Facebook in an office

[amkxoxo]

So with the modern culture of facebook and twitter, I can see how it would be hard for some older people to adapt. I work in an office doing media, web design, and social media. Our office is all open so we can all talk etc...

 

About a month ago, we started this new facebook page to re-vamp our image. I was in charge of it, along with an intern who is training with me. Its been a real success. Now we have an internal facebook page for more casual encounters with clients. Its been very successful. I have been having to change around some of the content that the intern posts, because she is young and make grammatical mistakes, but otherwise, its been good.

 

Now I am very young, 21, and my co-workers are all in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

 

They know facebook, but they don't seem to realize the casual nature of facebook. My posts aren't spelled wrong, but they aren't like a robot wrote them. That was our issue before, and ever since we re-vamped our image with a more approachable feel, its been a lot better.

 

My co-workers have been wanted to see how well the facebook was doing so they added themselves to the page as friends. They cannot edit, they can just view what is being posted.

 

Recently, they have been bugging me so much about the content. How we need to be professional, and word things more structured. I understand their concern, but that is not what facebook is for. We have our old facebook page, which is very professional and more for a face to our company.

 

This internal page for clientele, is casual. People ask us questions, we answer. We reach out with opportunities and events for students. We have been taking more pictures of our clientele, and tagging them to make us look more approachable and friendly. If I start posting like a service, a robot, people aren't going to know we have a voice.

 

I keep getting bugged about changing certain posts, and wording, and I refuse to change them. I feel like they don't understand the method to our new marketing strategy. I don't want to clash. Sometimes they will tell me to change some of the wording, and I just say Yes, and then I don't do it and then they remind me the next day when they see it was not changed.

 

It makes me look like I wasn't listening or doing my job. When I try and explain to them why it is the way it is, they don't get it and see it as defiance, or that I don't care, which is not true.

[d0nnivain]

It's a tough balance. The casualness of FB v. the professionalism of an old school business.

 

 

Although it's your job to work on & with the FB page, it's not necessarily your job to educate the rest of the office about social media.

 

 

If a supervisor suggests a change, make it, immediately. As for everybody else, gather up the comments & concerns & bring them to your supervisor. Say something along the lines of

 

 

I understand people who don't have social media savvy are concerned about the content & seemingly casual nature of the posts but you & I both know this is the best way to modernize our brand. How would you like to educate the workforce about the nature of social media? I don't want to ignore their concerns but I would like to reassure them both that we value them but that this is the right way to go. Do you want me to organize a lunch & learn or would you prefer to do that?

 

Let your boss -- or whoever tasked you with the responsibility for the FB page -- decide how to cope with the issue.

[clia]

I think I'd need an example of a post to understand what you are talking about and how casual your posts are. Yes, Facebook is casual, but a company Facebook page, posts, and comments should still have proper grammar, capitalization, sentence structure, etc. it shouldn't be sloppy. It shouldn't look like it was written by a teenager. There's a happy medium between posting like a robot and textspeak or the like.

 

That said, perhaps you should arrange a session to educate all the old people about Facebook so they understand your position. What is your supervisor's view? I don't think it's a good idea long term to simply ignore your coworker's requests. That could affect you come review time.

[Art_Critic]

I would use the FB page of a company that you would consider as professional as yours and use that as a guide.

 

A FB page like HomeDepot or Newell Rubbermaid will have a more corporate feel than say a page for a Local Sign Shop...

 

I would think that too much casual nature would not be what a company would want to put forward as their social presence and this is the face of the company that the customers see...

 

If your FB page presents the face of the company the public should see then you are on the right track.

[lollipopspot]

So with the modern culture of facebook and twitter, I can see how it would be hard for some older people to adapt...

 

Now I am very young, 21, and my co-workers are all in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

 

Perhaps you can give some examples, but offhand I think the problem might be you? I doubt someone in their 30s is an "older" person who is having trouble adapting. I think this is possibly a stylistic and professionalism difference. Examples please.

