There are certain tenets held sacred by those who are heavily invested in social media, whether personally or professionally: Follower and fan counts don't matter. Companies can no longer dictate one-way communications to customers. Interns shouldn't be managing a brand's social media presence. Anyone who says that social media can't be measured is not to be trusted.
photo © 2008 Chris Chan | more info(via: Wylio)I could go on. But my point is simple: there are certain principles that both social media enthusiasts and professionals bounce around their collective echo chamber. So much so, that these ideas have become 101-level knowledge to anyone who has been paying attention.
But just as the few semesters of Spanish that I studied in college weren't nearly the equivalent of a semester of studying abroad, a modicum of social media knowledge is not the same as true cultural immersion. And lack of cultural awareness can be a dangerous thing.
To that end, take heed of these 4 cultural tips in order to add depth to your social media toolkit:
First, never try to profit from a real-life crisis.
The speed of social sharing can quickly exacerbate an insensitive faux pass. Just ask Kenneth Cole. Or, if you're up for a quick Google search, type in the words "microsoft bing campaign japan" (See how I didn't suggest that you "Bing" that?).
Both Kenneth Cole and Microsoft's Bing were taken to task on Twitter and other social channels for turning catastrophes into marketing opportunities (though I, and many others, have respect for Microsoft's good intentions). Don't make the mistake of being insensitive to human suffering. If you do, you're putting the reputations of yourself, your company or your client at risk.
Second, help more than you sell.
Nothing turns off prospective customers and professional contacts more than a poorly-timed sales push. Thus, it's important to provide service, curate valuable content and participate in meaningful conversations with your target audiences far more than you push products through social media channels. Chris Brogan, for one, suggests a 12:1 ratio of promoting others to promoting yourself.
Don't get me wrong. Proving the ROI of your social media efforts is not only important - it's critical. Yes, there are many valid goals for social media. However, if your social media efforts cannot be conclusively linked to some combination of increased sales, reduced costs, improved lead generations or enhanced customer service, then you won't be managing your organization's social media efforts for long.
So, on the topic of being helpful, here's my advice: pick up a copy of Social Media ROI, a great book from Oliver Blanchard (@thebrandbuilder) - immediately.
Third, never stunt innovation.
Those who use the tools that power social media communications are often early technology adopters. If not, then they're at least keenly aware of the value that innovative new technologies unlock for their businesses and personal relationships. Consequently, attempts to stifle innovation are met within social media channels with disdain.
Take, for example, Verifone's demand for a recall of Square credit card readers. Verifone's alarmist letter - which publicized a supposed security loophole within Square's card processing product - not only demanded a recall of all Square card readers, but it also outlined the process for producing a malicious app to skim credit card information from Square customers. Verifone's attack was almost immediately challenged as ethically questionable within Twitter and by popular bloggers, who viewed the letter as a attempt to protect an established business by stamping out an innovative upstart.
Perhaps most damning to Verifone's smear campaign, however, was the reputation of Square's co-founder, Jack Dorsey. While Square is considered an innovative company in its own right, Dorsey is also revered for creating Twitter. Dorsey's smart, brief response to Verifone, combined with negative chatter within social media circles, turned Verifone's attack into a negative PR situation.
The lesson: unless you're hoping that social media influencers will reserve a special seat for you within the eighth ring of hell (alongside patent trolls), don't try to suppress technological progress. And if you do fight, keep it clean.
photo © 2011 justaufo | more info(via: Wylio)Fourth, humor and humility = #winning.
We all make mistakes. How we handle them - regardless of whether they happen in the physical or virtual world - is often the difference between subsequent success and failure.
Quick - what would you do if one of your employees insinuated that your team was drunk on the job? Would you fire them? Post a carefully-crafted blog post that was thoroughly scrutinized by your legal department? Or would you just make light of the situation if your employee simply made a mistake on his/her own time?
The latter response is how the American Red Cross handled the infamous #gettngslizzerd tweet from Gloria Huang, a Red Cross social media specialist. After the incident, the organization joked from its official Twitter account that "the Red Cross is sober and we've confiscated the keys." Rather than firing Huang for show, the Red Cross handled its crisis with humor and saw a corresponding surge in donations, bolstered by the warm reaction to its sense of humor over a trivial matter.
Summary: Know the culture.
In conclusion, there are some subtle principles within the world of social media that, if ignored, can torpedo your brand: Catastrophe does not equal opportunity. Selling is subordinate to helpfulness. Innovation is revered. A sense of humor is mandatory.
Ignore these precepts at your own risk. You can always gamble and hope that flouting conventional wisdom will pay off for you. But do you really want to take that chance?
What nuances of social media culture am I missing? Let me know with a comment below!
Note: This post originally appeared on my personal blog.