Social Media Presence

Social media has become huge.  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and many more are out there for everyone to use.  Social media accounts are used by young and old, alike and viewed worldwide. How important is your social media presence? That is probably a loaded question, depending on what you expect to gain from your social media account. I know people that keep their social media circle very small with just friends and family. Others choose to max out their friends or have thousands of followers. Make sure your social media is an accurate reflection of you.
Some use their social media account to become popular or even famous.  Videos, pictures and whatever else they can post to become popular. I will admit I follow two totally different social media accounts. Dale Brisby and Eric Thomas.  Those two are on opposite sides of the social media spectrum. One I follow for the entertainment value, one I follow for education and inspiration. That is the benefit of social media, it is a venue that can be used in many different ways.
As a coach I will use social media accounts to see if a student is someone we want to bring into our program. With a quick peak at your social media accounts we can watch videos of you compete.  Learn about how you treat others. The type of decisions you make on your social media accounts can and will affect the scholarships you may receive. Once you are on scholarship for an athletic team, your social media account will in some ways begin to represent not only you but your team as well. Social media has become so prominent that many schools now have policies and programs about how to use social media in a positive way.
Many sponsors now look at your social media accounts as well.  I know first-hand of very talented rodeo athletes that have lost sponsors because of their social media presence.  I also know of other athletes that have had doors opened for them because of how they represent themselves on social media. Simple choices of what to post or send can lead you in different directions in a hurry.
Now even most employers will check your social media account.  That post that was inappropriate that you posted seven years ago may now come back to haunt you.  What you put on social media is out there, once you post, you have little control.  It can be shared, copied, saved, made into a meme, the possibilities are endless.
With social media we all become our own promoter? How will you be represented on social media, everyone is watching…