What is interesting to see is not only what social media sites are being used by people. Whether it is “friending” people or brands on Facebook or following them on Twitter – or even putting together a listserv through email or other sharing websites. Public relations professionals are discussing the benefits of social media in engaging in communication with audiences, listening to conversations and reacting to these needs and expectations, and forming relationships online.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner – it seems like everyone is having relationships on their mind – as well as fabulous flowers and chocolate! :)In many ways – getting a social media profile account for an individual or company is similar to dating and being in a relationship.
However, with this being said – the real question is – what happens after the social media relationship is over and are facing a “social media breakup” with followers and friends? When is it appropriate to say that this was great, but time to move on to the next new social media site? How can public relations professionals know whether or not they are investing enough in these sites to make sure that they are providing a balanced dialogue and conversation with their online community without appearing as spam or creating an over-saturated environment?
These are all questions that should come up because we have to recognize that while social media is a very strong presence in today’s society – both personally and professionally – we have to determine what are some of the factors that make people decide to “break up” with brands and individuals online on these social networking sites. From either posting too much information or having the same information being repeated and shared over and over again – these are just a few reasons why people quit these social media sites all together, according to ExactTarget and CoTweet that published the study. Mashable just posted a very interesting article about “The Social Break-up” study looking at the reasons why people unsubscribe to various social media platforms (ex. Facebook and Twitter) and traditional electronic communications (ex. email).
What are the risks to this from a crisis communications standpoint? There is a fine balance here and it is hard to maintain – you want to make sure that you have an engaging dialogue and open line of communication with these individuals and make sure that you have a consistent presence on these sites – but what happens if people tune out because you are too present to them? But the flip side of this issue is that if you are not active on it and a crisis happens – people will label the organization as being reactive and not proactive in establishing a clear online presence. In many ways, it is a tricky situation for crisis communications and public relations professionals working with social media.
So, what can PR and crisis communications professionals do about this? There are several things – first, they have to understand that while social media and emerging technologies are continuing to evolve and change – they have to be aware of these trends so they accommodate the needs and expectations of information from their audiences. They do not want to quit one site because only a few of their members did – they want to make sure that they do have a presence on the social media sites relevant to their particular audiences. Second, it is key to be aware of what are some of the must-haves and must-not-dos when it comes to communicating and being on social media. If people want a consistent presence but not feel spammed or overloaded with information – PR and crisis communications professionals have to take that into consideration. If this means that they are concerned about being followed or other privacy issues – this is good to know.
The point is – research and understanding the needs and expectations of our audience is key in making sure that our communication lines over social media are effective and help establish a long-term relationship with these individuals.
These are just a few of my thoughts on the subject. Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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