But these two rules together.  That’s spells media circus for a small economic development and publicly funded agency in Pennsylvania.

Companies must now consider the potential media attention they will and may receive when moving termination an employee.

The Leigh Valley Economic Development Corporation is learning this lesson first hand.  And maybe, just maybe this is a lesson they can learn so you don’t have to.

The company’s social media specialist, Vanessa Williams (@prpeep) was let go after posting to the company’s Twitter account,@LVEDC.  The tweet posted on Friday, June 3^th, said the following, “We start summer hours today. That means most of the staff leave at noon, many to hit the links. Do you observe summer hours? What do you do?”

Williams was reported to have been terminated for the tweet as well as other circumstances that were not disclosed.  Like many organizations, the company didn’t have a formal social media policy.  She was offered a severance package, and it appears the company did not act swiftly and generously enough with their offer.  She has hired an attorney to clear her name adding more fuel to the media fire.

This story isn’t so much about Williams and if she should have been fired.  This looks to be am over-reaction by a group of decision makers who don’t fully understand social media.  With over 155 million tweets posted each day, it is likely that Williams’s tweet would have been long forgotten.  This story is more about the potential damage and unforeseen factors that can sneak up on a company when they move to termination.

The company should have kept their mouth shut about the termination.  Their statement and interview with a local reporter created a media firestorm.  Articles from publications around the world as well as an AP article, fueled the fire.  If anyone deserves to be reprimanded or terminated, it’s the employee representative that was quoted in the article.

Social media is public forum, which is contrary to most employment situations.  These happen behind closed doors.  If a company is going to terminate someone who has a presence on social media or because of conduct on a social platform, companies need to consider the potential fallout both positive and negative for themselves as well as the terminated employee in question.

While a termination may seem just in your mind, it doesn’t hurt to consult an expert.  In this day and age with the use of social media and its prevalence in the workplace, that expert just may be your Marketing and PR team.

Originally posted at Blogging4Jobs.

Photo Credit Laughing Squid.

Speaking of viral celebrity stardom, not all are so lucky like Greyson Chance.  You may remember Greyson was discovered by Ellen DeGeneres who with tweeted his YouTube video and quickly rose to fame.  I enjoy watching the girls swarm over Greyson on Twitter who until last year was a regular kid from the Oklahoma City Metro.

But celebrities are using social media for more than driving record sales and being discovered.  Celebrities like Michael J. Fox are using social channels to drive awareness and rally community members to join their causes.  Fox who was diagnosed with Parkinsons in 1991 later created The Michael J. Fox Foundation to support research to lead to the creation of better Parkinson’s treatments.  The foundation boasts more than 12,00 YouTube channel views and over 38,000 Facebook Fans where family members, friends, and supporters can come together to openly discuss about ways to help the 1 in 10 people who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s by age 50.  Conversely Fox’s own fan page has nearly 95,000 fans.

Celebrities are also using social media to communicate with friends, family, and fans.  Jeff Probst uses Twitter to live tweet Survivor.  After Sean Kingston was critically injured while water skiing over Memorial Weekend, many fans as well as celebrities expressed their thoughts and prayers through social media.  Celebrity supporters and well wishers included Rhianna, the Bieber, and even LL Cool J.

When it comes to social media, how celebrities use social media is really no different than everyone else.  Their communities, reach, and relevance is much more prevalent, and because of this their messages can be much more costly.  Take Courtney Love who in May reached a case settlement agreement $430,000.  Love’s potentially defamatory tweet was directed toward Dawn Simorangkir in early 2009.  Love clearly hasn’t learned any lessons as last week she was sued a second time for Twitter defamation last week.

For every user, social media is instant form of PR placed squarely in the hands of the individual.  Celebrities can use social media as a form of personal PR providing their fans and followers a more intimate look into their cause or lives.  These tools when used correctly can be a powerful ally taking relationships, engagement, and establishing connections to another level.

Originally posted on Blogging4Jobs.

Photo Credit SHRM & Social Media for Celebrities.

One non-traditional networking tool is Twitter.  Think of Twitter as a virtual cocktail party with more than 27 million people in attendance.  Like any traditional cocktail party or networking event, there are conversations (known as your twitter stream) that happen all around you.  Twitter is no different.  Because your purposes for Twitter are primarily business based, it is extremely important to selectively join and be present for key conversations among decision makers or influencers in the industry in which you are looking for work or in your community.

