How to Handle Social Media During Social and Societal Discord
Many of you have asked me when to do right now when it comes to social media and your brand. Some of you have personal brands and some of you have corporate brands. Some of you sell products and some sell services.
I will say one thing: I do not have the answer because there isn't one.
No one wrote a handbook for how to handle or approach social media when dealing with many of the issues we face in today's world. Here are some important steps to consider when deciding WHAT to do.
First, start by doing a gut check. Ask yourself if it feels appropriate to be posting or sharing your normal content at this very moment. Also, ask yourself if it feels right to address the situation at hand. It might not be right for your brand, and that is YOUR decision to make. Don't worry about others, this is about you and what you feel is right, right now.
This is important because you know your business best. If the world around you and what is going on seems to be going sideways, it might be best to pause before commenting. If you know what you want to say, and it feels right for you and your brand (personal or corporate), then say it. Please make sure necessary parties are informed and aligned in this decision.
Know that if you choose to address the topic publicly, you will build a connection with your community surrounding the topic, there will be no question as to where you stand, and you will likely gain followers who feel the same way.
Also know that if you comment you might upset some people, you need to be prepared to respond, and you might lose some followers who don’t agree with you.
Many of you have asked, so I am going to share here some of the ways my own clients have responded on social media to the current turn of events. Again, there is no right or wrong response. You have to respond and handle in a way that is BEST for you and your brand. These are only examples, any decisions you make are yours to determine.
One of my clients is a personal brand. She has shared her opinion and has talked about it through social, also sharing resources. Just late yesterday she started to also resume normal posting at a slower cadence than she normally posts.
One of my clients who sells product at national retailers decided not to address their opinion publicly, but addressed it privately to their employees. They paused social media execution for the weekend and are picking back up this week as regularly scheduled.
One of my clients is a prominent influencer. She has shared her opinion as she is her brand. In my opinion, I think it is important to do so. I do not agree with online creators and personalities who stay silent on tough topics to avoid ruffling feathers. I feel strongly that if you put yourself out into the world for topics such as what shoes to wear and your childcare, you should also be taking a stance on important issues that actually impact us
One of my clients is a physical space that provides a service for small businesses. They have addressed the topic in their stories on IG, not on their feed.
One of my clients is a CPG who has not addressed the SCOTUS decision at all publicly.
One of my clients is a community supporting women. They issued a statement of devastation on June 24th. They have since gone on to provide resources and address the SCOTUS decision in their stories.
As you can see, there is no one way to handle or address a situation as tough as this one. Go with your instincts and if it feels off and you don’t know what to do, simply pause until you are ready and comfortable.
How have you addressed the topic, if at all?
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