Nate Update

The other night, I was reading a really wonderful blog post by the great Chris Brogan, titled An Insider’s Guide to Social Media Etiquette. It really got me thinking, and here’s what’s missing: a guide for bigger companies using Social Media. Here’s a start.

1. It’s okay to use a logo. In this case, you’re not a person, you’re a company. I’m fairly certain your followers know this.  There are exceptions, but for the most part, you’re the virtual “face of the company,” and it’s a huge responsibility. You represent all of your co-workers, bosses and shareholders. Many very good corporate entities are doing social media very well “disguised” as logos. Here in Las Vegas, the Wynn does a great job on twitter, and they do social media by committee. You see it sometimes by the ^Initials at the end of the tweets. Totally cool with everyone I know.
2. Respect traditional public relations. If you can, buddy-up with a PR pro or take a class. The fundamentals of crisis control, patiently waiting for stories to develop, tone,  and strategy cross over to social media more than many of the nu-social media experts care to admit.
3. Be appropriate. Don’t tell jokes or do #FollowFridays if you’re a police department or a doctor’s office. Please?
4. Be helpful. Corporations are on twitter and facebook to put money in the bank. Just because they’re using social media doesn’t mean they don’t want your dough. The best ones embrace the personality of the company. They allow creativity to shine and have some fun while keeping relevant ideas in readers’ minds that relate to the company at hand. A corporate account such as Ford or Nike tweeting about having a slice of pizza or what they’re watching on TV (from the corporate avatar) is just weird, I think. Be cool to people and you’ll build relationships – it sounds tacky, but that’s the name of the game.”The less you be a dbag, and if you treat people like humans, the more you’ll get done and succeed.” – @ManyaS – friend and experienced business twitter guru.
5. Leave the adspeak in your ads. Your company has an advertising budget, so let that do its job, and please don’t tweet like a radio commercial for a race. (Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!)  My friends who tweet for companies always try to be helpful and cater to the people who want the updates. Hey, they already clicked follow or Like, right? My point? Quit dating and start mating.
6. Be nimble when you’re wearing your Customer Service Representative hat. If someone has a problem with your business and took the time to tweet about it – it’s somewhat of a compliment. You want to take care of that customer as soon as possible. If you have a customer service center on email or phone, but not twitter – note it on your page or bio. (Do they use rotary phones, too? Just curious).
7. Don’t delete negative posts. If I have to tell you this, go back to 2009 social media 101. There’s several great people to learn from. I started with the afore-mentioned Chris Brogan’s book, Trust Agents. Guy Kawasaki, Tony Hseih, and Gary Vaynerchuk all have awesome books to get you off on the right foot.
8. Do some quick research when there’s someone calling you out, and be careful not to bite when you’re being baited. Hey, just because someone tweets, doesn’t make them customer of the year anymore.  There are trolls on twitter that complain constantly in hopes of getting a free lunch. These creeps are on facebook, too. Block them if they’re a pain in the butt, and don’t be afraid to say no. Use caution, though – mob mentality is one rude response away. One interesting response (I haven’t tried it yet) would be to post a reply, while signed on as your business – on their personal facebook profile. Could be risky, but might help avoid the mob mentality. Let me get back to you on that one. Heh.
9. Don’t be afraid to have multiple accounts. Managing more than one account isn’t difficult with the software available today. One CEO that I follow has one  twitter handle where he can (and does) drop F-Bombs all day long. His company’s handle is much more businesslike. I follow both. If you have the content to back it up, create a help account, a sales account, one for media, etc.

NOTE: This post is a work in progress, so please check back and see how it develops. What did I miss? Was I way off target? Please feel free to comment and let’s discuss it. This doesn’t necessarily reflect my current employer’s opinions in any way.