[MightyPen]

I agree with previous posters. We'd all love to see an example of one of your posts.

 

I'm a professional, and I use FB for marketing/client purposes, and while I don't type like a robot, I do use proper grammar at all times. Actually, I type just like I'm typing now. You can provide very engaging, even humorous, content without slacking on grammar or spelling.

[amkxoxo]

A good example, is the other day I went to an event my 60 year old co-worker was hosting.

 

The event was for a well known young gentleman's organization. My co-worker was doing a presentation for them on sales strategies. These guys were fresh out of college, some still in college.

The guys the organization sent were young guys my age. I took photos at this event.

 

Now usually I post almost all the pictures to facebook. I will edit them up, and as long as the angle is good and it shows what the event is about, then I post it.

 

So as I do every other time, I edited and posted on facebook. I put a nice caption about the event. I made it half professional, half college student speak. Nothing was spelled wrong.

 

I said something about "these guys will go into their next sales transaction with their heads held high"

 

I thought it seemed fine.

 

Then my co-worker, who is 60, mind you, insisted she get someone's login information to go onto facebook, because she doesn't have one. She wanted to see all of the pictures and determine which ones should be up their, since she was in some of them.

 

She made me delete multiple pictures where she didn't think she looked good because she was int he middle of talking to the group of men. To me, that was the point. I was taking action shots of you giving the presentation.

 

Then she read the caption and she made me change things and write more professionally. She hated that I said "these guys will go into..."

 

She didn't think it sounded good, or proper.

 

I didn't see it that way. It was facebook. I tagged a bunch of the guys in the picture and they and their friends were liking the photos.

 

She was upset that some of the men were tagged and others were not. Well others, did not connect with us and I couldn't tag them. She kept giving me their names, like I didn't know who they were so I could tag them. I knew who they were. I didn't tag them. No big deal.

 

Then there's my other co-worker who goes on facebook and criticizes what our intern posts, and blames me.

 

Yes, I do control and monitor such intern, but she chastised me one day when I was out of the office on a business meeting trip. The intern posted something that had horrible grammar. She starts telling me how I need to be constantly monitoring. On days I am in the office, I do constantly monitor. But this particular day she saw a bad post that I couldn't have fixed, since I was busy. The intern we have is great. Motivated etc... But her grammar and tensing is horrible. Sometimes its more effort for me to fix her posts than for me to just post myself. I feel bad though, her internship is about social media, sales, and marketing. I can't have her never write anything.

 

This same co-worker is 33, and the secretary for everyone in the office. She makes the least amount of money. I think sometimes she is bitter and mad at me because I am younger than her and make more than her and have less work. Not my fault. My boss often chastises her and yells at her for office problems, instead of other people directly involved. She is bitter at me for that. She and I work together formatting marketing promotional flyers. I make them and she gives me the content.

 

Often times she gives me the content. I copy and paste it. I format it, and send it out.

 

Then she starts the criticizing again, because a date was wrong, or something was misspelled, or a time of day was wrong. She tells me that I should be re-reading what she wrote and checking it for mistakes before we send it out. She blames me. I don't like it . She should give me the correct content to begin with. She should check it a few times before sending it to me.

 

I like where I work, but the age gap between me and the other employees is always a struggle.

[Ms. Faust]

Honestly, I think "these guys..." sounds terrible, especially for a company page and with a woman in the picture.

 

I'm 36, maybe it's just my age...

[d0nnivain]

If the intern can't write proper English she needs to flunk her internship. Set it up so she can't post without your prior approval. Sorry but your company can't take the chance. This should motivate her to improve her performance.

 

 

As for the co-worker who wanted you to edit unflattering pictures of her, if she would have been given editorial control over photos in another medium, she gets to dictate how her image is used in social media. Otherwise, you, the editor, get the control but I commend you for accommodating her to some extent.

