David Henderson, author of Making News in the Digital Era, summarized the most important considerations brilliantly:

At the core … more than ever before … I found that without the skills to clearly communicate ideas, anyone is easily lost in cyberspace, just making noise.

The quality and substance of what you have to say matters most of all.

There is no such thing as an expert in the world of online social media or online communications … because the space is too complex, too fluid and too expansive.

Social media is nothing more than a delivery tactic or tool. Strategic planning on ways to utilize social media for an organization is far more important. (NOTE: I believe this applies equally to business individuals, as well as organizations.)

I remember when eLearning was new and exciting, not the mainstream training delivery tool it is today. Initially, too much focus was on the technology, with not enough concern for the content transmitted. Now, we know that while it’s wonderful to train any time, place, and pace, what most matters is the content of that training.

What’s old is new again: social media is a fantastically disbursed communication medium. But, what most matters is the message and connection with audience. That’s the point. Plan your communication strategy, and use the social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, YouTube, Flickr) that best convey(s) your message to your audience. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid being pushed by “social media experts” that “if you’re not everywhere, you are no where.” (Yes, that is an actual tagline from one of these “experts.”)

First, be sure your idea is clear and well expressed. Then, use your chosen social media channels to widely transmit your message.

You can read more about David Henderson’s highly vetted insights, in his blog post: What Works, What Doesn’t Online.

How should you keep your skills current, as social media becomes integral to moving information in business?

At this point:

1) Make sure you list yourself on LinkedIn, and keep your profile current. Your employees should be listed also, since it’s valuable for branding and credibility. This will provide experience communicating in a networked environment.

2) Facebook and Twitter are very useful, but match your use to your business objectives. Don’t feel your skills are out of date if you are not participating in Facebook or Twitter, if it’s not relevant to your work, or personal interests.

This article, Business Writing and Social Media, will provide more detailed information about ensuring your business writing skills stay current, as social media becomes an integral part of how information moves in business.

I frequently hear from clients in business writing courses that social media and the many changes in business communication feel overwhelming. Business writing is continually evolving, and has been since we all began our careers. Social media is simply a new opportunity, so match your business writing skills to these new opportunities. You will thrive.

The latest social media scandal is being reported by The Next Web. This gaffe is epic:

It’s simple to prevent these gaffes from happening:

• Don’t post anything in social media (Twitter, Facebook, your blog, Friendfeed, LinkedIn) that you would not want your parent, boss or an investigating police officer to read. Ever.

I was astounded to read a new report from Proofpoint:

• 17% of US Companies with more than 1000 workers reported problems with employees’ social media use.
• 8% have actually terminated employees because of their actions on social media sites.
• Comparatively, only 4% reported terminating an employee for social media gaffes last year.

The data does not explain if companies are becoming more vigilant or if employees are posting more inappropriately. That’s irrelevant, really.

The issue for business writers is clear: don’t write inappropriately in social media. Social media, by its structure, is viral and visible and permanent.

Certainly, the only way to “control” social networks is to consistently engage in them with openness, transparency, clarity and responsiveness. These tips on  authenticity in social media will protect you.

1.  Don’t change your relationship status without consulting the other person.

2.  Don’t post embarrassing photographs of other people.

3.  Be discreet when posting messages on another person’s wall.

4.  Don’t steal other people’s friends.

5.  Don’t start negative groups.

The video illustrates these rules well, plus it’s funny:

I noticed a friend posted a message about how much he hated his job on his wall this morning. Some of his colleagues are his Facebook friends. This violates rule #3 – he was not discreet posting on his own wall.

Have you seen other incidents of embarrassing Facebook behavior that impacted work relationships?

More info on writing in social networks:

- Opportunity and Pitfall in Social Media.

Ok, it was incorrect that her first Tweet was in all caps, prompting some Twitterers to ask, “Why is Oprah yelling at us?” (All capital letters indicate shouting in text messaging, email and on Twitter):

HI TWITTERS . THANK YOU FOR A WARM WELCOME. FEELING REALLY 21st CENTURY .10:11 AM Apr 17th from web

Her next few Tweets were grammatically incorrect – sentences didn’t start with capital letters and she dropped some punctuation.

Certainly, Oprah has both the skills and the production team to ensure her first foray into a new communications technology is flawless. I admire her for being real and diving in authentically, showing the world it’s ok to explore new communication technologies.

Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are exploding. Each new user has to learn how communicate effectively in these new environments. Clients tell me they want to use Facebook or Twitter, but feel anxious – they don’t know what to do or fear they will look silly. Snarky, “I’m in the know, and you’re not” comments from experienced Twitterers don’t help communication; they create a digital divide.

In the next few months and years, there will be a huge, wonderful merge of experienced and inexperienced business writers coming together in social networks. Let’s help each other out.

