but you also don’t want to settle. So you get back out there and keep looking. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the prince. You network your heart out. “Hi, I’m interested in learning more about what you do…so, do you want to go out sometime?”. Meanwhile, your family and friends are pestering you about your “love life”.

But, then one day, it happens. You meet The One. You’re compatible, you get each other. You have great conversation and share some interests. You can’t wait to spend more time together. “He” calls you back when he says he will and offers you benefits, opportunities for growth and an exciting career. It makes going through the whole process somehow worth it. You commit yourself to the right employer for you.

It’s easy to become entangled in the stress and frustration of the job search. I struggle with the uncertainty of not knowing where I will be or what I will be doing, especially when much of my life has revolved around being a student- and soon, I will not be a student anymore. But for the first time in a while, I also saw the positive aspects of the job search.

I’ve been learning a lot about myself-  what I want to do and what I do not want to do. I’m starting to get a feel for what environments are well-suited for me. I’m learning more about the public relations industry and how it works, too. It is such a diverse, vast and complex field. Each firm takes a unique approach. I’ve been keeping up with industry news and current events through Twitter or blogs. You have to really know yourself during the job search, just as in dating.

I need to make sure that my nerves and my concerns do not overshadow the excitement that comes with starting a career. After four years of studying PR, I am ready to do this! I forgot how much I love PR because I started to think that I should have gone into something more “practical” such as accounting or law in the wake of the economic downturn. I’ve never really been much for practicality, anyway. I know that once I do find a job in public relations, my career will be rewarding, stimulating, and fun. The job search is just the starting point…

(If you are a fellow job searcher, I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to comment and share your job search stories!)