 

 

As for the tagging -- you either tag everybody or nobody. Selective tagging doesn't work. If you can't "tag" them because they aren't on FB, tell her that but do name them in the body of the post. Again it's an all or nothing proposition. Cherry picking or only naming some looks like favoritism & could potentially subject your company to a claim of discrimination.

 

 

FWIW, I can see how the specific post you referenced "these guys will go into their next sales transaction with their heads held high" could be taken in a negative way. It implies they had no self esteem before the presentation. I may have said, "These students are looking forward to trying out the techniques they are learning in the workshop." My tone is more formal than yours, but when other people's images are involved on your business's social media page caution & circumspection are better than the casual that is appropriate in a non-commercial setting. Although FB labels connected entities as "friends" on a commercial page, you have to remember that there is limited camaraderie here.

[Gloria25]

To me, you using Facebook is akin to a company Newsletter...

 

IMO, you are only responsible to the person/department who tasked you with maintaining the Facebook page.

 

If other people have opinions, politely hear them out, and tell them you'll run it by X (the person/department that tasked you with running the Facebook), so hopefully they'll get into their thick skulls that YOU were tasked with running the Facebook for a reason - cuz you're in tune with the business' whatever...so, whatever decisions you make are supported by the person/department/management that tasked you in the first place.

 

I mean, I see company newsletters and sometimes wonder "who writes this garbage?" and/or "wow, cool".

 

Or better yet, set up a suggestion box and have the write their name, date, suggestion, etc and take it from there or just ignore whatever they put in the box - at least that'll get them off of nagging you.

[clia]

I agree with many of the points donnivan made above, especially with regard to the intern. You know she has terrible spelling and tensing, so you should be reviewing everything she writes before it posts. She's not a great intern if she can't do something as basic as that, especially since that's her area of focus. Have you spoken to her about this?

 

With regard to your coworker, how many pictures did you post because it sounds like you posted a lot. It's not an age thing - some people don't want unflattering pictures of themselves posted on the Internet. I actually think it's pretty rude to intentionally post pictures of someone when they don't look good. If she was talking you likely caught her with some strange facial expressions. That said, since she hosted the event, it seems like she should've had some say in what was posted about it on the Facebook page. Did you consider letting her look through the pictures before you posted them? You don't have to treat your coworkers like the enemy, you know. Even if they are old.

 

I also felt that what you posted about "these guys" could've been worded better.

[GemmaUK]

I said something about "these guys will go into their next sales transaction with their heads held high"

 

I thought it seemed fine.

 

OUCHY!!!

That is not fine at all! It's massively disrespectful to your customers as well as unprofessional!

 

I would have died if I were tagged in that and hadn't the option to keep it private. No way would I want that on my own timeline if I were a customer.

Then it also spans out to friends of friends and anyone seeing your page...bit of a disaster IMO.

 

Your intern - he/she IS your responsibility whether you are available or not so you need to make sure you take control of that.

 

If you say you will amend something and don't and someone chases you then yes it is defiance - or just plain lying. Don't ever say yes at work if you mean no. That is poor. No one will ever trust you.

 

Photos, you need to always check whether people want photos to go public or client or workplace - always.

If they say no for any reason at all then that reason is valid.

 

We have an 18 year old man doing our FB and Twitter and he is thankfully very professional. His boss is 25 and she has taught him very well!

 

Being professional on social media is not about age. It's about being professional.

[applej4]

Wow. amkxoxo, your opening post is EXTREMELY condescending and insulting to anyone who, unlike you, is over 21 yrs old. Do you really think people in their 30s, 40s, 50s don't know how to navigate Facebook? I know people in their 60s and 79s who could leave you in the dust as far as computer skills. Who do you think invented many of the computer programs. Ever heard of Bill Gates? Steve Jobs? You are an ageist and I suggest you get a clue or you'll find yourself at the wrong end of an age discrimination lawsuit someday.

