Recovery From and Avoiding Social Media Gaffes 101
A gaffe is defined as a blunder, a mistake, an error of judgment, a faux pas. No one likes to make mistakes but nobody is perfect and so mistakes will happen. It’s no different in the realm of social media as mistakes happen there too. No matter how careful one tries to be, social media faux pas are inevitable.
Social media mistakes such as an incorrect tweet or a tweet published accidentally as well as an ungracious response on a Facebook wall post says Serdar Yegulalp in his blog post entitled Social Media Disaster Recovery: A First Responder’s Guide, are bad enough in a personal context… but when such things happen with a corporate Twitter account or some other branded outlet, they can be messier by orders of magnitude. Social media blunders have the potential to bring shame and embarrassment to a brand and a company as a whole. Moreover, when a social media gaffe occurs, it highlights the company’s (in)ability to manage social media effectively.
In managing social media, there are three steps that management should take, not if, but when social mistakes occur.
1) Recognition – It’s no accident that this is the first step in handling or managing a social media faux pas. Surely, you cannot deal with a problem if you do not even recognize that there is a problem. It may sound easy but companies often fail to recognize when a social media blunder has occurred. This is because many companies tend to think that things will ‘blow over’ and everything will return to normal soon, until the problem mushrooms and becomes life threatening to the brand. Once the mistake has been identified, it is critical that the matter be addressed quickly and effectively. Hence, step 2.
2) Take action and do so quickly – First, the company should publicly acknowledge that there has been a mistake and it must do so quickly. The goal at this point is not to provide the perfect answer but simply to let the public know that you are aware of what has happened and to offer a sincere apology. In fact, it may not even be possible to provide all the details as to what happened or why it happened, but it is crucial to at the least, let customers know that you are aware of the problem. This can be done through a company blog post for example. In addition, the company should affirm that it has learned from the situation and advise of the steps being taken to prevent that situation from happening again.
3) Learn from the mistake and plan for the future – There is a saying which goes like this ‘ If you don’t learn from your past, you’ll be doomed to repeat it.’ This is true of a people and a culture but it is also true of companies that experience social media blunders. Perhaps the worst mistake that the company can make after a social media blunder is to get out of social media. “There has lately been a backlash of regulated organizations taking social media away entirely from their staff,” says Sean Corcoran, a senior analyst on the interactive marketing team at Forrester Research. Sean Corcoran goes on to say that “a company that doesn’t use social media might soon seem as backwards as one that doesn’t use other business tools like CRM…” Having made a social media gaffe presents the perfect opportunity, not to get out of social media but rather to develop a social media policy (if one doesn’t exist) that could identify and outline how the company will avoid similar mistakes in the future. This leads me to offer some steps that brands can put into place to try and avoid social media disasters.
1) Develop a social media policy. As a starting point, the company could look for examples of social media policies from other companies. In developing a social media policy, the company must establish its level of risk.
2) Decide on who will assume full responsibility for the company’s social media. This includes knowing who will be allowed to post to the company’s Facebook page or publish blogs or tweet on the company’s twitter page etc. According to the article, “one way to limit future mistakes is to assign social media to people who have been specifically trained in it, not simply those who seem right for the job because they have a Twitter following or a recognizable public presence.”
3) Keep an eye on your profile in various social media, especially those where you can provide official responses to negative feedback.
4) Invest some resources in hiring an outside firm to help monitor your online reputation. Third-party reputation management firms can provide both early warnings (to let you know when trouble’s brewing) and postmortems (to indicate how effective your cleanup was).
Bronte
How To Develop A Social Media Marketing Strategy That Works!
Perhaps the one thing which has fascinated me most about this journey through Social Media is the actual steps that a company needs to take as it embarks on social media marketing. An interesting article written by Douglas Idugboe, Digital and New Media Marketing Strategist, founder and editor in chief of Smedio, a Canadian bestselling author, marketing strategist, speaker and trainer, who loves technology lays out some of the most critical factors that a company needs to consider when it is embarking on social media.
The article suggests that you should not just jump into social media; you should not just do it because your competitors are doing it. Rather it’s important to analyze how your competitors are using social media, then analyze what your business needs are and how various social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and others can fulfill these needs.
The article also addresses the importance of having a social media marketing plan that outlines your objectives and how those objectives will be achieved. For example, one objective might be to get 2000 Facebook fans within 3 months and then of course you want to outline how you are going to acquire those fans.
