No line between personal and professional online

Today I read an insightful blog post by Spike Jones about personal versus professional networking.

For years I have counseled clients and prospects that you are your brand. The Internet has emphasized this even more.

We’ve all heard of people being fired or not hired because of something posted online. The individual could be responsible or one of their friends. MySpace, Facebook or a personal blog could be the culprit.

The truth of the matter is that people will Google you, they’ll find what’s posted online about you, and that impression will carry-over into everything you do, personally or professionally.

As my mother always said, “honesty really is the best policy.” You can’t be one thing online and another thing at work.

Transferring this transparency approach to a corporate brand may be a bit tricky, but authenticity resonates.

Because of the space in which I practice, public relations and social media, I realize there’s very little privacy for me professionally or personally. That’s just fine with me. I am who I am, take it or leave it.

The Internet has certainly erased the line between personal and professional.