[preraph]

Anything representing the company needs to at minimum have proper spelling and grammar. Past that, the content, how casual it is, is up to the owner of the company. But you don't go on there looking sophomoric and unprofessional. It's a business. Realize that if the company is ever in a lawsuit, its Facebook content may well be subpoenaed and I can't tell you how juvenile it looks seeing Facebook entries, texts and e-mails that are supposedly business that look illiterate.

[preraph]

I'm cracking up at you calling that sentence "These guys, etc." half college speak. Both "these guys" and "heads held high" are old enough that even my grandmother would have known them and I'm 63.

 

It was simply too informal and not businesslike. And you do need to watch your spelling. Even in that post you put "their" when it should have been "there." We don't care here, but for anything for business, be correct so you look literate rather than uneducated. Your boss has not only a lot of years on you but a lot of experience as well, and certainly that gives her better perspective than you, regardless that you may like to think otherwise. Being businesslike and writing well and checking your spelling doesn't make you sound old. It makes you sound educated and qualified.

[anika99]

I'm cracking up at you calling that sentence "These guys, etc." half college speak. Both "these guys" and "heads held high" are old enough that even my grandmother would have known them and I'm 63.

 

It was simply too informal and not businesslike. And you do need to watch your spelling. Even in that post you put "their" when it should have been "there." We don't care here, but for anything for business, be correct so you look literate rather than uneducated. Your boss has not only a lot of years on you but a lot of experience as well, and certainly that gives her better perspective than you, regardless that you may like to think otherwise. Being businesslike and writing well and checking your spelling doesn't make you sound old. It makes you sound educated and qualified.

 

No she not have used "there". She said:

 

"these guys will go into their next sales transaction with their heads held high"

 

 

In this sentence "their" is being used as a pronoun to refer to the guys she was speaking of. "There" refers to a location. As in put the boxes down over there. Their, there, they're; the OP chose the correct one, but "these guys" doesn't sound very professional.

[d0nnivain]

This same co-worker is 33, and the secretary for everyone in the office. She makes the least amount of money. I think sometimes she is bitter and mad at me because I am younger than her and make more than her and have less work. Not my fault. My boss often chastises her and yells at her for office problems, instead of other people directly involved. She is bitter at me for that. She and I work together formatting marketing promotional flyers. I make them and she gives me the content.

 

Often times she gives me the content. I copy and paste it. I format it, and send it out.

 

Then she starts the criticizing again, because a date was wrong, or something was misspelled, or a time of day was wrong. She tells me that I should be re-reading what she wrote and checking it for mistakes before we send it out. She blames me. I don't like it . She should give me the correct content to begin with. She should check it a few times before sending it to me.

 

I like where I work, but the age gap between me and the other employees is always a struggle.

 

 

It's not just the age gap.

 

 

As the "editor" of the OL content you have an obligation to proof read. You can't simply copy & paste. You are obligated to check everything for accuracy, spelling, grammar, tone & voice.

 

 

If you copy & paste other people's narratives the branding of your OL marketing materials is probably disjointed given the number of authors -- you are posting, the intern is posting, in essence this secretary is posting because you aren't changing her words. Part of your job should be to harmonize everything into a consistent voice.

[GunslingerRoland]

It's a difficult middle ground that a lot of companies are struggling with. Trying to put on the friendly casual face, but while maintaining professional integrity. It sounds like you are doing a solid job with your work, but like others have said, you need to reign in your intern if their work is that poor.

 

But the bottom line is, if you are the one ultimately responsible for that content you need to talk to your supervisor and make sure that it's clear that while you are open to feedback, everyone in the company can't go to you and demand whatever change they want.

[preraph]

No she not have used "there". She said:

 

"these guys will go into their next sales transaction with their heads held high"

 

 

In this sentence "their" is being used as a pronoun to refer to the guys she was speaking of. "There" refers to a location. As in put the boxes down over there. Their, there, they're; the OP chose the correct one, but "these guys" doesn't sound very professional.

