This week in Promotional Consultant Today, we are going to look at social media, texting and email within the workplace and provide insight into the use of these digital technologies amongst co-workers. We start the series with six tips on social media networking with colleagues from social media blogger and freelance writer Kristi Hines author of The Do's and Dont's of Social Networking with Colleagues.

1. Stay Professional. If you choose to connect with colleagues on social media, remember to remain professional. If you do want to share what Hines calls "those crazy party photos or that TMI story about your child's latest bathroom accomplishment," learn what tools are available, if any, to keep posts separate between friends and colleagues.

2. Don't Complain About Your Job. Complaining about your job or coworkers on social media can create uncomfortable situations, strain relationships and possibly even affect your compensation, career growth or new job opportunities.

3. Be Active In Groups. Most social networks include the ability to create groups that can be used for information sharing or to generate leads.

4. Don't Assume Group Activity Is Private. Just because you are posting to a private group today doesn't mean the group's owner won't change the settings and make the group public tomorrow, making all of your posts available to anyone.

5. Update Your Profiles Regularly. It's a good idea, both personally and professionally, to keep your social media profiles fresh. It also won't invite suspicion if you update your profile when preparing for a new job search.

6. Remember: Social Media Is Public. On some channels, everything you post is public; on others, whether or not those you are not connected to can see your posts is dependent on whether or not you have configured the privacy settings correctly. One trick Hines offers to verify you have the correct privacy setting is to create a second profile on Facebook or LinkedIn and not connect that second one to your real profile. Log into the second profile anytime you want to see what is being displayed to those with whom you are not connected.

We will continue the series tomorrow with a look at do's and don'ts for emailing your co-workers.

Source: Kristi Hines is a freelance writer and professional blogger who has been covering business and online marketing topics since 2008. After establishing her blog Kikolani, she began expanding her reach by contributing to popular online publications including Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Watch and Social Media Examiner, and writing for companies such as KISSmetrics, Sprout Social and Unbounce.