Basics To Separate Work And Private on Social Media

The art world lives on social media these days. There’s no denying it, the gram is great, it means that artists, gallerists and curators can instantly see what each other is working on, while publicizing their own achievements to the world. Social media also allows us to grow our own personal brands and reach wide, global audiences instantly. It’s perfect for the art world where image and branding are everything, but it also means that our work and personal lives can easily merge and boundaries become blurred. So, how to tackle that precarious balance? Well, we’ve got some ideas….
 
Let’s start with the obvious: two accounts
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ZWbamgzu2/
Have two accounts. There’s two ways of going about this. You could have both a public profile and a personal one, or you could have one account for work, and one for play. Having a separation means your personal life and your art life can live alongside each other without ever getting confused.
 
Think before you post
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwsLuBnnN-j/
It’s so easy to publish something without actually considering the implications that might occur afterwards. If you have a big following, this can be a problem. Despite it sounding boring, make sure you take a few minutes to consider why you are posting something and what public reaction might be afterwards (especially if you have a habit of venting about a bad day at work, you don’t want your boss to see it!).
 
Make use of privacy settings
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4PigUGh_Rd/
Want the world to see your party outfit but don’t want your boss knowing what you got up to on Friday night? You can make stories and posts private for certain people (click “Mute” on Instagram, you’re welcome).
 
Utilize close friends lists
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3AVCCxAaRK/
Basically mirroring the above point, when it comes to posting IG stories that might get you in trouble down the line, post them only to your besties. That way you’re all in on the joke, but the rest of the world isn’t. It’s a win-win!
 
Change up settings depending on your circumstances
https://www.instagram.com/p/B490lIpg9gU/
Looking for a job? Make your Instagram and Facebook pages private during that period, and focus instead on LinkedIn. A month or so after securing that new position, it’s safe to make them public again.
 
And, to end, a quick note on bosses
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4_-R9nBpUq/
OK, so your boss has just followed you on Twitter or Instagram. What do you do now? If you’re the type of person to vent online, hide them from everything, you have to save yourself.
Before you let your manager see inside your online life, think about whether or not it will benefit your career. If it, will great, if not, it’s best not to accept that friend request. (And don’t worry, not accepting your boss on social media is not a firing offence)
 
Text Lizzy Vartanian