Why Companies Need to Be Cautious When Using Social Media
Now that Facebook has turned ten years old, most of us are aware of the coolness factor of social media and the fact that Twitter and Facebook are here to stay—at least in the short term until something bigger and better comes along. However, with social media comes great responsibility and danger lurking with every post or tweet. Let’s take a look at that aspect of social media—when good tweets or posts go bad.
In this ever-connected world, companies and individuals run the risk of things running amok should a post or tweet go viral. This applies to corporations as well as individuals. Social Media Today’s website has a list of fifteen do’s and don’ts of social media. This article gives a common sense approach to social media for both individuals and corporations.
Whether you are marketing a brand yourself or searching for a career, always be mindful of what you are doing, saying, and posting because the Internet is forever—and what you put there is too.
Now, let’s look at a few examples of how Twitter or Facebook can cause a media frenzy. Hillary Clinton tweeted the following: “It’s so much more fun to watch FOX when it’s someone else being blitzed & sacked! #SuperBowl.” We all knew what she meant and was referring to, but she still has to come out and say it was humor. It seems you can’t even be funny anymore without making people angry or upset.
JCPenney, which has fallen on tough times financially, recently tweeted what appeared to be the tweets of a drunken person by misspelling words. Turns out the company was advertising for their Go USA mittens in support of the US Olympic team. Some called the move brilliant; others said it backfired or was a complete fail.
Needless to say, social media can turn seemingly innocent intentions into public relation nightmares, as witnessed by the article on Business Insider that looks at the top ten social media disasters.
That’s not to say you can’t be successful with Twitter, but knowing how to be successful requires these three simple steps set forward on socialmediatoday.com by Anthony Bosschem. Did you build a bigger audience, did you educate your audience about your offering, and did doing so convert your audience?
I’ll leave you with a couple of questions: Have you had a social media meltdown or failure? Do you use Twitter and Facebook to promote yourself or product in a positive light?
