How “Open” Should Social Media Be?

Amanda Mitchell Henry is a former journalist, corporate blogger and budding social media manager who asked us how “open” she should be with her Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. She knows she needs to include them on her résumé, but they are all set to private because she felt nervous about potential employers “trolling around for a few days.”

Social media at its core, means sharing, participating in a community, and as counter-intuitive as that feels to private citizens, it’s critical for a social media manager or CEO when creating a company’s social brand. Of course, you do need to be careful if you have young children and not disclose sensitive personal information. But professional communicators need to understand the playing field has changed and if they can’t find you or see your contacts and credentials, they assume you have something to hide. Or you simply don’t “get” social media yet.

For example, why would High Tech Connect allow hundreds of clients to have direct access to 1300 carefully selected consultants via our LinkedIn and Facebook pages? It’s the core of our business model, after all! But our business is not just tossing names and résumés based on keyword searches. Clients trust us to sleuth out the perfect ones with exactly the right skills and personality. They don’t have time to screen everyone who claims to be a writer in our Friend list, and they certainly don’t know who might be exaggerating. We do.

So despite our initial reservations, High Tech Connect is now quite open with our connections in social media. We’re certainly more open than our competitors. We are very honest about collaborating with candidates and clients to create a three-way-win. And we use social media to bring us closer to our colleagues: giving career advice, listening to their suggestions, supporting their families and interests, and keeping our friendship alive.

In social media, you first have to give. And the benefit of that goodwill and generosity is priceless from a brand perspective. So if you want to position yourself as a social media expert, you need to unlock your connections. Share your contacts, your ideas, your advice. In return, you will receive unexpected gifts from those who want to help you to succeed.