The Political Perspective on the Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media

The political realm becomes a good example of thinking about the do’s and don’ts of using social media when working to build your brand for your company. You don’t have to be in politics to appreciate this comparison. 

Let’s use the strategic and proactive do example of President Barack Obama versus the incredibly inappropriate version of what not to do by Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Tips to Follow

While two years old, an article in the New Mexico Independent (“Tips for Politicians Using Social Media”) seems apropos for thinking about how no matter what realm you play and work in and want to use social media, you need to think strategically and be careful – after all, what you do and say on the Internet travels fast and furiously and rarely ever disappears. 

Consider these tips below and think about the Do’s and Don’ts that should be followed:

·        Be respectful of those you follow. People you follow are looking for interesting conversation and refreshing tweets or posts. If they follow you, we recommend that you follow them back. People appreciate that show of respect. They are often frustrated and leave your site when they follow, but, can't seem to make your follow list.

·      Be yourself and be authentic. Those who follow you really want to hear about what is going on in your world. If they didn't want to know you, they likely wouldn't have requested to follow you. If you are in a position that requires professional assistance in managing your Social Media sites, we encourage you to utilize a firm like Flyline Search Marketing. Clearly, President Obama most likely has someone doing the job for him. Even when Flyline Search Marketing handles a program for someone, we always encourage the person to participate as often as possible.

·       Interact but think about what you do. This is one of those Do’s that Rep. Weiner might have wanted to think a bit more about before he decided to interact with some of his followers in inappropriate ways, especially since he is already a public figure. Engaging in conversation and sending pictures needs to be really thought out before you make the wrong move and say the wrong thing only to realize that RSS feeds and Google Alerts have shared it with the rest of the world.

·       Use multimedia tools responsibly. President Obama’s staff understands that social media most definitely helped his presidential campaign. In fact, there a many who believe that he would not have been elected without it. He and his staff continue to value the idea that social media tools can help reach constituents and get feedback on what the American people are thinking about and what they are feeling. This means that President Obama not only uses Twitter and Facebook, but his strategies of going to the people also involve YouTube videos and regular blogs and content that shares his ideas, policies, and programs.

·        Learn by example. There are numerous examples – politicians and otherwise – who have used social media for success and have also suffered embarrassment, tarnished images, and damaged reputations. Certainly, Rep. Weiner’s denial and then admittance only made the situation worse as the evidence that he was using social media in a questionable way was already apparent (despite the hacker story, which was as believable as the “dog ate my homework” tale).

Go where your customers are, join their groups, engage them in conversation and share with them (just think about what and how much you share) in a way that helps enhance your brand and/or your company.

 Share your questions or ideas below on what you think are the best do’s and don’ts of social media and we’ll share them in future posts.