Living Out Loud! Privacy and @LinkedInDiva’s Interview on NightTalker

This week I had the awesome experience of speaking with old friend Michael David McGuire on his NYC-based radio show, NightTalker. We have known each other for years and had a lot of fun talking about various kinds of social media and the issue of privacy in this hyper connected world.

As many of you know, Mike O’Neil and I got involved with LinkedIn pretty early on. I joined in 2005, and Mike a year and half before. We were both pioneers in our own right, until we crossed paths and became partners. When we decided to become the LinkedIn Rockstars, I really had to think about how much personal information I was comfortable sharing with the public. I decided to ‘live my life out loud’.

I am very open, even during the interview, about my personal relationships as well as life changing events, such as a horrific motocycle crash a few years back. For me, being open has worked very well. When I share about my life, people feel more comfortable sharing about theirs, and that helps create bonds.

Others, however, may not be so comfortable. I always advise people to stay away from topics such as religion and politics, but subjects such as family, relationships, hobbies, and experiences people need to decide upfront where their boundaries are. Once you have decided that, adjust your privacy settings on your social media sites accordingly. Also watch how you use your social media.

My host strongly dislikes Facebook. I have an account and am active, but don’t use it as much as LinkedIn. Facebook is a little different. I use LinkedIn to showcase my professional career, but Facebook to keep people updated on my personal and professional life. For example my mom follows me on Facebook.

Watch your settings on all our social sites, especially if you are connected to business relations and friends. On Facebook, people can tag you in any picture, which can be great for networking, or can create a bad impression if you have a friend who is a bit of a jokester.

Michael and I also discussed advice for those just getting started on social media.

A good headshot is key, and I think one of the biggest LinkedIn mistakes people make is not using a photo. Studies have shown that your profile will be clicked on 40x more when you have a picture! To take a good headshot, the eyes are so important. Michael spoke about how the ‘passion of the eyes’ is critical, and I agree. If you can communicate your personality in your picture, you have it made. When having my photo taken, I always think about someone I love and am happy to see walk into the room.

The other biggest mistake I see people make is putting something other than your name in your name field. This mistake can get your account taken down by LinkedIn! If they take down your account, there is no way to get back all your hard work.

I had a great time talking with Michael and catching up; he runs a great show. You should definitely check it out! And don’t forget about the LinkedIn Rockstar radio show on WebmsaterRadio.fm Mondays at 7pm Eastern! You can subscribe to our show at www.rocktheworldradio.com.