Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida

               Who are you? Really? Released this January, this fun little novel is about a woman with amnesia, who recreates herself by looking up all of her Instagram posts. It raises some good questions:

We all post on topics we find meaningful—but realize that the world sees your raw emotion as well as our professional face. Don’t let one obscure the other. Post more deliberately and screen every post with the help of time to determine whether or not to click the post now button. We tell teenagers to evaluate their rhetoric by five simple questions, like Is it kind? Is it true? Add to that list Is it necessary? Most of our posts should probably die an early death before we hit the post button.

               Are you on the right platform? As popular as Instagram and Twitter may be, are they the right platforms for you? Evaluate your presence by looking at  Social Media education and see if you are living in the right zone. Personally, I find disappearing pictures not worth my time. I’m neither photogenic nor in love with myself. I’m too old school. You may feel otherwise, but be sure the breadcrumbs you leave are representative of your true self.

               Each social platform caters to a different part of the population, and each is designed to carry a certain kind of message. Don’t limit yourself to just a professional presence on LinkedIn, and at the same time, don’t be just a bubblehead on Twitter. Take the time to sit down and map out a strategy for communicating your presence, your message, your image. You are the face employers will be looking at to determine if you are a good fit. Create the persona that makes you valuable by being on the right medium.

               Compose a valuable message. Have you been watching those funny commercials by the life coach helping folks not turn into their parents? We have been wondering what’s wrong with calling The Rifleman a TV program. After all, a show is something you see on the big screen, but does it matter?

Your message has to do more than make people smile or make people think…it has to resonate with them. Project yourself as a professional. Your work has merit. Your posting, wherever it is, must create a sense of solid worth. Determine your message and craft it in bold, solid terms others can will find compelling.

               If you fell off the curb and had amnesia tomorrow, how would social media describe you? It’s worth thinking about, and this is a good read.