31 Days of Lessons Learned: Day Four
KitchenAid teaches us how NOT to use twitter
Something happened in the twitterverse during last night’s Presidential Debate that highlights a very important issue brands, retailers, and businesses need to be aware of and that is the issue of being aware of what you tweet out to the public. Your twitter account is a public representation of your brand and if you make social media gaffe like the one made by KitchenAid, you will be tried in the court of public opinion and found guilty.
In case you’re not aware of what happened, here’s a brief synopsis. During the debate, an employee of KitchenAid tweeted out a derogatory comment about President Obama’s dead grandmother. He meant to tweet it out with his personal account, but he was mistakenly signed into the KitchenAid account. Even though the tweet was deleted almost immediately, it was still seen by the public and pictures and screenshots were taken. KitchenAid even had to make a public apology. While this may not tarnish their brand long-term, you hear about these large social media gaffes by big companies often enough that it needs to be used as a learning opportunity for everyone. KitchenAid now joins the ranks of companies like Chrysler, Kenneth Cole, American Red Cross, and Marc Jacobs (and more unfortunately) who have all had major issues based on what they presented on twitter. In this connected age we live in, nothing is permanently deleted. Remember this the next time you post on twitter (or any social media outlet for that matter).
Here are a few tips to help you avoid making a big mistake and getting egg all over your company’s face.
1) NEVER link a business account with a personal e-mail address. You’re just asking for trouble if you do.
2) If you use a social media management tool like HootSuite, don’t mix your personal accounts with professional accounts. One wrong click of the mouse and you’re broadcasting your opinion on your company’s social media pages.
3) Just to be safe, stay away from politics or any other hot-button issues. If it’s something that you think can be taken the wrong way, it probably will be.
4) Make sure you have someone you trust managing your company’s social media offerings.
5) If something does fall through the cracks and something offensive is produced, delete and apologize immediately. Take responsibility as a representative of your company and don’t pass the buck. Your customers will respect you more if you take those actions.
I’m sure KitchenAid learned a lot from their slip up. Hopefully, you can also learn from their mistakes.