Last night I had dinner with a friend who works in finance.  When browsing LinkedIn she saw that a very negative story about her firm had been liked and supported in a comment by her personal accountant. 

She was understandably upset.  Not only was the LinkedIn post unfair and factually inaccurate it also was written as a marketing piece by someone at a competing firm - small print at the end of the article said "if you need advice click here". 

To cut a long story short, that accountant does not work for my friend anymore.  His online actions cost him a client.  

What you write online, what you like, what you share and the comments you make define you.  You will be judged.

One answer to this is put your head in the sand and say I won't 'do' social or the internet.  Unfortunately for anyone who wants to make a dollar this is a bit of silly plan.  Bit like saying I had a bad phone call so I won't use a phone again.

The good news is that the negative reaction invoked in the story above can also be created positively.  If you are deliberate and thoughtful in your actions online you can cause a very positive effect for your personal brand and your business - and it can be very powerful.

In the same way that my friend's accountant lost her as a client for being negative (and a bit dumb) we can create a powerful positive reaction in those we want to influence too.  Act deliberately to create a positive reaction in those you wish to build relationships with.  In your online activity refer to their success, their thoughts and address their challenges.  Think about them.

In short when it comes to content creation be deliberate, positive and don't be rude about your clients!