• Follow People. Following others and retweeting or reposting their tweets is a great way to begin to build a relationship.  Use Twitter directories which are essentially online yellow pages to search for influencers in your target industry, location, or by key word like Twellow, and We Follow.  Here are 15 more great Twitter directory sites courtesy of Mashable.

• SEO or Search Engine Optimization. Be found by making sure to include key words that are searched by recruiters and hiring managers in your Twitter bio.  Consider words including industry specific software programs, certifications, and words that are repeatedly listed in job board advertisements.  Recruiters use key words within your tweets and your bio to find you.  Make it easy to be found including key words and a link to your blog or profile.

• Hash Tags (#). Hash tags are used in Twitter as a way to sort and search by topic.  Some common hash tags for job seekers including #jobs, #jobhuntchat, #jobsearch #jobadvice.  Using your iGoogle account set up an RSS feed of common key words and hash tags in Twitter Search.  Setting up your RSS feed is a great time saving tip.

• Find Recruiters. I almost always suggest that job seekers take an aggressive approach to their job search.  Just as recruiters source and search for you, job seekers can seek out and connect with recruiters, human resource professionals, or hiring managers using social media search tools.  Twitter directories are a great start, however there are more advanced tools like Follower Wonk and Twitter Search.  Both these offer advanced search options allowing you to search by key word and zip code.  Follow Wonk provides advanced bio search options.

• Building Relationships. Chris Brogan provided a crude yet effective example of social media networking and how to build relationships.  He likened engaging someone and asking them for a sale, to buy their product, or a job to sticking your tongue down someone’s throat just after meeting them.  Basically, don’t ask for the sale until you have an established relationship.  Social media can be very surface and the relationship is the glue that holds your reputation and relationships together.

To learn more about Twitter for the job search and business, you can take a look at my book, Tweet This!  Twitter for Business. E-book and softcover versions are availale.

Photo Credit IbTimes.

The launch party is Thursday, February 4th from 6:30-8:00 PM at Sapphire Bar located in Bricktown in downtown Oklahoma City.  To register for the event and learn more about the details, visit my Events page.  Books will be for sale during the event, and I am more than happy to autograph as well.

And now on to the amazing prizes from some of my friends:

A Mino HD flip camera courtesy valued at $229.00  of my friends at Monster.com and @ewmonster.

A Valentine’s Day Massage Oil Gift Basket courtesy of my friend, @OKCsRomanceDiva.  Don’t forget to fan her on FaceBook.

A pair of passes to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.  Follow them on Twitter @okcmoa.

7 different pokens from @pokengirl with PokenGirl.com.  These will be given away exclusively for our online and twitter viewers.

A fantastic gift pack from my friends at Trichology Salon.  Pack includes a haircut/color, bottle of Morocaan Oil.  (Really, they rock!)

.24 Carat Round Brilliant Cut H Color, SI1 Clarity – $510 Retail Value from @samuelgordons.  Did I mention the value is $510?  (I recommend that you FB Fan them)

Two (Yes 2!!) $500 Body Sculpting gift certifications from Body Trends.  (Thank you Harvey and Body Trends!)

Interested in having your prize added to this list?  Email me at jessica@xceptionalhr.com.  I look forward to an amazing launch party tomorrow.  Don’t forget to register.

Shennee Rutt & her copy of Tweet This!

I am overwhelmed by the support of my new book, Tweet This! The social media, traditional media, and HR communities have been fantastic in supporting me with my book and my business.  Here are this week’s supporters who have taken to the blogosphere and media and to write about me and my book.

• HR Ringleader. Trish is an HR pro who I have watched grow into a social media heavy hitter.  She is an amazing human resource professional and her website provides her readers with creative insights and content.  She wrote about me and my book this week and for that I am extremely honored.  Check her website out!
• Journal Record. I was fortunate enough to serve as the guest blogger for the Journal Record’s Social Media blog where I talk about the Social Media Mullet.
• Holton Recorder. My hometown newspaper in Kansas published a very nice article promoting my book and and discussing the importance of social media as a business branding and marketing strategy.
• The People Equation. Jennifer V. Miller posts her review of my book, Tweet This!  Twitter for Business. She recommends small business owners or those with dormant twitter accounts to pick up a copy of Tweet This!
• Compassionate HR. I was interviewed for a Blog Talk Radio Show called Compassionate HR on Jan. 25th hosted by Shennee Rutt and Margo Rose.

