By Jeff Wilson, APR (wilson0507)
With the start of the fall semester upon us, I’ve started receiving invitations from local colleges and universities asking me to speak to some of their PR classes about what I do and how I do it. Inevitably, I’ll receive questions from eager, young PR minds about social media and public relations.
I’ll talk about how social media has completely revolutionized the public relations industry. And inevitably, I’ll share cautionary tales of the “dark side” of social media, recounting countless incidences of PR upstarts who have not gotten jobs or lost their jobs because of what they’ve posted on Facebook and Twitter.
“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”
Social media can be wonderful and powerful communications tools. But like most great tools, social media also can be abused. I usually offer some simple – if not obvious – advice to young people about using social media in the workplace, such as:
- It’s okay to have pictures of yourself on Facebook having a good time with your friends. It’s not okay to have pictures of yourself on Facebook in a near-alcoholic coma after the big game.
- If you’re lucky enough to land a job in PR, don’t sit at your desk all day complaining of being bored at work or lamenting about what idiots your bosses, co-workers and clients are.
- While we live in a free country, and you have the right to voice your opinions openly, be mindful and tactful of posts and tweets expressing your political and religious views or views on other controversial topics. You never know how your rantings will be taken by your colleagues.
- And if you can’t help but post outrageous photos or say outrageous things on social networking sites, think before you decide to “friend” your supervisors and co-workers in the first place.
The issues surrounding social media and the workplace aren’t just germane to public relations. Many other professions are grappling with how to deal with employees’ comments on social media networks.
Doctors, Teachers and Facebook
Take doctors for example. In July, the British Medical Association issued new guidance to physicians advising them not to “friend” current or former patients on Facebook. The BMA’s recommendation is primarily targeted at protecting physicians from having their personal information accessed, thus possibly compromising the physician-patient relationship. At the same time, the BMA thinks it’s best that doctors also avoid getting too involved in their patients’ personal lives. The American Medical Association’s policy on Professionalism on the Use of Social Media doesn’t go as far as to say “don’t friend,” but it does warn physicians to use caution when posting and sharing information online.
Online relationships between teachers and students can be even trickier. The State of Missouri tried to enact a statewide law that would ban teachers from directly communicating with students on sites such as Facebook. The law, which aimed to protect students from sexual abuse, prohibited teachers from having accounts on Facebook or other social networking sites that allow “exclusive access” with students. A state judge struck down the law this week after the Missouri Teachers Association filed suit to have the law declared unconstitutional, arguing that the law violated their First Amendment rights to free speech.
Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem issued an injunction banning the state from enforcing the new law for at least 180 days. In his ruling, Beetem declared that “social networking is extensively used by educators,” adding that the law is so far-reaching that it “clearly prohibits communications between family members and their teacher-parents using these types of sites.”
Not a Cut-and-Dry Issue
And yet, for many companies, regulating employees’ use of social media or terminating them for violating company policies may not be as simple as it seems. Companies need to carefully consider whether they’re breaking the law by firing someone over his or her use of social media, according to a recent analysis by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of 129 charges recently filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) involving social media and the workplace.
“The issues most commonly raised in the cases before the Board allege that an employer has overbroad policies restricting employees use of social media or that an employer unlawfully discharged or disciplined one or more employees over contents of social media posts,” according to the Chamber.
According to the analysis, employees have been reprimanded or terminated for posts they’ve made on social networking sites related to wages, firing of co-workers and disparaging comments about their company and its management.
“A Brave New World”
The NLRB has only just begun to address these issues. As the Chamber notes, it’s hard to speculate as to how the NLRB will rule as these cases develop and whether those decisions will withstand judicial scrutiny.
In any case, for employees, it’s always best to air on the side of good judgment. What’s posted on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites can have lasting ramifications. So think before you “tweet” … and post.
In an industry dominated by extroverts, confidence is one of many keys to success. Self-assurance and poise served each of us well during our application process. We were striking and unique candidates. However, as we navigated the first weeks and months of our program, it became clear that we were each still novices in our own right. Interns are chosen for potential, not perfection. No one would presume to be an expert in this field simply because they have a sense of how it works. Confidence in asking questions and looking for critiques ultimately made our work stronger and more polished. In a workplace of strong personalities, it is essential to value your time and work, to push back when you disagree and to take pride in the services you provide – even as an entry level associate.
In a bleak post-grad job market, landing that first job is exhilarating. As the new kid on the block, you want to prove yourself right off the bat and show that you are capable of producing polished work. But the truth is, we all need practice and guidance. Working in PR taught me to appreciate (and expect) constructive feedback from my co-workers. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a hard pill to swallow when your work isn’t perfect the first time around. But to be successful in agency life, you have to develop thick skin. Don’t take it to heart if you have to make changes to your work or go back to the drawing board altogether. Whether it’s writing a news release, creating a presentation or developing key messages from scratch, you have to learn to put aside your feelings and understand that it’s not personal; it’s a team effort for the client.
Chances are high that you won’t be the only intern in your office. You might think that these other interns are your competition, but back-stabbing and constantly trying to one-up each other won’t get you hired. If anything, it will show your supervisors that you don’t play nicely with others. As much as we’d all like to think we’re going to revolutionize the PR world on our own, it’s important to remember that each account is worked by a team. The dynamics of a team directly impact the quality of work that team produces. So think about your intern group as a team: have each other’s backs and use your fellow interns as a resource. I learned that having my fellow interns edit my work before I sent it to my supervisor made us all look more polished and professional. If you can create a good “team intern” culture, no one will be afraid to take the time to pay it forward. Your supervisor will respect you and the rest of your intern class even more for your ability to set aside the urge to compete and work together instead.
As PR interns, part of our job is examining how our clients can leverage and capitalize on current trends. The ever-changing media landscape makes our jobs as PR professionals a greater challenge than ever before. Since interns are expected to be the young, fun and trendy associates in the office, I’ve made it my duty to stay on top of the latest trends. I stay current by subscribing to and analyzing key media relating to my clients, identifying their audiences, zoning in on consumer insights and staying up to date on the PR industry. We need to be on the forefront of what’s fresh and new, instead of jumping in mid-conversation.
When I was asked on my first day, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how social media-savvy are you?” I confidently replied, “eight.” I soon found out that I may have swiftly inserted my foot directly into my mouth. I learned—the hard way—that the complex world of social media is seriously overlooked in school. I avoided any additional foot-in-mouth scenarios and improved my social media-savvy score by tracking trends via social media-focused blogs, using an aggregator like Google Reader to read all new posts in one spot, experimenting with free social media monitoring tools, keeping track of how social media metrics are evolving and familiarizing myself with tweet-scheduling programs to keep tweets timely, no matter how busy the day is. Read, experiment and familiarize to ensure your score is always a 10.
I swear the next time, I see another brand asking me to “Like” or “Follow” them without giving me a reason to engage with them, I am going to actually take the time to email their social media contact and give them my two cents. If your digital agency is just responsible for daily tweets and Facebook updates, please stop and re-visit your social strategy. Wake up, look around and see the millions of brands now on social media pretty much saying the same thing as you. How are going to differentiate yourself and more importantly when do you stop begging your target audience to come join you on social channels? Instead, have you thought of putting together a quarterly content strategy that PULLS your audience into your conversation? And YES, 
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