Social Media Rules of Engagement

By: Sarah Miller

Transcript

1. Social Media Rules of Engagement By: Sarah Miller
2. Who should be reading? o  Those who are interested in social media and brand development. o  Those who wish for a stronger media presence for their company. o  Those in PR and Marketing. o  Anyone who owns their own company.
3. Communication o  The digital age has changed the way we attain information, but a communicator’s ability to communicate still remains critical to success. So this means that how we communicate is just as important as what we communicate to our audience.
4. Authenticity o  In social media, conforming to a mold is a big mistake. o  Companies and organizations that have a clear and authentic voice are those that are creating a following and enhancing purchases.
5. The “Social Media Iceberg” o  Your audience is seeing the piece of the iceberg that is above water. This area is small and is misleading to what is underneath. o  But underwater is a whole different world. That is where the majority of the “social media magic” takes place.
6. Your Audience o  It is simple; you must know your social media audience. o  The time when having a social media platform was an optional thing is gone. o  Social media is the present and future of communicators. Your mission should be to know your audience and know what they want to see from your social media.
7. The other STDs o  “Socially transmitted disasters” or the “PRFail” o  Once a “PRFail” has gone viral, it is out there for good. o  A “PRFail” is most likely to occur when you are reckless. o  Being reckless in your actions, your word choice, or even a response to someone on the outside is going to get yourself into trouble. o  The simple way to avoid this is to have all employees, no matter their position, aware of your crisis policy.
8. Fact vs. Fiction o  “Spinning stories has never been easier, yet separating fact from fiction has never been harder” (p. 113) o  Your audience is going to determine your believability and the hard thing is that there is no way to truly measure how much people believe you.
9. Be a human o  Your audience want to hear from you, not a machine or device. So add yourself, a human, into the mix. o  Social media cannot do it all. It cannot tell you what to communicate. It cannot tell you the boundary between organizational ethics and morality lies. It cannot tell you how to show leadership and character.
10. Verify, verify, verify o  Any information, picture, video, article, you need to verify where it came from. It doesn’t matter if someone said it is from a past story the company ran or if an employee of the company took it. Before posting anything, the source needs to be verified.
11. Social Media Influence o  Being someone who is skilled at influencing others not just a skill you are either born with or you are not. You may be naturally talented at influencing people, but it is also a skill that can be learned and very useful.
12. Plan for risk o  Planning for a social media crisis is just like having a backup plan in real life. o  Knowing what to do when things do not go as accordingly is important. o  Plan for a social media crisis so when or if it happens, you will be prepared.
13. Your team o  Pick and choose your team wisely. You want people behind you that are going to benefit the company and know what to in a crisis. The right team can make all the difference for an organization or company.
14. Work Cited Matejic, Nicole. Social Media Rules of Engagement: Why Your Online Narrative Is the Best Weapon During a Crisis. Melbourne: John Wiley & Sons Australia, 2015. Print.