Social Media Category
How to Tame a Social Media Firestorm
These days, everyone from celebrities to big-name CEOs sets Twitter ablaze with personal meltdowns. So, what do you do if one of them is your client or disgruntled employee? It’s important to be prepared. Try these tips for handling a social-media crisis:
- Assess the situation and respond accordingly. No two scenarios are alike, so gather the facts (like making sure the person is OK) and decide the best course of action. If your client Tweets a drunken rant, it’s probably best to delete the post and issue an apology. If your fired co-worker wages e-war, it might be best to post a public statement explaining the situation.
- Educate your audience. If a disgruntled employee is falsely defaming your company, post a statement with the facts. But make sure you investigate and find out if there’s more to the story from the employee’s side.
- Don’t engage in a public feud. The worst thing you can do is throw down the gauntlet and battle on Facebook or Twitter. Instead of disputing any claims, you’ll open your brand to a public spanking.
- Time heals. Sometimes, the best remedy is to ride out the storm. Liz Vogel, Ideopia’s director of public relations, said, “Sometimes, just be happy you didn’t make it worse.” She’s right. You can’t always fix it, but you can control if you fuel or extinguish the flames.
As social media continues to grow in popularity, so will e-meltdowns. So be prepared. Looking for more defense? Check out our video on crisis management.
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Does Your Company Need a Social-Media Policy?
Most of us use Facebook and we Tweet. Heck, most of us are doing it while at work. So what’s your company’s policy on social media? Here’s how some corporations handle it:
- Dell encourages its employees to use social media, but they better disclose where they work and use spellcheck. If an employee’s account uses Dell branding, the company may own it, including all the contacts. If they don’t follow the PC giant’s policies, they may find themselves job hunting.
- If you work at the Mayo Clinic, feel free to Tweet, just don’t let it distract you from work. Also, don’t “friend” any patients, and make sure you write in the first person, not on behalf of the organization.
- Part of the team at Ford Motor Company? Use common sense. Don’t share privileged information and don’t speculate on future products. You speak for yourself, but your actions reflect on Ford. And also: The Internet remembers, and it’s virtually impossible to take something back, so keep that in mind.
There’s still a lot of grey area when it comes to social media, but each day more and more companies adopt policies to cover themselves and their employees. Have you noticed any social-media FUBARs at your workplace?
Invasion of the Social Media Snatchers
Who owns your Twitter or Facebook followers? Are you sure?
Tweeting on behalf of an employer or trolling for new business through LinkedIn could get your accounts snatched. Two companies are suing former employees over the issue. Both cases are still winding through the halls of justice.
At stake is who really owns a personal Twitter or LinkedIn account, when it’s used to rustle up new business or spew company talking points.
Mobile phone site Phonedog.com says a former employee’s 17,000 Twitter followers are actually a customer list. Training company Edcomm tried to argue that its employee’s LinkedIn account was a trade secret—even though she had the account prior to working there.
“Watch out for sour grapes,” isn’t the only moral of this story. Employers beware: when people move on, their social media accounts may too. Working stiffs need to be cautious as well. When you change jobs, you might not be able to take your Twitter friends with you. Keep an eye on the courts!
Twitter Draws NFL Players to Restaurant
Professional athletes love social media and grub. So when NFL player David Clowney asked for Cincinnati restaurant recommendations on Twitter, we were all ears. On behalf of Morton’s The Steakhouse, we Tweeted our beefy suggestion from their @Mortons_Cinci account.
Not even an hour later, he and his teammates were chowing down on steaks and telling the world all about it.
The story was recently featured in Food & Beverage Magazine to help restauranters boost their brands with social media. In this case, all it took was a keen eye on Twitter and a brief interaction to turn big profits for Morton’s.
Are you tuned in to what your customers are saying and ready to act when they do? Learn more about Ideopia’s social media capabilities on our website.
Check out the full sequence of Tweets below:
Why Google+ is Good for Business
Google+ has evolved from a curiosity to a necessity for business. One of the most pragmatic reasons is that participation in Google+ boosts your company’s search-engine rankings.
An informal study by Rand Fishkin, CEO of SEOmoz, seems to support the conclusion. After distributing links to a blog post on other major social media platforms, Google+ received the most clickthroughs.
Major companies, like Pepsi, Macy’s and Toyota have committed serious resources to Google+, betting it will plus-size their profits. That’s why we suggest getting out in front while the competition is still relatively low.
Launched in July 2011, Google+ was designed to dethrone Facebook. The debate has raged among SEOs, social media experts and marketers about the ultimate relevance of Google+. The conclusion? You have to join us.
Starting a Google+ Account
To open a Google business page, you must first have a personal Google account, which configures quickly with just an email address.
Installing Google+ is a breeze. Just add a scrap of code from Google that your developer can place on your web page. Like our site? Show your love by hitting the Google+ icon at the bottom of the page.
Read more about Google+ on Ideopia’s Wavybrainy blog.