Archive for category Internet Marketing

Social Media etiquette was brought to the forefront of media discussion this past week after a couple of twitter incidents involving Chrysler and Aflac led to terminations, brand injury and public apologies.

An employee of New Media Strategies, the agency that handled Chrysler’s Twitter account, was terminated after posting a negative tweet regarding Detroit drivers. The second incident involved the comedian behind the famous Aflac duck voice who posted a series of insensitive jokes regarding the tsunami tragedy in Japan on his personal twitter. Both employees were terminated, Chrysler announced it would not renew New Media Strategies’ contract, and the famous Aflac duck commercials have been pulled off the air until a suitable duck voice replacement can be found. Public apologies were also made on behalf of the two corporations, stating that the tweets did not reflect the views or opinions of the companies.

All This Fuss Over Tweets?

This may seem like harsh action taken on behalf of a couple tweets. After all, in the case of Aflac, the comedian was posting to his personal account. Why should he be punished for comments made on his own Twitter? Well, while personal and professional lives were once kept separate, that’s hardly the case now. Companies are increasingly directing social media marketing efforts via Twitter, Facebook and other platforms, opening up limitless opportunities for companies to be creative, unique and communicate their branded message. This great opportunity, however, opens up businesses to new liabilities, and in this case, the liabilities were the employees themselves.

Many companies now require or encourage their employees to have Twitter and Facebook accounts, to tweet and re-tweet on behalf of the company in order to gain followers, fans and exposure on the web (Did you know it helps with organic ranking?). Even if employees attempt to keep their personal accounts entirely separate from work matters, there is almost no way to make sure the tweets and comments are not re-tweeted or shared. THE MOMENT YOU HIT SEND, your thoughts are broadcast to an infinite virtual audience and there’s no way to get them back.

How Does This Affect Me?

With the power and influence of social media extending farther every day, personal and professional lines continue to blur- employers and customers can see what employees are posting and, while it’s easy to use social media outlets as a stream of random thoughts, it is wise to take a second before hitting send to ask, “How does this reflect on me? How does this reflect on my company?” Because, like it or not, personal thoughts broadcast over the internet by employees ARE reflections on your company and one mindless tweet could leave a harmful dent in the company’s reputation. That’s not to say posts can’t be funny, silly or casual, but some things can be a liability.

Man, So I Have to Micro-Manage My Employees’ Tweets On Top Of Everything Else?

Well, no. Employers should be aware that employees may not be knowledgeable of the do’s and don’ts of social media posting. No one wants their employer controlling their social media spaces, but in a new world where personal and professional lives collide and the rules on social media etiquette may be unclear, it is wise to implement an SMM policy for your company.

Make sure the person or persons in charge of your company’s Twitter, Facebook etc. know what will and won’t be tolerated because, for most follower or fans, that may be the only exposure they have to your company. You want to give off a good impression as well as have your brand message be communicated in the right way. And for your other employees, educate them on what is and isn’t acceptable to be communicated over the public internet, even on personal accounts, and explain to them how personal tweets and posts reflect on the business. The Chrysler and Aflac PR crises may have been avoided if the employees had known that what they did wasn’t ok before they did it.

So, employers, take time to educate your employees on social media etiquette as it relates to your company. A simple training on the do’s and don’ts of social media posting could be the difference between preserving a good reputation for your business and having to repair a tarnished one. You also don’t want to be in the position of firing an employee for a tweet they didn’t intend to be harmful because they didn’t know any better. Let them know, before they send out a tweet, to take a minute and think, “Would this be something my boss would be ok with?”

And if you need ideas on how your company can better communicate its message as part of brand building strategy via social media marketing, we at Marion would love to help you reach your goals.

Happy tweeting!