We’re living in a world where the leader of the U.S. tweets his every movement and #burn is so common, even grandmas know what it means.
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat: We use them every day – personally and professionally. But how do we know when our online game has gone too far?
You’ve written a witty response on behalf of your employer or you wrote a joke that you thought was funny, but was really far from it. There’s such a fine line to making sure you’re still hip and jive (ha!) to the platforms and that you’re still falling in line with your client’s online persona. So, how do you know?
Speak with your employer or client before launching the program. Really talk to them and listen to what they’re saying. Show them examples of social media accounts you think are similar to where they should be, give them sample posts, discuss how far they’re comfortable going. This will help the non-social-savvy executive envision exactly where you think her company should go.
Create a social media calendar, especially at the beginning. It can be as simple as a Word doc that lists the days of the week and what your plan is. Helping your employer see what the intended posts are before they go out will help each of you learn the other’s style and comfort level, while helping him learn to trust you.
When in doubt, send it for approval. If you’re ready to post what you think to be a great reply to someone but it could potentially be considered controversial (remember, now you’ve got a pretty good grasp on what your boss wants), send it over for approval first. Simply send your suggested post and say, “Hey, what do you think?” Always explain your reasoning and see where it goes.
But remember, if you’re really questioning it, you probably know the answer.
We all want to have the greatest social media accounts, because let’s be honest, it’s a badge of honor to kill it with a tweet. But, as with everything we do, we ultimately answer to an employer or client and we must be sure we’re giving them the social voice they envision — no matter how much we want to throw out an epic, hysterical burn.
Do you have any other tips on how to be sure you’re posting the best content?