Voting for your favorite Twitter drink ends at midnight this Thursday, January 28th.  The winning drink will be announced at the event.  Take a look at the drink finalists:

And now for a brief description of each of the finalists:

• The Sour Tweet. Similar to a appletini this sour yet refined drink has a bitter yet refreshing taste.

• The Bird’s Nest. Made with Coca Cola, coconut rum, and spiced rum.  This one’s a tropical treat.

• The 140. Also known as a Sea Breeze with vodka, cranberry & grapefruit juices.  This drink is reported to contain only 140 calories.

• Coop’s Horny Toad. A local Oklahoma beer is a favorite among the local twitizens.

Photo Credit Photographer Product.

• Okie Campaigns. John Angier, @okie_campaigns posted a blog post on 1/19/10 promoting the launch of Tweet This! John is a fellow Okie and Twitter friend who works with politicians on ways to leverage social media.

• Jen X. I mentioned Jen and her website as one of my besties of 2009 on my sister site, Blogging4Jobs.  Jen recommended to readers to buy the book.

• Punk Rock HR. Laurie is one of the most interesting and cutting edge HR bloggers out there.  She mentioned me & Tweet This! in this week’s Sunday Shoutout.  In fact, we are giving away a copy of the book to one lucky reader who leaves a comment so check it out!
• Secrets of the Job Hunt. This site is one of my favorite free resources for job seekers.  Chris Russell, the site’s owner posted my press release almost immediately to the site.

Photo Credit Student Hacks.

According to Wikipedia, a mullet is a unisex hair style that is short in the front and long in the back. The mullet began making appearances in the popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not catch on with the masses until the early 1980s.

Business professionals, entrepreneurs, and job seekers can learn from those that sport this fashionable cut when managing their online brand.   A popular saying when describing a mullet comes to mind-

“Business in the front. Party in the back.”

Wise words when considering your online brand as a business professional no matter what your industry, position, or responsibility level. Keep your business and professional profile in the forefront and in plain view of recruiters, prospective employers. and customers. Keep your personal life and party in the back. Users of social media need to be mindful doing your best to maintain a professional image while showing your creative and unique qualities at the same time.

Business in the Front.  Social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs, and Twitter are great mediums in which to develop relationships and grab the attention of hiring managers and recruiters. Share your expertise and lead with the business in all you do. Your posts, pictures, and tweets should be at least 70% business related. Lead with interesting articles, tidbits, and information that is industry specific or related to the job in which you currently work or aspire to.

Party in the Back

The remaining 30% of your social media content can be related to your personal side but be weary. I have visited FaceBook profiles with one too many drunk pictures and tweets leading me to search for talent elsewhere. If you are unsure if something is inappropriate, ask yourself if your mother would approve. Items that your mother would approve and/or tolerate are generally appropriate to display on your social media profiles. Social media is all about interacting and developing relationships. I encourage you to tweet or post comments seeking input and feedback from others. Commonalities make you interesting which lead to engaging conversations with persons from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Unfortunately, for Dog, the Bounty Hunter, this advise has come a little too late.   He is a good example of why your social media mullet is so important.

**Dont’ forget to leave to follow the link to the Tweet & Shout Blog contest and leave a comment to help me win the contest.

Twitter was created in 2006 during a brainstorming session at think tank company, Obvious Corporation and was designed to communicate in short bursts like SMS or text messaging and answer the following question, “What are you doing?”  Originally, called Twttr the company has secured over $55,000,000 in secured funding from venture capitalists and has yet to be profitable, but that could all change with the addition of commercial accounts.

Twitter has already began moving to unveiling its new commercial and business account services with its verified accounts for celebrities and actors earlier this year.  Twitter has also recently provide a short guideline and tutorial detailing how businesses and professionals can leverage Twitter for their business.  The tutorial which is quite short does not discuss third party applications and other tools that businesses can leverage to manage their time effectively.

My book, Tweet This!  Twitter for Business which will be available in late November 2009, discusses tools and strategies businesses can use to manage their time, grow their following, and increase revenue in just thirty minutes a day.  Look for more information over the weeks and months until the book’s release.  I will also be unveiling a new website and resource soon that will discuss all things Twitter for businesses, consultants, and non-profits in a usable and no-nonsense way.  Look for it at http://www.tweetingmybusiness.com beginning September 2009.

Do I support the creation of commercial accounts for Twitter?  I’m curious to see the analytic features Twitter offers, as well as the special commercial only features and of course the cost associated with this new service.  Like everyone else, I’ll have to wait and see.