Another point which the article makes is the importance of evaluating the social media marketing strategy to determine whether it is accomplishing its objectives. This can be done by calculating the social media ROI but evaluating social media ROI says Idugboe is easier said than done. Nevertheless it has to be done if you are going to know if you are accomplishing your objectives.
Finally say Idugboe, you must refine your social media marketing strategy. The real beauty of social media lies in its dynamism. The person in charge of the company’s social media has to remember that social media is changing all the time. Therefore, the company’s social media campaign has to be fresh, innovative, creative and engaging if it is going to keep people’s attention.
At the end of the day, it’s not just having a social media marketing strategy that matters. What matters is having a social media marketing strategy THAT WORKS. These tips are sure to help.
Bronte
http://smedio.com/2011/05/30/how-to-develop-a-social-media-marketing-strategy-that-works/
The Hidden Influence of Social Networks
Nicholas Christakis presentation on The Hidden Influence of Social Networks caused me to think differently about the influence of social networks on real life relationships. Certainly, the video presentation by Nicholas Christakis makes some stark claims about social networks and their influence but, however stark, these claims do have some basis.
Nicholas Christakis begins his presentation by talking about the widower effect. At this point in the presentation, I questioned ‘What is the widower effect and what does the widower effect have to do with social media? How are the two connected?’ Nicholas explains that the widower effect occurs when a husband or wife becomes broken hearted and even dies shortly after the passing of a spouse. He quickly goes on to point out however that the widower effect is not restricted to spouses and that it can actually occur in a mother-daughter relationship or other relationship where people are connected to each by some bond. In fact, Nicholas says that he received a call one day from a husband who became sick after his wife became depressed as a result of her mother’s illness. This says Nicholas illustrates the fact that we are social beings who are connected and in fact interconnected. It is this connectedness or interconnectedness that makes us ‘feel’ for others. Hence, the husband felt sick not so much because of his mother-in-law’s illness but rather because of his wife’s depression.
After viewing this presentation, I realize that how we behave on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, Facebook in particular, really is a reflection of how we behave in real life. Some of us are quick to introduce our real life friends as well as our Facebook friends to each other, while other persons would prefer not to do this. The presenter used a few visuals to illustrate this connection between people to show how they relate to each other on social media. There was one particular visual with yellow dots and we saw how one person could have individual friends who are also friends of each other while another individual could have friends but these friends are not each other’s friends. The same applies in real life.
Nicholas Christakis’ video presentation comes on the heels our reading for this week in which we were introduced to CarePages, “a specialized sort of blogging system designed especially for patients.” (Li and Bernoff, 2008, pg 155) CarePages is an online system which helped patients at the hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), stay connected with their friends and family and family and friends were also able to post their best wishes for loved while they were hospitalized. This says the groundswell “can make a huge emotional difference for patients.” (Li and Bernoff, 2008, pg 155) One patient was even quoted as saying “We wouldn’t have made it without the CarePage.” (Li and Bernoff, 2008, pg 155) This is a perfect illustration of how social media influences behavior. It is also indicative of the fact that it is that innate human need to feel connected which drives social media.
I would like to think that the views and opinions expressed in this presentation are those of Mr. Nicholas Christakis and while some will share Mr. Christakis’ point of view there are others who feel differently. I had a conversation with a colleague just a few days ago and she thinks that social media has actually subtracted from our social interaction. She explained saying that when a friend celebrates a birthday, we no longer pick up the phone and call or visit with the friend, rather, we send a text, instant message (IM), blackberry message (BBM) or hail-up on Facebook. She sees social as that element of human interaction which involves a physical contact or at the least audio contact where people either see or hear each other. It goes without saying that she is not a fan of social media.
That said, I think that social media has become a very important and integral part of our lives, personally and professionally. Social media is playing an even greater role in how we do business and how we market our business. The Internet and social media have made the world a global village and have changed the way we communicate with each other. I believe that as humans, we are innately social beings who like to and who need to feel connected. Before social media, we were able to experience that connection to the people around us, those in close proximity. Now, with social media, we do not have to be close to someone to be connected with them. However, my personal thoughts are that social media although useful, should never replace the human contact and connection that we share. Where possible, I still think that we should reach out physically to people because nothing can take the place of the human touch.
Bronte
Reference
Li, C. and Bernoff, J. (2008) Groundswell. Harvard Business Press, Boston Massachusetts
http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_the_hidden_influence_of_social_networks.html
Seth Godin on Tribes We Lead
Seth Godin’s presentation on Tribes We Lead, is an overall serious, thought provoking and inspirational presentation which challenges us to get out there and start a tribe. In his presentation, Seth Godin argues that the Internet and social media have brought an end to mass marketing and instead we are seeing the creation of tribes which consists of a group of individuals with a set of shared ideas, values and/or beliefs. Seth Godin does not end his presentation before challenging us or urging us to get out there and create our own tribes.
