Professionals, Don't Let Your Guard Down On Facebook

If LinkedIn can be called the professional version of Facebook, then what do we call Facebook? If you work full-time, carry yourself in a dignified manner and seem to stay in your lane as expected on LinkedIn, what do you do differently on Facebook? Do you let your hair down regarding politics, share a few more pictures of your family, your beach trip or your personal experiences? It seems a lot of millennials and members of the younger generation like to have comments disappear a bit quicker, and perhaps they are leaving the Facebook platform for the "old folks" out there.

How do you assess Facebook's power and potential to affect you, your career and your brand?

Facebook, LinkedIn and other platforms can operate together and I suggest you, as a professional, look at all your social media as one combined voice and platform that can be seen by the world.

Now, more than ever before, you must think about your overall presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and anywhere you face exposure online, including Twitter, Snapchat and the like.

If you are a professional concerned about your brand, I suggest you think about toning things down on Facebook and not looking at it as your personal venting platform. Do not assume your current clients or employers aren't seeing what you are doing and making notes of your behavior. And do not assume Facebook doesn't see your every move, note it, build an algorithm around it, and sell that insight to advertisers.

The Deception Of The "It's Just Personal" Perception

It seems very calculated and cold to post professional articles, advice and information on Facebook. People may like it when you share your social side, but I can tell you that you should think about this as a calculated process. The calculation? Be very careful about what you share. Most people think that what they share is cute, sweet, funny or observant but, really, it's often considered by others to be angry, caustic, negative, thoughtless and petty.

For many people, social media becomes an echo chamber. On Facebook, sharing allows you to show the world more of who you really are, while LinkedIn is just the professional version of you. So if it is true that the hidden conversation about you shows you to be petty, angry, argumentative, caustic and negative, how do you think a potential employer or current client sees you? If you answered the same you would be right, at least in my book.