Social Media & Security Clearance

Social Media & Security Clearance

News came from Washington today that investigators can now check social media as part of background checks.

Of course we’re talking about Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.

What do you think? Some say “meh” – no big deal, while others are feeling their rights are violated.

The Associated Press reported that the directive allows investigators to collect publicly available information on the person being checked.

The directive says that this would only be done if there is a national security concern or a need to report a crime.

The Hill reports that investigators can’t ask people to provide private passwords.

Officials say they’ve taken privacy rights into account.

The issue of national security vs. individual privacy is certainly nothing new. But this is the freshest case.

Right now, federal background checks consist of a 100+ page form that individuals need to fill out. It asks them about their contact with people from other countries and their mental health status, according to NBC News.

Bottom line … it’s not just your friends or followers who are watching what you do on social media.

You can read the entire directive here.

Engaging Customers on Social Media

May 13, 2016

If you don’t have a social media marketing plan … man, you’re missing out.

It’s pretty simple – it’s where your customers are.

It doesn’t matter what business you’re in.

I’d like to think most people are beyond the “social media is just a fad” thing by now.

But just having a presence on social media is not enough – you have to truly embrace it to reap the rewards.

I enjoyed reading Anna Johansson’s article posted on huffingtonpost.com.

Customer service is one of the biggest benefits of social media.

You can reach out to customers in ways that traditional marketing simply can’t.

Johansson talks about crisis management. Businesses can take a negative and turn it into a positive. If a customer criticizes our business, you can respond rapidly and publicly. You can kill ‘em with kindness in a way that takes a negative comment and turn it into a positive experience that could very well drive future engagement.

And social media analytics are very powerful. You get access to a ton of information (sometimes too much) in real time. It helps you keep your marketing plan on course as you continuously get feedback.

I think another huge plus of marketing your business on social media is the casual nature of the message. It’s a much less intrusive way to get your message across. But this can be tricky. You have to be careful to craft your message in a way that’s not a “hard sell”.

At any rate, the upside of marketing on social media far outweighs any risks.

So, stop being antisocial, there’s a good chance you’ll build a loyal, engaged customer base by putting forth a little effort.

Feeling Down? Consider Putting Away Your Phone (at least for a while)

May 13, 2016

Are you having a bummer of a day? Of course there might be myriad reasons why you’re feeling depressed and one of them may be linked to social media.

Yahoo wrote an article about a recent research study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

The study revealed that people were more than two times more likely to have eating habits and body image issues if they spent a considerable amount of time on social media. Basically, more time = more issues.

But you have to use a little bit of caution here. The study couldn’t quite figure out if the people who reported having eating habits or body image problems were already susceptible. In other words, were folks at risk more likely to use social media, or was it social media that exasperated the issues.

One factor is our desire to portray ourselves in the best light. We’re likely to only post the best images of ourselves on social media. And so are others. This fuels a perception that isn’t quite on point.

The UK’s Daily Mail posted an interesting article that looked at the same research.

The article reaffirms the idea that people who aren’t feeling so great about themselves may turn to social media to connect with others with similar issues. But in doing that, they are then exposed to portrayals of others that are not realistic.

Of course with any research the findings can be inconclusive. The researchers fully admit this.

So, maybe do a little research for yourself. Do a social media fast and see how you feel. It doesn’t have to be forever, but it’s worth a try.

There's an excellent video onYouTube that examines the negatives associated with using your phone too much. You can watch Prince Ea's video here.