Happy Monday, everyone! Today, we're going to go over some tips for maintaining a professional air online. Are you ready? :)
5. Keep your professional and personal lives separate. Unless it pertains to your area of expertise, try to avoid posting about politics, religion, and controversial subject matter.
4. Limit the scope of your reactions.
Rants might make you (temporarily) feel better, but you never know who could be reading them.
Rants might make you (temporarily) feel better, but you never know who could be reading them.
2. Ease up on the lingo.
It's okay to abbreviate—especially on Twitter—but lolz ur not a 13 y/o grl.
It's okay to abbreviate—especially on Twitter—but lolz ur not a 13 y/o grl.
1. Watch the grammar.
Everything reflects your work. EVERYTHING. So, we're going to have a little refresher via this handy-dandy infographic. :) Thanks, Copyblogger!
Everything reflects your work. EVERYTHING. So, we're going to have a little refresher via this handy-dandy infographic. :) Thanks, Copyblogger!
Like this infographic? Get more copywriting tips from Copyblogger.
Whew! I feel better. Don't you? :) Just remember, professional =/= formal. It's okay to still have fun!
Question of the Week:
Do you have any tips for acting like a pro online?
Have a great week, guys! ♥
P.S. I'm a hypocrite, and you'll never take my emoticons from me. Bwahahaha!
Great advice and love the info graphic! LOL at the rotting brother. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elise! :) Hah! That was my favorite part, too. It sold me on the whole re-posting thing.
DeleteI always have problems with affect/effect.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. It can be so easy to forget to be professional on the internet. Especially if you're sitting alone at home in your pajamas while surfing/blogging.
That's one of my speed bumps, too. Sneaky words!
DeleteThanks, S.P! :) Ah, this is very true...
#6 on the grammar list Drives. Me. Crazy. And yeah, Chuck Wendig has elevated profanity to an art form, like the father in "A Christmas Story."
ReplyDeleteI always see people posting about The Biggest Looser, and I'm like, "Stop that!"
DeleteThose are good!
ReplyDeleteAnd the five tips are spot-on. Every comment matters.
Thanks, Alex! :D
DeleteGreat advice! Especially #4. Opinions are great, but sometimes they don't need to be shared :). That's why I don't post on politics on my blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Giles! :) I'm the same way. I'd rather have people comfortable around here.
DeleteGreat post. Many things to ponder...and study!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elizabeth! :D
DeleteGreat post! Agree - the rotting brother is hilarious. xD
ReplyDeleteInfer and imply is another pair I see people mix up. :\
Thanks, Melissa!
DeleteInfer and imply are a pair I don't mix up anymore, because someone called me out on it once. Out loud. It was embarrassing. xD
Great tips! It's so very important to be professional online.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Meredith! :D
DeleteGr8 tipz. & I <3 the grammar rulz, lol. :)
ReplyDeleteHah! Oh, Ilima. You made my afternoon. ;)
DeleteOoo! Great tips! I SO agree. Especially on the limiting the scope of your reaction. Unless it's an excited reaction. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pegasus! :) Oo, good point. It's okay to be extremely excited--especially in the writing world!
DeleteThis is one area I have a firm grasp on. I think it's inherent for me, thankfully. And oh, I hate all that texting lingo and get quite irritated when I see teenagers use it, let alone adults. OY!
ReplyDeleteI just resisted the urge to text you with nothing but texting lingo. It was really difficult. LOL
DeleteOh, yes! I have a tip-okay, I have a few tips. :)
ReplyDelete1. Keep your bias opinions to yourself. I'm not talking political, I'm talking about everything else on the planet.
I too often see people make offending comments, yet remain clueless to who they are offending.
2. I would also suggests that people don't openly mock a reviewer who has just given them a 5 star review because the grammar in the review was poor. This is very bad form.
3. And, you know, it doesn't hurt to focus on the positive once in a while. It's not bad if someone has a crappy day and posts about it, but not everyday.
Yes, I have some issues with what I've been seeing lately on social media sites, but as I try to follow your above tips and my own, I can't openly rant about them so you get to hear about them here. :) Just remember, you asked.
