Monday, June 17, 2013

Full Court Press: Professionalism on Twitter


Since Twitter emerged into our lives in July 2006 and became a staple in the mobile device landscape, it has developed into much more than a way to communicate with our friends. It’s a source of information and breaking news. It replaces the need to look at a variety of sources for local and national news because it’s all housed in one convenient location. For sports enthusiasts, you don’t have to find the box score or log onto ESPN.com when you want updates. If you follow the “right” people on Twitter, you can access interviews, scoring updates, video replays, and post-game recaps all in one central location on your smartphone.


Recently, I have recognized the importance of distinguishing between my personal views and professional expertise on social media. A few weeks ago, I created a new Twitter account for myself that can demonstrate my knowledge of the industry and be used solely for presenting sports news, statistics, information, and updates for my followers. There’s no discrimination in my coverage. Tennis, Golf, NASCAR, Rugby, and any team in the country are fair game. It’s non-controversial and non-biased information.

My intention in creating this new account was to present myself to followers and viewers as a respectable and knowledgeable member of the sports industry. My private personal account is for interacting with friends and family and talking about whatever I want, including opinions, feelings, and social activities.

Twitter has become so much more than a social networking tool. It provides us opportunities for professional networking, as well. I cannot stress the importance that the things you say online are permanent. Take strong consideration of what you post to the Internet because your professional image is growing every day.

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Hayley Zedeck is a pre-junior Sport Management major at Drexel University from Nashua, NH.  Hayley has past experience as the Director of Marketing & Outreach at the SMTSU and as an intern at Turnkey Sports and Entertainment in Haddonfield, NJ.  Currently, Hayley serves as President for Alpha Sigma Alpha, Intern for the WPHL Eye Opener Morning News Show and Newsroom/TV Production Intern at Comcast SportNet Philly. Follow Hayley on Twitter @BigLeagueDebut.

Connect with Hayley Zedeck on LinkedIn. 



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