Social Media Blunders: Save Face and Your Reputation

The great thing about social media is, companies can create buzz about their brands in record speeds. They can also get consumers talking about them on an international scale, all with the touch of a button.

But at the same time, companies have learned that they can destroy their reputations and public goodwill, also within an instant. Before you allow an inexperienced employee to hit the send button, or before you make a faux pas that can cost you dearly, consider some of the most common social media blunders that others have committed.

Don’t make alienating remarks

Most large corporations understand why they shouldn’t make alienating remarks in the body of their public media content, but this is an aspect that smaller entities get wrong. This is particularly true if the media content is produced by an owner-operator.

Examples include disparaging comments against people based on their gender, religion, or their political beliefs. In short, if you have to consider whether or not the post you’re about to send on social media will be offensive, then don’t send it.

This rule is especially true if the comment is something that should be said in private conversation, and never spoken in public!

Tasteless newsjacking of national tragedies

Newsjacking is a term in public relations that refers to using a national news event to attract attention to one’s social media or other marketing platform. Specifically, the author of the content attempts to find clever ways to integrate the national tragedy into their marketing message.

An example of poor and tasteless newsjacking involved a company’s social media team referencing the September 11th tragedy in their marketing media to promote a product. Another example involved a blogger who used a church shooting incident to promote their dating site.

Just don’t go there

The purpose of using social media is to connect with prospects, offer immediate customer service, and hopefully, drive leads through your sales funnel. But you don’t accomplish your goals if your social media marketing efforts are working against you.

Do yourself a favor. If you have any doubts about your team’s ability to produce social media content that makes your brand look attractive and reputable, then you may want to leave this task in the hands of internet marketing Las Vegas professionals. Once you make a social marketing mistake, it can’t be unseen or undone!