Thanks so much for the reminder, Carrie, and for the great post. Here's hoping EVERYONE pays attention.
Hah! Dana, you rock. Seriously, I love this list. :D Thank you!
DeleteWonderful post--I got a kick out of that grammar one! I want to print it out and show it to my students:-)So hard for them to remember!! I mean, not MY students, since they have such an awesome teacher, but others . . . ;-)
ReplyDeleteExactly! Your students have an awesome teacher. This stuff is cake for them. ;)
DeleteThanks, Jamie!
Great reminders - I think I do fairly well on most of these, but I do make my fair share of mistakes. I'm also terrible at spelling, but I try my hardest. :) Great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bethany!
DeleteI'm the same way, but that's okay. We learn from our mistakes. :)
Drats, you missed the one I have problems with: lie, lay, ly. Did I miss one?
ReplyDeleteThese are super-duper reminders, Ms Butler. Mercy-buckets
Oo, I hate that one! Thankfully, that's why we have Melissa Maygrove and her Grammar Police files. :D
DeleteThank you!
That's awesome and you're right about all of it. I love Chuck Wendig too. Hah hah hah. Anyway, yeah, I have seen writers I actually liked go off on political/religious rants online before and even though I may have agreed or seen their point, it was a big turn-off. I think you should stick to reading and writing when presenting your online writerly persona!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa!
DeleteI'm the same way. Once I see someone have a major rant or hissy fit, it taints the way I view them. *shakes her head* It's so avoidable!
that graphic roll of proper grammar was cute! i would say TMI is a no go. some people really do way too many personal things...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tammy! :) Oo, that's a good one. There are some things we really don't need to know...
DeleteLove it, Carrie. You're such a pro ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Morgan! If nothing else, I try hard. ;)
DeleteYou're the real pro here!
that was fab, gf!
ReplyDeleteand the grammar tips felt like an old school film strip! ha!
Thanks, Tara!
DeleteHah! Yeah, this would've made for an excellent film strip. ;)
THIS was AWESOME, Carrie,
ReplyDeleteWe ALL get sloppy from time to time and we need to be REMINDED that our grammar should be spot on. Especially in writing our posts. Because you just never know WHO is reading.
Thanks, Michael!
DeleteI agree. Sometimes it's something we're not even conscious of. We just need little reminders here and there. :)
I saw another great post about using literally. Basically, it's when people use it correctly but it's still not necessary to use it.
ReplyDelete"I literally drove to work today."
See? It's like "Um...yes. I suppose you did." :D
Hah! How awkward is that? You can practically hear crickets!
DeleteThese are great guidelines. I think I may just ignore reviews.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna! :)
DeleteI agree with the profanity. I do not use any F-bombs at all. Why? I just don;t think there is anything to gain.
ReplyDeleteAnd I gave you a shout out today!
Good point, Stephen! :) And thank you. I'll check it out!
DeleteI save my profanity for singing alone in the car...and for work. Haha. There's a lot of profanity in construction. it was good for me to brush up on the grammar. I'm thrilled I knew most of them. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's okay, Michael. I save mine for hockey season. *grins*
DeleteColourful advice Carrie. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteNo problem, Sheena-kay! :)
DeleteSO true! I can't bring myself to abbreviate, not even on numbers. Oh, and I punctuate my texts. Ha!
ReplyDeleteHah! I bet it takes a while to type those text messages. Whenever I try, my phone ends up saying something like, "Oranges comb sing over to play?" ;)
DeleteI never use profanity online. Great tips and I just wanted to say I love your blog Carrie :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keith! It's great to have you here. :)
DeleteI love this graphic. 0-0 I'm so glad you posted it, Carrie, because some of those, especially the first few, really grate on my nerves. More people need to know how to use them correctly. Plus, I learned a few things. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brooke! I don't know about you, but I kind of wish these rules were glued to the side of Facebook. *grins*
DeleteExcellent tips, Carrie, and ones I try to follow myself. People with judge you and your writing based on how you present yourself on blogs/ social media, so you should make a good impression.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Clare! You're absolutely right. It's all about making a good impression. :)
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