What you say ion the Internet, a Facebook post, a Tweet or an Instagram photo is the public presence footprint that you leave forever in the world.

The New York Times recently did a piece where they followed up on Justine Sacco, who’s life was turned upside down after she tweeted “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” before getting on an 11 hour flight. How different would her life had been had she thought through this tweet from the perspective of her boss, who fired her as soon as she arrived in South Africa, or her family, who were mortified because of their work against apartheid.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0

This is an extreme example because of the visceral worldwide reaction, but it shows that our words can have a lasting impact upon our lives. This is where messaging is key.

1. Use the Point of View of the audience to define your key message. Why should they be interested in what you have to say.

2. Ask if your content goes towards building a strong personal brand or could undermine how you want others to see you. 

When in doubt don’t post & move on with your day!