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It’s safe to say that the MLS off-season has included a lot of presentations. Not that I mind, in fact anybody that’s ever worked with me will tell you that I love a good Power Point. But in all this prepping and presenting to our ticket sales professionals, digital leads, internal staff, and even our players, three best practices in personal social media continue to surface.

1. Be a Professional.

• It’s simple, really. Public comment through social media is never an appropriate or effective way to handle internal disagreements.
• Always remember to treat social media as if you are “on the record.” If you think you might be offending someone with what you are writing (or posting video of photos), then it’s probably best not to include that item.
• Social privacy is quickly becoming an antiquated notion (was it ever really possible?), so trying to separate your “work” account from your “private” account just isn’t realistic any more. Instead, portray an earnest, positive, authentic self and always think about the impressions you are making on friends, neighbors and business associates alike.

2. Ensure your personal accounts are set up for success.

• Fill out your profiles. Use a recognizable Twitter handle, an avatar, your real name, and add your branding and provide useful content about yourself in your bio to give context to your tweets.
• Consider traditional branding, like your resume business cards and wardrobe, but emphasize your digital portfolio, including your website, email, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and more.
• Check (and recheck from time-to-time) your privacy settings. Social platforms continue to evolve and changes to privacy policies are common.
• Where possible, align your presence across different platforms.

3. Embrace best practices.

• Listen and learn from what people have to say. Buyers, customers, website visitors and fans alike signal their intent by declaring problems.
• Don’t be afraid to say nothing. Sometimes silence is golden.
• On the other hand, don’t be shy to advertise. Ultimately, we all sell tickets and drive TV ratings.
• Be a helpful resource. Be the go-to person with the information everyone follows for news on a specific topic.
• Get creative, but keep it simple.
• Build a sincere relationship. Bring value to the relationship to establish trust and service your customers to build your reputation.
• Engage with your professional and social communities.

As adoption of social media continues to rise, it’s crucial to teach our newcomers the basics, while reinforcing best practices to the people who are consistently representing our brand across the Internet.

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