Drawing The Line Between Business and Personal In Social Media

In the past, people left their homes in the morning, went to work, and at 5pm they clocked out and went home. Work was kept at work, and people were free to enjoy their home life on their own terms.

Today, the line between “work life” and “personal life” is often blurred. We are now a mobile society. Thanks to computers, people can easily bring their work home with them and continue to work long after the clock passes 5pm; cell phones allow people to be contacted with work matters at any time of day; and social media allows people you know from your business life to easily find out more than you want them to know about your personal life.

So, is there a way to keep the two sides of your life separate? Yes, there is. First of all, if you want your personal life to be kept private, set your social media accounts up that way. You can protect your tweets on Twitter so that they are only visible by the people you approve and you can set your Facebook up so that only your friends can see your information, pictures, and so forth.

If you use Twitter to stay in contact with both people from your professional and persona lives, set up two different accounts. Only approve people you know and interact with on a personal basis to see your personal tweets. If a colleague or client sends a follow request to your personal account, send them an email directing them towards your professional account.

If you are a Facebook user, set up a personal account for your friends and family and then create a page for your professional life. This will allow people to become a “fan” of your business and stay in touch with you. They will only be allowed to see the things you post on your page; they won’t be allowed to see what is on your personal page unless you add them as a friend.

Again, if someone from your professional life sends a friend request to your personal account, simply send them an email letting them know your personal account is to share photos and news with friends and family only, and then direct them towards your business page.

Keep in mind that if you are an entrepreneur and you are trying to promote yourself as your brand, you may not want to separate your accounts. Allowing people a glimpse of your personal life can help build relationships.

In the past, people did business with those that were local to them. Today, people can choose to do business with someone from across the street or across the globe. Exchanging messages on Twitter and Facebook with clients and colleagues has replaced the wave that people once received when walking into their work place or favorite local business.

Some may argue that they do not want their personal information available to clients and colleagues. Others may argue that nothing has really changed over the years.

Imagine if you were doing business in the 1970s exclusively with people who lived in your town. Your clients and colleagues would probably know much more detailed information about you, such as where you lived, what kind of car you drove, your home phone number, whether or not your child played in that week’s little league game, and so forth.

Deciding on whether or not to separate your personal side from your professional side is entirely up to you. Either way, remember to always practice common sense when using social media. Even if the things that you post are for friends and family only, you are still putting things up on the web and those things can easily get spread around the internet. If you don’t want to someone to see it, don’t put it up there for the world to see!