Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be a scary place during a crisis. One poorly written comment or response can be devastating, turning public opinion against the perceived offender. However, social media can also be a valuable crisis communications tool and can be utilized to get out your side of the story. To improve our social media crisis communications, we must learn from the successes and failures of others. For this reason, I have listed below what I consider to be the good, the bad and the ugly of using social media during a crisis. The Good: Britt McHenry’s Twitter apology ESPN reporter Britt McHenry upset everyone when she was caught on camera being nasty to a female tow-truck employee, ridiculing the woman’s weight, education and appearance. Anyone who saw the video was left with a terrible impression of McHenry. At first, McHenry was silent about the issue […]
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Become a Social Media Superstar with These 5 Steps
In this digital economy, virtually every organization wants to be a social media superstar. And why not? According to the “Norton Online Living Report” back in 2009, 49% of worldwide web users (i.e. customers) had at least one social network profile. But being a social media superstar requires more than a few random tweets here and there. It requires time, commitment and a great content strategy. Read my five steps below to develop a social media strategy that will help you engage your audience and rise above the competition. 1. Know thy goals! What are your goals? Do you want to build your personal brand, raise public awareness about a sensitive issue, or sell more products? Do you have multiple goals? Determine your goals and write them down! 2. Who’s your audience? Knowing your audience is crucial to your social media success. After all, if you don’t understand your audience […]
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