Social Media – blogs, photo/video sharing sites, social network, etc. – are a great way to be both transparent and authentic to your audiences. After all, if anyone can comment on a note from your CEO or peek inside the life of the company, then by definition you are breaking down traditional barriers between you and your audiences.
The Social Media arena has grown in popularity because it is very effective at both, but you should not approach these channels as another way to advertise or “spin” messages to your audiences. Open and honest communications work best here.
The most popular example of this was the Wal-Mart “flog” (fake blog) from a few years ago that backfired. Neither the bloggers nor their stories were truthful, and Wal-Mart’s management let this untruthful information represent their brand. Will they ever really be able to tell stories about their shoppers, truthful or otherwise, again without being met with some skepticism?
Social Media can be useful to help you build real relationships and conversations, but only when the company itself is being true to its brand, and perhaps more importantly, truthful to its audiences.
So, please do explore some Social Media Strategies, but heed this advice first:
- Be truthful when you need to, but don’t just show the rosy side – be real
- Ask for help from your community. They may have great ideas to share – be open
- Don’t be afraid your uniqueness – be human
