• Historically in social media people had a distinct personal and professional profile, now blurring into a single profile.
• Assume that how you are online is how you would behave in a professional setting.
• Relative anonymity of feedback can make it more bold and blunt
• For younger generations  (Millennials) are becoming more aware of privacy online and what they do online having an impact on their professional lines.  However, they also recognize that people have a life outside of work so there may be more acceptance of that.
• Recommendation for small business:  owner personality is so tied to the business that you are the business.  Be aware of the impact social media can have.  Brand profile – what are the 5-8 topics you’re interested in (some biz, some personal) and these are the topics you should be talking about online.  Link topics to audiences.
• Topics to avoid – politics, religion (faith ok – I’m blessed), sports teams.  All ok in personal profiles, just not business profile.  Positive support ok, not negative.
• If you mess up, 2 most powerful words in social media are “I’m sorry” rather than deleting an update and pretending it didn’t happen.  “I said something really insensitive”, “I didn’t think before posting this”.

Benson Hendrix – University of New Mexico interviewed by AGBeat