Can You Use Social Media if You’re a Court Reporter?

The short answer is that YES, you can use social media if you’re a court reporter.

The longer answer is that it’s important to keep personal and professional separate. Keep in mind that even if you’ve restricted access to your accounts or who you follow, social media is still a public venue. We recommend being professional, even on your personal posts. What you post reflects on you as a professional whether that was your intention or not.

What content should I post?

We recommend posting articles and other court reporting related content to your professional accounts. Keep the personal accounts about yourself, your family, and friends.

• Never discuss a client or a case. It’s often tempting especially if you’re working a high profile case, but we advise against it.
• Ask yourself if you’d want a client to see your personal post. Girls night out got out of hand? Keep it off your social media and don’t let friends tag you.
• Industry news and trends are great for your professional profile but your friends may not care much so you’ve got to find the right balance.

Exceptions might be to post on personal accounts occasionally about what’s going on in court reporting or the benefits of reporting to attract new people to the field who may not otherwise know it’s an exciting time to be a reporter.

How can I best use social media?

In this digital age, it’s hard to miss social media and other online marketing. It’s on our phones and computers all the time. It can be exhausting but social media can also be used to help your career.

Groups on LinkedIn and Facebook are often targeted to particular professionals like us. It’s a place where you can ask questions and offer assistance to others, showcasing yourself as an expert. Who knows, you might be seen by someone in need of your services and land your next client!

If you’re a freelance court reporter, groups are an effective way to connect with others who may be working from home. They may not be reporters but they serve as a resource on issues like how to feel less isolated or setting up a home office, that can be valuable to you and your success.

Our Recommendation

Whether you’re connecting with others, sharing your court reporter story, or your vacation photos, we encourage you to use social media. While there is a lot of garbage on these sites, we also know we can help each other and the industry if we’re communicating online.

Social media and court reporting CAN go together if we’re thoughtful about what we’re posting.

If you’re in need of a court reporter in the Sacramento area, contact us today!

Categorised in: Court Reporting

This post was written by anne