“I’m calling you because I’m in the happy doodle business. This guy wants to get serious. Maybe you can help him. Here’s his number”
That’s the call I got late one afternoon from a well-regarded PR agency that specializes in happy stories. But, life isn’t always happy, fun or pretty – even though some PR people would like it to be.
It turns out I couldn’t help this guy, either. He had some environmental and legal PR issues that were way beyond our scope. But, I did take the time to talk to him and caution him about the reactions his company might get when they took the story to the press. That was before social media.
When I talk to people about getting started in social media, I tell them to think about layering. If you’re wearing 20 sweaters, how many are you willing to take off before you feel comfortable? Some people are fine in a bathing suit and others will always, always, always stay bundled up.
In social media, the more bundled up you are, the less likely you are to succeed. But, the more open you are, the more open you are to getting rebuked and attacked. “I broke out in a cold sweat when I saw what people were saying about people who sent auto-follow message on twitter. I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong.” a well-meaning and well-respected marketing advisor – who is in no way a spammer – told me.
Now we’re watching the reaction to a twitter update sent by a Ketchum employee about his experience in Memphis. [Disclaimer: Ketchum featured one of our clients in their client’s publication.] How can one tiny update get so much attention?
I feel for the guy. Maybe he shouldn’t have typed what he did, but why not learn from, forgive and forget? Is it time to stop writing social media tabloid posts?
The biggest lesson here is a simple one: never be negative about anything clients might be sensitive about anywhere, especially in a twitter update clients are watching and you’re on your way to their offices to teach them about social media. The tricky part: might be sensitive about . . . sometimes you don’t know until you step in it.
Do we always have to be nice and happy? How do you set up your social media boundaries?
About the Author
3 Responses to Happy Doodle or Real Life: Questioning Twitter Boundaries
I have been trying to figure this Twitter thing for 2 months. I seldom use it yet I continue to get new followers… What are they following?
Hi Barbara. My name is Cory Angeletti. I’m a public relations student at Humber College in Toronto, Canada. I have recently been exposed to Twitter as an important social media tool. In my program we are encouraged to get involved with various social media outlets because of its increasing popularity and the fast pace at which it is being included into PR strategies and tactics. So I joined Twitter and embarked on the beginning of my social media adventure. The only thing is that I don’t really know where it’s taking me. I understand the basics of Twitter, and I may even understand the merit and value of frequently updated tweets, IF they contain specific goals or targeted messages. Unfortunately, this is not the case with me. I don’t feel as though I have important enough or interesting messages/updates to post on Twitter. I also don’t want to say the wrong thing. But if I can’t post what I’m really thinking or feeling than what is the point? Instead I refrain from tweeting most of the time. So, if I make infrequent tweets, is it still valuable for me to be on Twitter? Is it enough for me to have a social media presence with tools such as Twitter? Or do I need to be more actively involved in order for my involvement in social media to make a difference when I’m trying to enter the work world in less than four months?
Pingback: College Public Relations Students and Social Media: Maximizing Twitter Value | Wired PR Works