"With great power comes great responsibility." Social media gives brands the ability to reach a wealth of consumers, influence thoughts, and generate conversations. But these very elements which attracted marketers to the platforms in the first place have also fueled a plethora of PR nightmares. Recently, US Airways mistakenly tweeted a pornographic image to one of its followers and due to the reach of its Twitter account, the tweet spread almost instantaneously. The airline removed the post and tweeted out an apology but not before its reputation fell under rapid fire from the public firing squad. Mayday! Mayday!
We apologize for an inappropriate image recently shared as a link in one of our responses. We’ve removed the tweet and are investigating.
— US Airways (@USAirways) April 14, 2014
The industry requires an elevated level of self-discipline. Successful social and digital media marketers take the initiative to study new technologies and are constantly seeking out "the next big thing." Universities have been struggling with how to effectively prepare students for careers in the digital marketing field, because digital technology changes more quickly than curriculum can be written. The Internet of Things (IoT), described in the video below, is a new concept that is making a splash in the digital world. Forbes published an article discussing how both Syracuse and USC have been working to incorporate IoT into their respective new media courses.
Your reputation is in the hands of the public. Due to the nature of social media, consumers are in control of the conversations surrounding your brand. It is entirely possible for a company to put time and resources into developing a product only to have it be abused by users. The controversy surrounding the social app Yik Yak, outlined in this Huffington post article, is a prime example. Instead of reveling in the success one would expect after creating such a popular app, the Yik Yak team has had to combat negative press and shell out money to install security measures to prevent cyberbullying.
Your every move is being scrutinized. Due to my not-so-secret love for verbal sparring (reference my last blog post if you are confused), I've become a big fan of the Bravo TV show Million Dollar Listing. It's interesting to watch big shot real estate agents negotiate with millionaires, but I always find myself thinking how scary it must be to make your professional presence available for public scrutiny. But when it comes down to it, social media marketers put themselves in the same boat. By publishing content on the internet and promoting it on social channels, brands are opening themselves up for public condemnation. No matter how well a brand manages its social accounts, there will always be people eager to offer up criticism. I recommend investing in some Beats by Dre headphones.
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