Mr. Godin asks the question, ‘What do we do for a living?’ He contends that we try to change everything. Human beings are always trying to improve things and in trying to make things better, we effect change. I reflect on many of the great inventions such as the invention of the light bulb, the telephone and the airplane. These inventions are a result of people trying to make things better. Those persons who have created movements, or tribes, were the result of people trying to effect change. One such person, Susan G. Komen started a movement called Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Mr. Godin gives us the example in which a Jewish couple would smash a light bulb when they get married signifying a change from before to after, from old to new, “it is a moment in time”, he says. We are living at such a time when we are seeing a change in the way that ideas are created and spread and implemented. With the advent of social media, ideas and information are spread at lightning speed and this benefits marketers significantly because they can now get their message out to millions of people in a very short period of time.
Social media though, did not just happen. First there was the factory cycle and then television or mass marketing. Now we are experiencing a new model where each person has the potential to become a leader and hence start a tribe thanks to social media. For example, there are those who follow their favourite celebrities on twitter and there are persons who will ‘like’ a company’s Facebook page and become fans of that company. Each individual group could be referred to as a tribe. Key to starting a tribe is the ability to target and attract those with whom you have ideas and beliefs in common.
As I reflect on a time when I felt the impact of the changes that have come from increasing use of social media, I recall when my friends and I spoke via msn instant messaging. Then they established Facebook profiles and were therefore no longer using msn instant messaging. I recall when I would log onto my computer to see which of my friends were online and more and more, I found that they weren’t online. Instead, they were logged into their FaceBook accounts posting pictures and updating their statuses.
Bronte
References
Boomers rapid users of social media via smartphones: Nielsen By Cecilia Kang
The baby boomer cohort is comprised of persons who were born between 1946 and 1964. It is a common misconception that boomers do not use social media. Boomers are in fact using social media. According to Nielsen’s research, “boomers are helping drive a rapid growth in mobile social media, doubling their rate of adoption for Facebook, LinkedIn and other networking apps over their smartphones in the past year.”
Nielsen’s report concluded that “in May 2011, the number of Internet users 55 and older (boomers) using social media sites over mobile devices grew by 109 percent from a year earlier.” That is a significant increase. Another highlight of Nielsen’s survey was that “Internet users over the age of 55 are driving the growth of social networking through the Mobile Internet.” Accordingly, it seems that social media sites would be wise to cater to the needs of this group of persons.
It would help marketers to know what social media sites boomers frequent so that they can execute targeted marketed campaigns aimed at boomers. According to the Nielsen report, “that age group (boomers) was particularly active on professional sites such as LinkedIn, where one-third of all mobile app downloads are by users 45 and older.” Notwithstanding, the social media trend is spreading vigorously to encompass the baby boomer generation. Boomers are now dabbling in Facebook perhaps mainly to keep up with and keep in touch with their kids and grand kids. Studies show that many boomers utilize social media sites like FaceBook as a way to communicate with their children and grandchildren. I have a coworker who constantly uploads photos of her daughter so that her parents can see the progress their granddaughter is making. Some boomers just log on to see if there is any activity on their profile page, a group that the groundswell refers to as joiners or even spectators.
It’s no wonder then that social media sites are producing something for everyone, boomers included. I read on http://www.justmeans.com/Social-media-trends-Baby-Boomers/34362.html that “from runners to doctors to smurf lovers, the social media trend of niche marketing is encouraging the creation of websites for anyone who can get their hands on a computer with Internet access. This includes the Baby Boomer generation. “ One such website is www.about55.com.
Speaking of doctors, my doctor who is himself a boomer has a blackberry smartphone and a FaceBook page. When my mother took ill this year I spoke with him via blackberry messenger to make appointments for her etc. It was easy to correspond with him as I didn’t have to go through a secretary each time. I felt as though my doctor really cared and was accessible. On one of my visits he said to me as I was about to leave, bb me or FB me and tell me how your mom is doing. This is someone in his 50s, who would have thought.
Now this is testimony to the fact that boomers are indeed rapid users of social media via smartphones.
