Awkward Social (Media) Situations

It now goes without saying that social media is a powerful means of engaging with your fans.  According to the Nielsen Social Media Report (Q3 2011), 23% of time spent online is on social networking sites and blogs.  It’s a public conversation space-- a tool to communicate with customers, generate feedback, and address any concerns.  It has truly broken down barriers for businesses in terms of having access to the end user, whether it be a customer, fan, or client.  However, this access can be a double-edged sword in that the information shared via social media networks is immediate and often permanent.  This fact is all too familiar to individuals who have, perhaps, gotten too comfortable in the social media space, sharing information or generating content leading to embarrassing gaffes, humiliating blunders, and, well, irreparable damage to reputations.

Incident: Sharing Information Contrary to Company Brand Identity

Recently, a CNN Commentator, Roland Martin, was suspended for his alleged homophobic comments on Super Bowl Sunday. Though Martin was not tweeting under a company handle or even commenting on behalf of CNN, as a prominent commentator on the network, he is viewed by the public as representative of the brand. Naturally, it can be argued that these are the personal opinions of this individual; however, he is closely tied to the company, and his comments can be and were damaging to the CNN image, which led to his suspension.

Lesson Learned:

Even when not directly speaking on behalf of your company, it is imperative to err on the side of caution with tweets. If you are unsure about whether a topic is in-line with your brand identity, assume that it is not. It is far more important to have content that is aligned with the company’s image than to have to backtrack later and clean up a mess that was avoidable. Also, more fundamentally, be positive.  Intelligent debate on controversial issues is important, but there’s no reason for simply being negative, mean or disrespectful to others, online or anywhere else.

Incident: Unintended Tweets to a Business Account

When a social media staff member updated the official Red Cross twitter account, it was obvious that it was not meant for that account. The employee attempted to post a tweet to her personal account via Hootsuite, and it ended up on the company account instead.

Lesson Learned:

Don’t trust your social media networks to just anyone. The responsibility of those who have administrative access to your social media accounts is to adhere to your brand identity, as well as be experts in how to use the accounts. Although the Red Cross turned the incident around and spun it in a positive direction, not all companies can be so lucky.

Kenneth Cole, the popular retail brand, shared posts during the riots in Cairo last year that were viewed by the public as self-promotional and in poor taste. A great amount of trust is afforded to social media staff because the repercussions of updating these profiles with misinformation and bad content can be significant and long-lasting.

Incident: Go Viral with Unflattering Content

Back in 2009, in what they claimed was a prank, two Domino’s employees filmed footage on company property of themselves compromising food quality (to be polite). The uploaded content to YouTube received over one million views, and the video went “viral” when social media users shared the content and commented on it over other networking sites. Because Domino’s did not have a Twitter handle at the time and the incident was not immediately addressed by a company spokesperson, it compromised Domino’s credibility and damaged their reputation amongst consumers.

Lesson Learned:

Don’t underestimate the reach of social media. In the eyes of the public, Domino’s did not address the issue with enough urgency. Consumers tend to listen to fellow consumers, rather than the company itself. According to the Nielsen Social Media Report (Q3 2011), individuals who are highly active in social media networks are influential amongst their peers. It was found that "60 percent of social media users create reviews of products and services" and "consumer created reviews/ratings are the preferred source for information about product/service value, price and product quality." Trust is earned. When that is achieved, brand loyalty will follow.

Incident: Forgetting that a Business Account is Meant for Business

When Congressman Anthony Weiner’s Twitter photos surfaced, he was largely given the benefit of the doubt when he denied that the shots were of him. It was later admitted by Weiner that the photos were, in fact, taken of him and by him, and they were meant to have been sent via direct message to one of six women with whom he was having online relationships.

Lesson Learned:

Keep your personal and professional lives separate. This likely goes for both physical and virtual work spaces. Assume that whatever is written or shared can never be retracted.  What’s inappropriate in “real life” is just as inappropriate online-– only online, your thoughtless gaffe can travel around the world in an instant.

Think Before you Post

The advent of social media has brought companies closer to consumers. Becoming active on these networks allows your business to be viewed as more transparent and accessible, leading to greater customer loyalty. The ability to interact with a company shows quality customer service and an appreciation of the allegiance they have to your brand. Social media is not a substitute for those things, but a tool for building and enhancing them. Being active in these networks can give a business the ability to humanize their brand, a quality that has escaped many in the past. But online, just as in life, the old saying applies: “Be sure brain is in gear before engaging mouth.”  Or in this case, keyboard.

Amber Douglas
Social Media Account Manager