How not to get fired for what you tweet

PHOENIX - Bloggers quickly started branding people who got fired for what they tweet, another case of “Twittercide”.

Becky Queen wrote on ABC15’s Facebook page, “Don't use Twitter or Facebook while at work. Companies frown on employees using company time to use the social networking sites."

But for some the line between personal and professional is blurring as more people are being asked by their employers to tweet in order to generate business.

Take Mac Watson from KTAR who wrote on my Twitter page, "Do I tweet for work? Yes. Do I worry it could get me fired?” He said he does because Twitter is, “immediate and visceral."

Spencer Thornock of Really Fast Websites helps small businesses develop their social media strategy.

He said, “Anytime you associate a personal social networking account with your company or professional image you're opening yourself up to all of the risks involved with social networking.”

He explained that more companies are learning that it’s better to have a unified, central voice than risk random posts from employees.

That’s why he said if you must tweet for work play it safe and keep it simple by just adding a few words and a hyperlink to your company’s website. “That way you are talking about your opinion but then defaulting to a company approved corporate message,” he explained.

He said this will also get you out of accidentally revealing a trade secret, advertising a new special when the company isn’t ready, or posting something that is incorrect.

He said your best bet is to not tweet and defer that duty to your company’s marketing department.

“I think the limitation of Twitter, in the amount you can post, is it makes it difficult to stay in compliance with some of the company's messages, I personally wouldn't do it unless the company had some sort of policy in place or had a system of approving the post.”

Mike Lindstrom , a communications expert, consults Fortune 500 companies.

He said people need to remember they are not celebrities and therefore can’t get away with just posting anything they want.

“There's a few subjects you want to be mindful of, religion is one of them, and politics is another.”

He said companies are evolving with the new technology and are developing rules and policies.

Shawna Applen DeMar wrote on ABC15’s Facebook page, “You reflect your employer. Just sayin'."

Lindstrom takes that one step further, adding that you also reflect yourself in each posted message.

“There is one filter that you want to use, and that one filter is, what is the purpose of this communication? Is this consistent with your personal brand? And if it's consistent with your personal brand, than you should communicate.”

Before my next post I’m following the advice Paige gave on ABC15’s Facebook page, to take, “five seconds to think about it.”

And you can always see what I had to say on Twitter.