THE NOW REVOLUTION

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- How to build a culture that empowers social
- How to activate your customers and employees
- How to listen and respond to real-time opportunities
- How to manage a social media crisis
- How to effectively measure social media, including ROI

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How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media

Does social media make you more comfortable, or less comfortable? For me, it’s both.

As my friend Amber Naslund said when I interviewed her on Twitter, social media enables her to have friends that are not dictated by geography or circumstance. And to me, the ability to find people with whom you have a kinship, regardless of where they live is an extraordinary opportunity.

They say it takes a village to raise a child (or an adult), and the relationships I’ve developed via the social Web are incalculably helpful to me personally and in business. Some of those relationships transcend the Web, as I’ve been fortunate enough to put names to avatars with many of the people I’ve come to know and respect online.

My online community cares about me, supports me, and laughs at my jokes. And that’s a comfort. (and I’m thankful for you every day)

But none of that works until or unless you’re ready to get out of your comfort zone online.

You vs. The Real You

social media personal and professional 300x176 How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social MediaThe question I’m most often asked when working with corporations and business owners on social media strategy is “how do I balance my personal and professional life online?”

“Surely, no one wants to know what I’m doing on the weekend.”

Actually, they do. They really do. You’ve probably heard the saying that people don’t hire companies, they hire people. It’s why “chemistry” with the client is so critical in professional services firms. Why would you not want to pre-establish chemistry and commonality with your prospective friends and clients online?

The fact is, your personal and professional lives are colliding and blending like a 99 cent frozen margarita on Cinco de Mayo – and that trend will march onward, not backward.

Social media is rooted culturally in showing your real, whole self. Pondering whether someone wants to read a tweet about your Sunday camping trip is no different than wondering why someone cares what you think about a hotel in Akron, via your TripAdvisor review. But somehow (especially on Twitter) incredibly smart businesspeople clam up like Mob bosses pledging fealty to Omerta.

The fundamental truth is that your personal life is almost undoubtedly more interesting than your business life. Period. And, associating some sort of noteworthy character trait to your personal brand makes you more memorable in social media. The fact that you run a PR firm? Meh. The fact that run a PR firm, but also grow prize-winning roses? I’ll remember that.

Show Me Something

Now, there’s of course a difference between personal and banal. The stock criticism of Twitter being filled with updates on what you had for lunch is overblown, but the underlying principle is not. When tweeting or blogging or status updating about your personal life, it should be something that actually reveals a dimension of your life, or character, or belief system.

“I ate at Subway today” is not valid. “Went to Subway today. Had the veggie sub. On day 23 of vegetarian conversion” is valid.

In a socially connected world, where countless opinions and options are just a finger swipe on a mobile device away, differentiation is harder than ever. You have to build some hooks for yourself than transcend the office. That’s why I make it a point to emphasize that I live in a forest. And review restaurants. And have a bottle opener as a business card.

Your personal life? Your professional life? One and the same. I know that’s often uncomfortable. But it’s the truth.

What’s interesting about you outside the office?

(photo by popofatticus)

pf button both How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media
About Jay Baer

Jay Baer is a hype-free social media strategist & speaker, tequila guy, and co-author of The NOW Revolution. Jay is the founder of http://convinceandconvert.com and host of the Social Pros podcast.

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"My online community cares about me, supports me, and laughs at my jokes. And thats a comfort."

This sums it up for me. What utter mince.

RT @jaybaer How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media http://om.ly/mqbR

RT @jaybaer How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media http://om.ly/mqbR rt

Well Social media allows us to discover,connect and engage with new people of interest.The challenge is to make a connection clearly and effectively without wasting peoples time.Many of us are on both sides of this relationship-sometimes making the connection and sometimes receiving the invitation.So your post is very helpful for people who are involved more in professional life.Ne ways keep sharing.

how to get him back

Your personal life? Your professional life? One and the same. I know thats often uncomfortable. But its the truth. http://is.gd/6oHuA

How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media - http://bit.ly/2hbBqR

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Your personal life? Your professional life? One and the same. I know thats often uncomfortable. But its the truth. [link to post] - Posted using Chat Catcher

Twitter Comment

Your personal life? Your professional life? One and the same. I know thats often uncomfortable. But its the truth. [link to post]

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Jay:

Could not have been a more timely post. I'm keeping it as an open tab on Firefox to show my wife (the K-Dawg) tonight. We literally just had this conversation last night after I sent out this tweet to Casey about beer (remember that WI beer he brought to MPDM?).

Great seeing you again in Chicago. I'm still working on editing the video we did in the bar (about smartphones and email signups). Hope to have it live and blogged about soon.

DJ Waldow@djwaldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory

.-= DJ Waldow´s last blog ..Dont Write About Me =-.

Jay:

Could not have been a more timely post. I'm keeping it as an open tab on Firefox to show my wife (the K-Dawg) tonight. We literally just had this conversation last night after I sent out this tweet to Casey about beer (remember that WI beer he brought to MPDM?).

Great seeing you again in Chicago. I'm still working on editing the video we did in the bar (about smartphones and email signups). Hope to have it live and blogged about soon.

DJ Waldow@djwaldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory

.-= DJ Waldow´s last blog ..Dont Write About Me =-.

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RT @justinlevy: RT @jaybaer: How to Balance Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media http://om.ly/mqbR Can I get an "Amen"? #in

Thanks for posting this! I get this question all the time, and I love your side-by-side example of the Subway sandwich. Thanks for making it so clear!

"My online community cares about me, supports me, and laughs at my jokes. And that’s a comfort."

This sums it up for me. What utter mince.

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Show your real, whole self! Hear hear! RT @jaybaer: How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media http://om.ly/mqbR

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RT @jaybaer: How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media http://om.ly/mqbR Great insight from an expert!

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    RT @jaybaer How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media [link to post] (An uncomfortable truth)

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    @jaybaer sez: your personal life is almost undoubtedly more interesting than your business life. [link to post]

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    How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media | Convince & Convert [link to post]

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    Have friends that are not dictated by geography or circumstance. My online community supports me & laughs@my jokes. [link to post]

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  6. [...] meaningful. But how do you do that? Does being authentic mean posting about every little thing? The secret, according to Jay Baer, isn’t the importance of the event you’re posting about, but [...]

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    Love Jay Baer’s post re: balancing personal/prof in social media. BTW, I’m a Mad Men freak & make killer spicy pretzels. [link to post]

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  37. [...] – How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media [...]

  38. [...] 7th, 2010 (12:00pm) Dawn Foster No CommentsTweet This There have been plenty of blog posts and discussions recently about how you need to be “personal” across the various social [...]

  39. [...] have been plenty of blog posts and discussions recently about how you need to be “personal” across the various social media [...]