Bronte
References
Kang, C. (2011, July 19). Boomers rapid users of social media via smartphones: Nielsen – Post Tech – The Washington Post. The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines – The Washington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2011, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/boomers-rapid-users-of-social-media-via-smartphones-nielsen/2011/09/12/gIQARe8YNK_blog.h
Social media trends: baby boomers Retrieved October 16, 2011 from http://www.justmeans.com/Social-media-trends-Baby-Boomers/34362.html
Alexis Ohanian: How to make a splash in social media
In just over four minutes I heard so many great concepts presented in Alexis Ohanian’s presentation. True he spoke a little fast and he injected some light humour but I think but his points were well made. This is an interesting story of how one of the world’s best known environmental groups, Greenpeace, accomplished a very important mission. The mission itself is not so important, rather, it’s how Greenpeace accomplished its mission.
Greenpeace’s mission is to save whales and one of their initiatives was to insert a tracking device into a whale, but they wanted to name this whale. It’s interesting because there were some good and very serious names suggested, some of which seemed like names that were very likely to be chosen. Greenpeace took to the Internet super highway to solicit suggested names and along comes this cartoon sounding name ‘Mr. Splashy Pants.’ Surely nobody would vote for that name, certainly not Greenpeace. But the unthinkable happened, people did vote for ‘Mr. Spalshy Pants’ and when Greenpeace thought it was a joke, they extended the voting period only to find that even more people favoured the name ‘Mr. Splashy Pants.’ Not only did the name win the popular vote by a phenomenal margin but an entire marketing campaign was created centered around ‘Mr. Splashy Pants’. This campaign included a clothing line, pins and e-cards but there might be even more potential.
Mr. Splashy Pants could be made into a cartoon for children which teaches them the importance of saving the whales. As they say, the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow so if you want to cultivate a generation of people who believe in and support saving the whales, Greenpeace can target children with a cartoon named after the famous ‘Mr. Splash Pants.’ For Greenpeace, it was mission accomplished, they name the whale and they won the support of the government in their bid to save the whales.
A couple of things stood out with me. On the Internet, you don’t have to be so serious all the time. The world of social media, the groundswell consists of many different people and it’s quite obvious that many of them don’t take things as seriously as some of the executives sitting around tables in boardrooms. Also, the Internet is a level playing field. Everyone who has a browser has a ‘say.’ Secondly, it’s okay to lose control and quite frankly this is bound to happen on the Internet which gives everyone a chance to contribute. Finally, don’t expect your message to come only from top down. Expect to get contributions from across the board.
Bronte
The Transformed Media Landscape
The media landscape has been transformed. In the words of Clay Shirky, “we are now in a landscape where media is global, social, ubiquitous and cheap.” However, this landscape did not come about overnight. In his 15 minute presentation, Clay Shirky gave us an even greater appreciation of how the media landscape has changed with a historical account of how media has evolved over the years. It all began decades ago in the twentieth century with the printing press. This was followed by the invention of the telephone and later by the introduction of film. Years later, the media landscape evolved yet again with the advent of the Internet and social media.
One of the critical points made by Shirky is that historically, the media that was good at creating conversation was no good at creating groups and the media that good at creating groups was no good at creating conversation, meaning that in the twentieth century, if you wanted to get a message out, it was either with one other person or with a group, but not both at the same time.
This transformed media landscape has taken us from what was originally one-way communication as in the printing press, to two-way communication as in the telephone and now with the Internet, we have ‘many to many’ communication. ‘Many to many’ communication enables groups and masses of people to communicate or share their message with other groups of people. Everyone can get involved in the conversation with ‘many to many’ communication. There is no question that ‘many to many’ communication has significantly changed the way we communicate.
Shirky illustrated this ‘many to many’ communication concept with two compelling stories. The story which struck me most was the one in which Shirky recounted how people were able to use social media to talk about the earthquake which occurred in China last May as it happened. The world learned of the earthquake instantly. The total opposite happened some years ago when China experienced another earthquake but took months to admit that the country had experienced an earthquake. The fact is that the Internet and moreso social media allows for a freedom of speech that we have never seen before in the history of media. It’s difficult, in fact, nearly impossible to control or censor what people say. Even China, despite its valiant attempts to control social media had no control over what was said or what was reported as it relates to the earthquake last May.
The media landscape as we know it now, greatly reduces the ability to filter messages. It has increased our ability to connect with and communicate with large numbers of people. An event can happen in one part of the world and it takes only seconds for the entire world to learn of what happened, all because of social media. However, as effective as social media is, it should be used cautiously and responsibly because when a message is posted, it cannot be retracted or deleted. It is there for the world to see.
Bronte
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