The Fear of Social Media

In late June I took the plunge and attended my first Social Media Club event. While it was difficult to neglect my usually nightly line up of reality shows, I soon realized that these events bring together a more varied cast than “The Real World.” Please note that unlike “The Real World” there were no drunken brawls, dramatic fits or Jacuzzi scenes—that I was privy to anyways…

There were, however, a few messages/themes that resonated with me last night, the first of which I will discuss in this blog entry, the fear of social media. (Cue the spooky music)

Fear of Social Media

One of the main messages to be conveyed last night was that people, clients, colleagues and parents, are afraid of the prospect of social media. But this is to be expected; of course people are going to be frightened by the prospect of something new.. There is always the fear of the unknown, it’s natural, human. Heck, I was even a bit nervous before I got to the event.

But it’s apparent that the questions that people are asking about how social media will affect their brand are the same questions that some are still asking about PR. I think anyone who’s ever worked in an agency can relate to the feeling you get when a client asks you for the equation for coverage. But, I am proud to say that I have finally discovered the equation, it took me 3 months, several cases of Diet Coke and a loom of paper, but I’ve got it!

PR and SM are about putting your company “out there” and engaging with other people. In PR you are connecting with the media, with SM it’s engaging with the community. In both circumstances there are unknowns; reporters could pose a question about a company scandal, a topic that you’re not supposed to comment on, or they could write a horrible article about you and put it on the cover. In the SM community there are also unknowns; someone could post nasty comments to your blog, they could write something negative on a message board or upload a video on YouTube where they burn one of your products in a sadistic ritual.

To guard against this type of uncertainty you need to be armed with the proper information—what they are saying about you. You would never walk blindly into an interview with a reporter that had written poorly about your company in the past. Research would be done about the articles and his sources and you’d be prepared to answer the tough questions. The same should be done with SM. Instead of taking a swan dive into a community that has looked at your company with an unfavorable eye, read and listen to what is being said. After that, you can formulate your best responses and defenses.

Let’s face it, there are going to be people that are going to talk badly about you regardless, and the issues you’ve tried to hide under the rug are going to get stirred up. It basically comes down to this; do you want them saying it behind your back or do you want them saying it to your face, so at least you will have the chance to defend yourself.

What are your thoughts? Would you rather sit by and be talked about or have a say in the conversation?

*Cheri Lapane