By Chris Nerney on August 18, 2009 6:57 PM

Social Networking Rule No. 1 For Media Professionals: Always Be ‘On’

web.2.0.jpg If you’re a media pro and you missed this story last Friday, it’s worth a look — if only to remind you that, for your profession more than just about any other, the social networking stakes couldn’t be higher.

Pear Analytics, a provider of digital metrics analysis and software, did a study of 2,000 public tweets from a two-week period and broke them into six categories – News, Spam, Self-Promotion, Pointless Babble, Conversational, Pass-Along Value. Perhaps to no Twitter user’s surprise, the largest number of tweets — 40.5% — fell into the “Pointless Babble” group.

Sadly, media professionals, you lack the luxury of being able to tweet “Pointless Babble” (at least knowingly). Same with Spam, same with Self-Promotion. You do any of those three at your own peril.

Here’s why: Your every tweet, your every FriendFeed comment, your every Facebook update is part of an endless public audition for you, the Professional Communicator. So while it doesn’t much matter if a plumber’s Facebook Wall or an accountant’s tweets are riddled with mangled syntax and vaguely formed thoughts, media pros have to be perpetually “on” when interacting and communicating online. Yes, it’s a lot of pressure.

To most readers I understand this may sound insultingly obvious. But don’t many of us know journalists and other media types who still complain about their jobs and criticize their companies on their blogs and on Facebook? There are journos whose posts and tweets contain typos, obscenities and indications of anger management issues. Do these people realize the Intertubes are all connected up?

If you’re a media professional and really need to let out your undisciplined, dark or hedonistic side, create a pseudonym or alter ego and go to town with it (and send me your best links). But if you’re trying to build and preserve your own professional brand in the media world, you must assume that any potential employer or client can find examples of your less flattering work online. Because. They. Can.

Bottom line: 1) Have something to say, 2) say it well (preferably better than others) and 3} stay classy. Do that and social networking can enhance your career.