Social media has not only impacted how businesses and public relations professionals have communicated with each other, but it has impacted other industries and professions as well. One in particular that has incorporated this in a big way has been the military. However, each branch has taken a different approach to it – some are very favorable to the new form of technology (Navy) while other branches have banned its use among their soldiers (US Marines). A blog post on Communication Conversations recently wrote about how the US Army is really embracing this new form of technology in terms of reaching out to their key audiences and interacting with others online. According to the same post, the US Army now has 61 soldiers that blog and interact with their followers. This is amazing! Plus, they are showing the human side of the brand by these personal stories, pictures, and visuals that the soldiers are presenting online to show people what is really is like to be in the armed forces and with the Army. Here is a link to their social media page.
Of course, there are some things to consider for the military when it comes to social media. They have to be aware that their soldiers do serve as their brand ambassadors and contribute to their overall reputation as a military branch. Plus, there is the issue of security measures – how do you control the messages and dialogue that is occurring online between soldiers and their publics? What can be learned in this situation is that you have to make sure that you have sound guidelines and policies on what can be said, and what information is confidential due to security reasons. The other thing to consider is the personal reputation of each of the soldiers and how they present themselves online. What pictures are they allowed to post online, or videos? How much transparency is appropriate? These are all issues and points to consider when determining what are the best practices for the military in working with social media.
Many elements of Public Relations are coming into play here – from Employee Relations to Crisis Communication to Reputation Management – from my standpoint, I believe that the US Army is ahead of the game. They are using social media to create long-term relationships based on honesty, trust, transparency, and consistent interaction between the organization (US Army) and its publics (ex. Families, communities, etc). I am a big supporter of the US Armed Forces, especially the US Army. My older sister, Kristin, graduated from West Point back in 2001, and has recently come back from her second tour of duty in Iraq. I am very proud of Kristin and for all of those brave men and women who have and are currently serving our country. Many thanks to all of you – God Bless you and America! 🙂
Hope you all are having a great day.
Best Wishes,
Karen
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