If you haven’t heard of social media and its impact on the world, this blog is most assuredly for you. Myspace, the Beverly Hills Corporation started in 2003 by employees of Friendster and euniverse, boasts hundreds of millions of members, and musicians eager to gain the attention of record labels. Recording artist Cassie formerly of Bad Boy (Sean “Diddy” Combs’ label) and reality-TV star and model Tila Tequila were both discovered and thrust into the spotlight from their popular MySpace pages. And in came Facebook. And Twitter. Social media is not a new phenomenon, however, its impact on our society and culture has been extreme. Log on; search for anyone in the world and you’ll be sure to find a page. News stations, popular TV programs, celebrities and politicians all leverage their brand, their popularity, their mission through social media. Even high-paid pro athletes and college stars’ tweets and updates are broadcast on sports stations and news channels for the world to view. Which brings up the most important factor of this article and of social media as it pertains to you. I’m sure most of you have a facebook account, perhaps a twitter account and maybe even an account with myspace.com Great. You and about 50 million others. What is important to remember is that what you say and portray through social media is vital and can be damaging too. Inappropriate language, lewd photos and even unprofessional people around your social media network can be a major turnoff for potential casting directors, executives and talent scouts. Believe me they all use social media. Have some not-so-professional photos on facebook? Dropping the F bomb on every twitter update? Erase that ASAP and step up your professionalism game. You only have one shot to make an impression and it very well may happen online. Might be time to rewrite that email signature, erase some friends and get a headshot without the Kettle one in the back.
-Windy Cooke
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