Be careful what you ask for on social media
by Bo McDonald
Social media use has created quite a stir in recent blog posts and conference sessions. The argument to use social media ranges passionately on both ends of the spectrum. Whether you’re for or against there’s one thing that’s clear, be careful.
Social media is a great opportunity for brands to show their personality and be a little less formal connecting with fans and followers. However, be careful just how informal you get with those communications. You can learn this lesson the hard way on your own. Better yet, just draw from this example of the Evansville (Indiana) Regional Airport.
Several months ago one of the admins on the Evansville Airport Facebook page posted this:
“We just saw a tweet from Google facts that an airline in India only hires women because they are lighter, so they save $500,000 in fuel!!! Insert your women drive jokes below – haha!”
It may have seemed funny to him or her, but not to the many female travelers who use the airport. The post attracted an unfathomable amount of negative comments before the airport deleted the post, almost 24 hours after it was posted. Here’s your quick lesson in social media marketing: You are not a comedy professional. You are a social media professional.
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