If You are New:

- Find experienced users and model their behavior. Review the many websites that explain best practice use of Twitter.

If You are Experienced:

- Be kind. We all started new one day. Remember how you felt, and what would have best assisted you then. Share your knowledge.

Different people use Twitter as appropriate for them. Oprah currently has 491,328 followers and is following only 10 other people – mostly other celebrities. It seems she is using Twitter as a broadcast platform, and for her, it works. For most people, who don’t have Oprah’s clout and natural audience, Twitter is best used to engage in conversation.

Consider your reason for joining Twitter, engage in conversation authentically, and provide value to your community of followers. By following these best practices, any little errors you make early on will clear away.

Learn More: Business Writing Courses

And yet, Twitter can be a very powerful communication tool, when used judiciously and with care.

On Twitter, I follow a group of colleagues who also belong to the International Association of Business Communicators. We all post problems, ideas and issues we are working on, as well as information we think will help each other. This keeps my skills current and keeps me connected professionally. It’s much like meeting them for lunch and chatting, if I had the time and could fly to London where many of them work. Instead of seeing them once a year at a major conference, we stay in touch regularly, as needed.

I also use Twitter to track comments made about business writing, so I can learn which issues are warranting discussion. It helps me know where to focus my research.

I don’t post personal chatter. (Who cares what I ate for lunch?) In the five months I’ve used Twitter, my circle of followers has naturally expanded to include people interested in similar work issues, and we’ve shared very valuable information, not irrelevant tidbits on our personal lives.

There are many incoming links from Twitter to this blog, proving Twitters’ value in information sharing.

It would be very easy to get sucked into the black hole of chatter occurring on Twitter, so plan your use:

1.  Follow smart people doing work that is relevant to yours.

2.  Post relevant, valuable content, of interest to your followers.

3. Watch your time on Twitter. Set up programs like TweetDeck that allow you to group information and respond easily. At most, I spend 10-15 minutes a day on Twitter, and it would take me far more time offline to gain and share the same information.

Michael Katz of Blue Penguin Development, a very smart communicator, wrote about a crazy Twitter experience he encountered. True story: he attended a live conference where the audience could only ask questions via Twitter. The presenter was on the stage, reading questions from his laptop, with the audience sending in their questions from their laptops or phones. Why didn’t they just talk? Crazy!

Michael Katz’s comment about this inanity was perfect:

“Thanks for the information. I’ll email you a hearty handshake.”

Communication is about information flowing between people. Technologies that enhance this are great, but they are just tools. They are never the main focus.

Find me on Twitter.

More information on social media and business writing.

Learn More: Business Writing Courses

Certainly, the only way to “control” social networks is to consistently engage in them with openness, transparency, clarity and responsiveness.

If we follow this approach, we are protected by our authenticity. But, communication occurs at an intersection between writer and reader (or speaker and listener). To navigate social media we need to approach this intersection with our consistently truthful persona and values, but we also must honor the audience who faces us at this intersection.

Read the full article here.

The summary: Andrews was en route to FedEx to coach a group of FedEx communications employees to use social media effectively. Upon landing in Memphis, Andrews posted this message on Twitter:

“True confession but I’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say, ‘I would die if I had to live here.’”

By the time he arrived at FedEx to train this group, many of the FedEx employees, who follow him on Twitter, already knew of his comments, and were resenting both his slam of their hometown and the fee he was charging to train them to use social media effectively, particularly when he had just blundered in this media himself.

You will find a very thoughtful discussion of this issue on David Henderson’s blog post, “How Not to be a Key Online Influencer,” in which David explores the actions, reactions and responses of the players involved. It’s an absolutely fascinating look at communication management in this highly networked environment.

As I thought about all this, it occurred to me that we have entered a wild-west world of communication, where everything we share in these networks can go viral quickly, causing irreparable career damage. And – I bet you are surprised here – this gives me great hope for an improvement in communication and social discourse.

The only real way to “control” these networks is to engage in them with civility and professionalism. Don’t toss off the snarky one-liner. Don’t post the photo that could be misinterpreted. Consider your audience – with all its possible echoes – and intersect into the conversations professionally and with kindness.

Of course, we all err, and will likely communicate something incorrectly or inappropriately at some point. If so, stay engaged in the social media conversations and apologize sincerely. The key is to stay engaged, be honest and take responsibility. James Andrews inflamed his communication crises when he disengaged from the conversation, after insulting Memphis and by default, FedEx, by issuing a press release and apologizing on his blog, instead of engaging in the conversations on Twitter that were heated and engaged about this. It’s only respectful to this interactive audience where you started the conversation not to duck out and retreat to one-sided proclamations when you don’t like the conversation. Besides, they’re going to keep on talking whether you participate or not, so engage.

Professionalism and civility are your best weapons in the highly transparent world of social media that is about openness, relationships and trust. And, to me, that will only elevate the conversations.