Being first to get your message out there doesn’t mean you’re “winning” (sorry, Charlie) the attention and loyalty of your audience. In fact, sometimes it can be just plain stupid. Take last week’s news that a Chrysler social media company was fired for tweeting that its executives don’t know how to (expletive deleted) drive. What’s worse was that the Tweet came directly from Chrysler, leading the press to originally report that it was done by an employee, not a social media firm hired to promote the company’s brand.
Yes, social media is edgy, thought-provoking and ahead of the curve. However, it can also cause embarrassment to a company, damage to a brand and lead to unemployment for its implementers.
Perhaps some of these so-called social media “experts” should get a dose of old-fashioned common sense. A few nuggets of wisdom that I learned in journalism school 25 years ago that still apply today even though the technology has evolved include:
- Never put anything out there (yes that means Tweeting, YouTubing, Facebooking, Linking-in, etc.) that you wouldn’t want to appear on everyone’s PDA the moment they wake up. Before hitting the send key ask yourself “Is this really a good idea and is it in my best interests (or my company’s) to do this?”
- Less is more – going back to my career in television news, a wise executive producer once told me to “Keep it simple…that means one thought per sentence.” Twitter makes this easier to do but always make sure your messages are clear and concise.
- Do it for your audience, not your ego. It’s not about you – are you listening Charlie Sheen? – it’s about your clients, consumers and stakeholders. How will they react to your messages? Who are they and what do they want to hear? Be strategic in your communications.
There’s no question that you will make mistakes out there in the technosphere, but the chances of them being less egregious are better if you review those old, dusty rules of journalism 101. Social media is a wonderful device for breaking down the artificial barriers of distance and stuffiness. Just be sure you don’t also drop your guard on common sense.
