social media consultant

Many individuals and organizations are embarking on social media programs. You have learned what social media is, what tools to use and how to build relationships online. But what about ethics and social media?

There has been much debate and talk about what is ethical, how to handle certain situations, how to develop social media policies, etc. Join us for an interactive panel to discuss these and other social media ethics questions.

Event sponsored by Central Ohio PRSA (Public Relations Society of America).

Panelists:

• Alvin Borromeo, contract negotiator at Sterling Commerce and Co-Organizer of Ignite Columbus
• Angela Siefer, founder & chancellor, ShinyDoor
• Ryan Squire, program director for social/digital media, Ohio State Medical Center

A quick look at my class schedule for this quarter as an Ohio State University senior is enough to confuse anyone:

• Corporate Finance
• Graphical World Urbanization
• Product Design
• Geo Physics

How on earth are these courses related? It’s a good question. When people ask me what I did this summer, it adds even more confusion to the puzzle. I don’t know much about computers, I don’t know the tech community in Columbus, and I sure wasn’t a proponent of Twitter. I was the first intern in ShinyDoor’s history. I would need pages upon pages to communicate a complete list of my experiences. What follows is a highlight reel of projects, challenges, successes, failures, lessons learned and events that stick out in my mind.

I met Angela Siefer, owner of ShinyDoor, in May 2009. I had been told she might know of some possible jobs and internships around town through her huge network. Little did I know this first meeting was an interview. I walked out having agreed to intern for Angela’s company. She won’t admit it, but she’s very persuasive.

I was all ready for my OneWebDay (in Columbus, Ohio) presentation / discussion last week when something from underneath of my car was pulled into the wheel and I got stranded from this event I was so excited about. The one day all that can go wrong happens on "One Web Day"!

In celebration of "One Web Day" I created a blog about the topic I was going to discuss - Transitioning from Personal use to Professional Use of Facebook.

Employees beware - employers are savvier than you think
Be it for pre-employment or for making sure their companies image is being properly represented by their employees; employers have most likely checked out your web presence or, found someone else who can.

I have been contacted by large and small organizations to help with the pre-employment process. One photo, one statement or even a wall post can make a grand impact - because this (not your resume!) is their first impression of you. When an organization does not have the resources to implement "web screening" or when employers do not have a profile themselves, I have even seen cases of employers using their children's account to find you. This means if you happen to be friends with your potential new boss' kids, even if you have your profile access limited to your friends, you potential new boss could be looking at your profile!

Companies and organizations considering using social media have a few choices.
1. Research everything on their own. Experiment on their own.
2. Find someone to teach them about social media then experiment on their own.
3. Find someone to teach them about social media and to guide them in their use.
4. Hire someone to conduct social media for them (in house or out).

My recommendation? Options 1 through 3. I only recommend Option 4 if you also teach other folks in the organization social media Why? Because each staff person / board member /  volunteer knows different details and each has their own network. If you hire someone be sure they are knowledgeable of your field AND enthusiastic about your business (whether its for-profit or non-profit).

Last week I spoke to community development corporations at NeighborWorks Social Media Symposium and to non-profit fundraising staff at the Association of Fundraising Professionals North Central Ohio Chapter's Career Success Institute. Staff was an issue we addressed at both. For the community development folks it was an issue of how do I manage my staff's use of social media and which ones should be using it? For the fundriaising folks it was an issue of how do I get my organization using social media and who should be using it? At the NeighborWorks Social Media Symposium, it was suggested that the community development corporations hire a 20something to manage their social media presence. I would not recommend such as a top choice.

Your existing staff are the folks in the know. They are the folks who can share program details, product details, organizational details. A new person will need to learn all that. I'm not saying its impossible. I am saying consider teaching your existing staff what social media is and how to use it. Consider giving your existing staff the opportunity to experiment. To even, <gasp>, make mistakes.

Having your staff / board members / volunteers use social media on your behalf requires:
1. Social media education. Your folks not using social media at all will feel more comfortable experimenting if they receive initial and ongoing guidance.
2. Social media policy. I recommend experimenting a bit before you create the policy to determine the organization's comfort level and unique challenges and opportunities (every org has unique challenges and opportunities!)

Having your staff / board members / volunteers use social media on your behalf gains you:
1. Reach into each of their networks.
2. A variety of interesting posts and conversations.
3. Staff / board members / volunteers who spend all their waking minutes on social networks. Right? No. This could occur if you do not educate them as to how to focus their efforts and and if you do not engage in open discussion of your social media policy. Which, of course, you would not dream of. Right? Right???