Through our partnership with St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, we meet extremely talented MBA students and social media marketing professionals. One of their assignments in our course, (no comma) is to blog on an area of social media that they found most interesting or learned the most about in their studies. We are proud to highlight some of the best of those submissions here. 

Mark Zuckerberg was in the headlines a few months ago due to leaked files mentioning his plans if Elizabeth Warren were to become the President of the United States. It was no surprise that Zuckerberg was willing to fight it out when it comes to his company, his vision, his belief, etc. His recordings were candid and showed his passion for his company; however, as a high-profile individual, you have to think that “you are always being recorded.” 

Is this the right way to express yourself knowing that you are a public figure? 

This is not an isolated incident as not only Zuckerberg has had his privacy violated; all of us are susceptible and vulnerable to have our content leaked, our photos used for memes, or even videos that we think are “funny” used against us. Having said that, we need to understand that social media is NOT a safe place to store your private information. Social media is not a place to make stereotypical and hurtful comments against any human being, even if you make them with your closer online friends. I am not saying you can’t have an opinion, but do you think it will be wise to make a comment out of frustration? Social media can be safe if you follow guidelines to make your experience more optimal. According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, there are a few steps you can take to make your experience with social media a lot safer.

Safety Tips for Social Media 

• Know the privacy and security setting: It is very important to learn the privacy setting of each social media platform you are planning to use. They are there for you to learn how to control who sees what and manage your online experience in a more positive way. 
• Once posted, always posted: Protect your reputation on social media platforms. Whatever you post online, stays there for a long time. Think twice before posting pictures you don’t want your family or future employers to see. 
• Don’t make comments when emotional: This can bring negative reparations. Don’t give your opinions when you are too emotional. 
• Online reputation, when managed in a positive way, can be a good thing: recent research found that recruiters respond to a strong, positive, personal online brand. Show your smarts, thoughtfulness, and mastery in social media. 
• Know what action to take: be honest if something makes you feel uncomfortable and your friends tag you. Also, if someone is harassing or threatening you, remove them from your friend list, block them and report them. 

What other suggestions do you have for a good social media experience? Comment below, I would love to read your ideas. 

Reference

Author: Yolanda Hill

Yolanda Hill is a Surgical Sales Rep for Coloplast. She has an Associate Degree from Century College, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and a Master’s in Marketing Social Media from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. She speaks English and Spanish and enjoys spending time with family and friends. She lives in Saint Paul with her husband and her chocolate lab, Bear.