Social media identity gets in faces
ROCKHAMPTON social media identity Petros Khalesirad has come under fire for being too offensive online through his personal attacks and frequent use of swear words.
But the Rockhampton businessman yesterday said he wasn't going to back down from his controversial approach.
Petros, who writes a regular column for The Morning Bulletin, yesterday refuted claims he'd overstepped the mark.
A critic has written to The Bulletin airing concerns about his "disgusting conduct" on Twitter and Facebook.
"Petros K has been using his twitter account to openly attack and insult others using crude and disgusting language," the letter read.
But Petros said he stood by his actions.
"I have no problem with what I've put online," he said.
"I've never deleted a tweet.
"I believe internet censorship shouldn't exist."
Petros said any communication media needed to be used responsibly, but reminded people that in the online world, no one had privacy.
"I am transparent and that makes me accessible to anybody," he said.
"People who hide behind anonymity - to me that's crossing a line.
"You need to stay true to yourself."
Petros said while some of his posts might be considered offensive, they were engaging people.
"It gets people's attention," Mr Khalesirad said.
"I'm the only person in Rockhampton that seems to do that," he said.
Petros said it was important for any business going online to have a strategy.
"You can't just turn on technology without a strategy or people won't listen," he said.
"Social media is all about making relationships."
HOW TO CONNECT
Petros' social media tips for your business:
- Remember that social media should be part of a digital marketing strategy
- Without that strategy in place, don't do it
- Your audience is fragmented but your content shouldn't be
- Keep trying different things. Even if you get a bad response, at least you know people are listening
- Make sure you have analytics to measure your online presence
