PR people are not exempt from using social media to offend
many, instigate legal action by clients, and ruin their own careers. Why? Ignorance. Yes, I
have seen one PR professional promote (without payment) a hair care line when
she represented a paying client that was a competing hair care line. Can you
say common sense?!
There are some rules for navigating your own, and your
company’s, social media accounts. Here they are;
1.
Never say anything negative about anyone on social
media. I don’t care if the devil gets his/her own verified account on Twitter,
don’t say a thing! Remember the golden rule… if you don’t have anything nice to
say, don’t say it at all.
2.
Boundaries still exist. A photo goof on FB
recently ruined a real estate marketing professional’s career. He took a photo
of a bedroom closet in a home for sale and posted it on FB. No big deal, right?
Well, he was in his underwear in the client’s home. The closet had a mirror and
his caption read “isn’t this huge!” I’m still not sure if he knew you could see
his underwear wearing reflection in the closet’s mirrored door or not. Maybe it
was a gimmick? Either way, boundaries are needed. If what you are posting isn’t
acceptable on the front page of your hometown newspaper, it isn’t acceptable on
social media.
3.
Shamelessly promoting your PR skills, your
name-dropping lifestyle, and your clients’ brands isn’t engaging to anyone.
Yes, stating “congrats” or “welcome” about clients or your achievements is OK,
but don’t do it more than once per occasion. Make sure you acknowledge and then move on.
Reposting boastful comments, videos, or photos will irritate people and make
them hate your brand!
I hope this information helps you navigate social media
outlets a little bit better this week.
Until next time,
Coco the CEO
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