To publish or not to publish...

As emerging PR professionals we need to be fluent in the language of social media. It is essential that we learn the ins and outs of blogging, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. It is also crucial for every PR pro to maintain his or her own good image - as well as those of clients. Today, great images are made, and broken, on social media.

Michael Sebastian, editor at PR Daily News, provided a list earlier this week of 18 types of posts that Facebook will definitely censor.  Before you dismiss this as common sense, take a look. You may be surprised to learn just how many people have violated the rules. The guidelines are especially important to both follow and understand if you're posting to Facebook or other networks on behalf of a client or company.


Facebook will censor the following:

1. Pictures of obvious sexual activity - even if naked parts are hidden from view. 
2. Naked breastfeeding or pictures in which a nipple is clearly exposed. 
3. Digital cartoon nudity (art nudity, however, is OK). 
4. Pictures of marijuana are OK as long as the user isn’t buying, selling or growing any. 
5. “Slurs or racial comments of any kind.” 
6. “Versus photos” comparing two people—or an animal and a person—side-by-side. 
7. Photo-shopped images that show any person in a negative light. 
8. Images of drunk or unconscious people or “sleeping people with things drawn on their faces.” 
9. Pictures showing or approving of animal cruelty, unless it’s a depiction of food processing or hunting. 
10. Violent speech (for example, “I love hearing skulls crack.”) 
11. Pictures of charred, mutilated or decapitated people. 
12. Images of “internal organs, bones, muscle and tendons”; however, “deep flesh wounds” and “excessive blood” are permitted, as are “crushed heads, limbs, etc. as long as no insides are showing.” 
13. Holocaust denial. 
14. Attacks on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of Turkey. 
15. Credible threats of violence, threats against heads of state and law enforcement, and any credible “indication of terrorist activity or organized crime.” 
16. Threats or serious promotion of suicide. 
17. Any supporting of groups, people and symbols that advocate and promote eating disorders as a lifestyle. 
18. Images of self-mutilation.

     So, the next time you're thinking about attacking the founder of a foreign country with a witty insult on Facebook, please - just don't do it.

For more information, visit this site.

-Abigail and Tia

Hash-tagging for #dummies

This week, we will take you on a journey through the wonderful world of hash-tagging. But, what is a hash-tag, you say? 

A hash-tag is the number (#) symbol used to in front of or within a social media post in order to mark keywords or topics in a tweet. They help your tweets stand out according to their content so people can readily search for different topics and products. When you click on a hash-tag, you can see all other tweets about the same topic. For business professionals, this can be an effective tool to generate buzz and bring in potential customers by making a # for a company name or specific product. 

Once a hash-tag becomes popular, it can land on the Trending Topics list. This is a list that Twitter uses to show what people are tweeting about worldwide, within a country, state or even city. Trending Topics can be seen on every Twitter homepage. 

Don't miss our post next week: #140charactersorless
- Allyson & Kathryn