Social Media Topics to Avoid
In a post written earlier today by the talented Mrs. Sarah Geiger, she discussed the Suns stance on 1070 and its implications in the PR world. She also referenced no-no topics, so I thought I’d put in my social media two cents.
Are there topics we should be avoiding in social media? What are they, and how should you approach them when required to? We’ve seen how controversial topics can play a part in nearly bankrupting a brand (Southwest Airlines debacle with Kevin Smith, etc…), and we’ve also seen how controversial topics can unite (free Iran campaign on social media). So what’s a brand to do?
Politics
As with any topic, there are extremists….but as a graduate with a degree in Political Science I’ll tell you that you don’t want to mess around with people and their views on politics. As a brand, you should be very wary of siding on one topic or another related to politics (immigration, abortion, government regulations, etc..). Taking an educated, unbiased approach is a better strategy. Providing education on both sides, and entering the conversation is one thing, but coming outright with your personal opinion is yet another. Just tred lightly, enough said.
Religion
Yet another topic that brands should avoid, unless of course your industry is centered around it, is that of religion. Just like Politics, there are fundamentalists in this area that will never ever change their minds about it. Playing religion neutral will keep your brand away from isolating one group or focusing too much on another.
Money
Why is money such a sensitive topic? Likely because our society is so consumed with it. Those that don’t have enough aren’t happy, and those that have it want to keep it. Each of us has our own view on money and are likely to express it if provoked. So a brand should try to avoid topics relating to money, that is unless it revolves around giving money away. Then we’re all ears!
Sex
I won’t go into explicit detail here (strictly PG with me…haha), but it should be understood that discussing sex in relation to your brand is not a good idea. Of course, if your brand revolves around it then full speed ahead (imagine the Playboy brand without mention of sex….boring!).
So, what should you do if you find yourself in the position of having to address one of the above topics? Managing negative publicity is similar to how I deal with the above topics when doing social media marketing for clients. Keep exchanges private, attempt to neutralize the situation, and if all else fails: abandon ship or don’t hop on the ship AT all. Sometimes it’s best just to leave and let be.
What topics do you avoid talking about when using social networking? Have you ever had to deal with addressing any of the above via Twitter/Facebook/Etc…?
Just yesterday I did! I over stepped my personal boundary with politics. Wonk Wonk Wonk. I abandoned ship!! I knew better and now I really know better. This is a very good article.