Danger! Social Media Crisis Ahead
We all know the internet is a wonderful world where everyone is polite, full of praise, and has a permanent case of the warm fuzzies.
Hang on. Did I just say that? That statement and reality just don’t mix. So why do so many businesses and non-profit groups barrel headlong into social media thinking everyone’s going to have nothing but happy thoughts to express about Wilson’s Widgets or the West Podunk Arts Center? Don’t ask me. I’ve no idea. We live in a time when opinion is polarized on just about every possible issue, and where one dissatisfied customer can rake a business over the coals all over cyberspace. It seems that every week I see a business or organization open a can of worms or stir up a hornet’s nest. Doesn’t matter if it’s intentional or not. It happens. The questions are how to avoid it and how to handle it if it happens.
Ah, well, you may be saying, “all publicity’s good publicity.” Nice platitude, but I wouldn’t walk into the public relations department at BP and say that. Might have something thrown at you. Don’t rely on platitudes. Rely on thought and planning.
First and foremost, make sure everything spends time in your brain before running through to your keyboard. Think about what you want to post. Is it something that might be taken the wrong way, cause any sort of controversy, or offend someone? Then, when you realize you’re limited to saying “the sky is blue and the grass is green”, go pound your head on the wall of your office and sob until someone gives you a cookie. Well, it’s not that bad, really, but the point is to think before you type and hope for the best.
Second, have a disaster plan ready. When you see Wilson’s Widgets gets an online earful from a customer whose order of green, #5, aluminum widgets ended up being blue, #8, brass widgets, or when you see the West Podunk Arts Center have every animal rights activist in the country after them for their new exhibit “The Art of Taxidermy”, watch closely and see if their response pours water on the flames, or gasoline. Mull over all that can go wrong and think about how you would handle it. Maybe you could tell a disgruntled customer to call Jason, in shipping and he’d make it all right? Maybe you could encourage a no hold barred free-for-all of comments that would get everyone talking about your next exhibit? Maybe one person’s comments are so completely off the wall that you’d better just block him? Maybe you could just hide under your desk until everyone forgets about it?
Well, that last one might be tempting, but it won’t help. Social media’s a tricky world. Never assume all your response will be favorable. Be prepared for flak, and think everything through before posting, and before reacting. Besides, it’ll take less time to handle any fuss and fluster that comes up than it would to hide under your desk until it goes away. Easier on your reputation, too.
About the author
A loose cannon by right of descent, Jeffrey developed a fascination with figuring out anything related to computers precisely because he never even saw one in school. He's been writing for thirty years and blogging for four, primarily on local history, medieval history, church architecture, and religious art. Jeffrey describes his interests as, "too confounded many for a well-ordered life."
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