Itās no secret that there is a lot of negativity in the world right now. Many individuals have taken to social media to post their feelings, reactions, emotions, and to seek support from others. On Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020, much of the world participated in a social media campaign given the name #BlackOutTuesday. Amongst those hundreds of millions were businesses, from huge corporations to small locally owned businesses.
Itās important as a company to keep your social media campaign positive. This does not mean turning your back on what you believe in but ensuring that your content will not be viewed in any negative light. Staying positive and looking towards a better future is especially important to your audience. Brands that are viewed in a negative light will not succeed in their social media campaign. When Chase Bank insinuated that some of their customers have low balances due to their bad spending habits, the backlash was quick and clear. With more than 43.8 billion people on social media that is a huge hit to your company if you lose your social media following and good presence.
Staying neutral doesnāt mean turning a blind eye or lacking compassion amidst current events. Posting positive content occasionally can be a relief from the negativity we see on our feed. The Womenās Center of Brevard does a great job of doing this on social media. Occasionally they will feature activities for the family, uplifting-quotes, appreciation posts for sponsors and staff, and encouraging content. The goal is to get the audience to stop scrolling as a result of your positivity.
It’s hard not to let personal viewpoints and emotions spill over into how you present your company brand, but it’s important to remember that not every customer or client thinks exactly as you do. With a lot of negative situations going on, here are some tips on staying positive on social media.
- Ā Ā Post Positively
This may seem obvious but think about how your posted content will impact society and your audience. Share appreciation posts, testimonials, and uplifting quotes. What you are posting should be inspiring and encouraging. Your goal should be to unite your audience in a positive way. A member of the audience is a potential customer. If the audience perceives your feed negatively, they are less likely to purchase from you.
- Ā Ā Keep Judgment and Intimidation Off Social Media
Your opinion can be misperceived and taken as judgment. The old saying ākeep your opinions to yourself,ā applies to your social media campaign. What you believe may not be what everyone else believes. Compete with rivals in your industry but do not intimidate them. It is okay to compete with others in your industry but do not be hateful, rude, or derogatory in your competitive nature. Challenge your competitors in a clean way that can never be taken as slander or cruelty. Samsung is a great company that exemplifies poking fun at the competition without being cruel. Their commercial mocking Appleās fanbase that waits in lines for hours for a new product launch is a great example of giving a company their props while comparing their quality and innovation. The opinion of a business owner can be different from that of their customer base. Therefore, keeping opinions on the inside can prevent the loss of an existing customer or future customer.
- Ā Ā Do Showcase, Do Not Show Off
Yes, businesses should be showcasing their new items or services and achievements. However, it is discouraged to show off. The two things might seem like they are one and the same, but they are not. Showing off is perceived as flashy and looking for kudos for doing something good. Your business might have made the most money it has in years but that is not something you should be posting on social media. While your business might be excelling in all aspects your neighboring businesses might also be struggling. However, if your business wins āSalon of the Yearā that is something you should be showcasing. That is a great accomplishment that your community awarded you and is a result of their support and your efforts to go above and beyond. Back in 2013, the airline company, WestJet, released a viral video that encouraged its customers to perform random acts of kindness, which has now coined the term “mini-miracles.” WestJet has kept the tradition of showing their gratitude and appreciation for their customers’ kindness alive for years.
- Ā Ā Honesty Is Everything
All too often we see companies who are later caught in a lie. Covering up a mistake or mishap will only come back to bite you in the long run. This can lead to loss of business. Acknowledging an incident, apologizing, and taking a corrective course of action will produce the best outcome.Ā An alcohol delivery company, Grizzly, has a GREAT example of this recently! They accidentally sent out an email with placeholder text and sent out an apology email with coupon code “LOREMIPSUM”. Be positive in your acknowledgment and plan of action by putting the incident into the spotlight as a learning experience. Businesses that take ownership and are transparent will continue to be successful.
- Ā Ā Be Respectful
Again, this might seem as obvious as being positive, but it can often be overlooked. Respect your community, respect your neighbors, respect your customers, and respect your brand. When posting something put yourself in the place of a spectator in your audience. Could your post be taken the wrong way despite not being meant maliciously? Is the content culturally unaware? Will anyone view the content as insensitive? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, it isnāt something your business should be posting. Respecting your community extends to respecting your competitors, sometimes by supporting them. We often see this with small businesses in their local community, but large companies like T-Mobile and Sprint recently displayed their support for each other. As a segue to their merger, the two companies decided to provide their customers with more coverage during the pandemic by sharing their networks before the merger was official.
A positive social media campaign is one that inspires, makes your audience think, or gives them a warm fuzzy feeling. If you are a business and do not feel very strongly about something you should stay neutral in the matter. Do not follow the majority opinion to gain a following or increase engagement. Be genuine in your approach.
If you’ve recently been involved in a situation where your brand wasn’t represented in a positive manner and you’re struggling with getting back on your audience’s good side we are here to help. Feel free to give us a call at 321.255.0900 or you can email us to info@theadleaf.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon!