Navigating Social Media Nightmares

Social media nightmares are the most significant concern I hear when I talk with businesses about using social media to grow their message is the “what if…”

• What if someone uses my social media account to address a concern they have with my business?
• What if someone says something terrible about my brand online?
• What if…?

Usually, I ask them in return: What if that happened in your store? They typically have an answer: “Well, I’d take them to my office or somewhere more private, and we’d talk about their concern.” The irony in that answer is that it is the same technique you’d use to diffuse a situation. What happens online is no different. You publicly offer to meet or talk in a more private setting, then work to resolve the issue to the best of your ability in that more private setting. The secondary concern I encounter when talking with a business about engaging in social media is, ” But what would I say? That I just got a cup of coffee? No one wants to know that.” And they are correct; no one wants to know that a business just went and got a cup of coffee. (By the way, how would a company get a cup of coffee?) But every business has a unique body of knowledge that is theirs and theirs alone. If you’re a tire company, you know how to test for wear on tires, what that screeching sound is when your customer steps on the brakes, and you probably know how badly cruise control and black ice work together. To you, those are the everyday bits of knowledge that allow you to do your job. However, to an audience on social media, they are helpful tidbits of information that could help them someday in a pinch. It’s something they may have never heard before or something they may have forgotten. Your goal as a business operating in social media is to figure out your unique body of knowledge and share it on Facebook five days out of every seven and on Twitter 3-7 times a day. Another extraordinary use of social media for any business is to highlight your favorite non-profit, business partners, and groups to which you belong. Donate your status update to something besides your company once a month on Facebook or at least once a week on Twitter. Expand your community presence and become an integral part of your community. Taking these simple steps will help you engage in the world of social media without becoming a social media nightmare. Happy Halloween!