 

Not talking about that post but the next one, which says "determine which ones should be up their" . Not saying she has to spell right here, but just making a point. That's not a typo.

Edited October 19, 2015 by preraph

[amkxoxo]

I did realize I put in the typo of "there", when I didn't meant to. I consider myself very good with grammar and spelling. I was typing fast and sometimes my spell checker doesn't catch it, because of my swift typing. I am also less proper on this type of site, since this isn't anything that requires perfect spelling.

 

I am not discriminatory against anyone for their age and technical ability. I try to explain facebook to them and educate them on what a tag is, what a notification is etc... but they do not get it. I'm not perfect in my spelling. Everyone makes mistakes. I try very hard. I struggle with knowing what everyone wants. I try to appeal to young people, but my older co-workers and clients do not like it. Then I get really professional, and no younger people pay attention, because it is too formal.

 

Our target market of clients is early 20s.

 

I did not post unappealing pictures of my co-worker. I looked through and edited the ones I thought were most beneficial. I liked the aspect of posting some pictures of her talking, because it expressed that she was giving a presentation. She didn't like any of them. She wanted all smiles etc...

 

My co-worker is very picky about her body, so any pictures of her back facing the men, I had to delete. Nothing was wrong with the photos. She was just being extra picky.

 

Again, I an not perfect, but my co-worker sending me content. The dates and times of things should be correct. She coordinates all of those things. I wouldn't know what the right time and date would be, so to me it looks right. To me, that isn't my fault.

 

This same co-worker just picks and picks at my writing. We have this weekly featured spotlights that we send out for sales. I have seen how she does them. I have read how she does them. They are boring and not appealing to our target, young, demographic. I have tried to express changes in their appearance, but everyone is very complacent with a flyer that appeals to my grandfather. I've settled on not saying anything anymore. She often looks to me to write and format them. I check them over, and I think I do a good job. Sometimes I am so proud of my work. I will give it to her, and she will pick it a part.

 

I always have to go back and fix it. One week its too much information. The next week I shorten it up, and its too little information. Every time she says I am doing it wrong and not getting it. Our higher up boss taught her how to do it. He has not taught me anything. He is so busy, or so lazy, that he likes to let me explore things for myself. I don't rely on him unless I really need him.

 

Anyways, one week I took an old weekly spotlight that my co-worker wrote. Copied and pasted it. Changed a few things to express new content, but it was practically the same exact flyer.

 

I gave it to her to look at before being sent out. She picked it a part. I was not expecting it. I wanted to yell at her and say, "You wrote this!!"

 

She wrote it, and she had all this criticism for it and made me change almost all of it. I just didn't get it. This is the struggle I go through every day.

[GemmaUK]

There is a common denominator here.

 

I think you need to approach you supervisor for some guidance on several things. Ask for some mentoring.

[Haydn]

My boys and girls always have a million tabs open. The work gets done, bottom line. If they meet deadlines, secure new productions, we don`t really care what else they are doing. Seems to work.

 

Just my humble opinion.

 

But i see it may be a slightly different issue now OP.

[BrokenManAgain]

This is the struggle I go through every day.

Let me get this right. You want to show the world how savy you are by showing the world the person who signs your paycheque that she knows crap all.

 

Say hello to the unemployment line.

[BrokenManAgain]

My boys and girls always have a million tabs open. The work gets done, bottom line. If they meet deadlines, secure new productions, we don`t really care what else they are doing. Seems to work.

 

Just my humble opinion.

 

But i see it may be a slightly different issue now OP.

Your place, your rules. Her place, her rules. And the OP works for her. She signs the OP's paycheque, not you.

[Haydn]

Your place, your rules. Her place, her rules. And the OP works for her. She signs the OP's paycheque, not you.

 

Venturing a contribution to the thread....

 

No need to take so much `umbrage`

 

See my last sentence on my previous post.....