It’s been an interesting first few weeks for the Elon Musk-led Twitter. With an array of controversial new policies, one of the most contentious is the $8-a-month charge for ‘blue tick’ verification. (I’m sure most of you have seen or heard some of the stories by now.) From a fake Pepsi account tweeting “Coke is better” to a bogus Chiquita account saying they’ve “overthrown the government of Brazil,” brands have taken a hit. Perhaps most damaging was a fake Eli Lilly account tweeting “insulin is free now” which prompted a response denying the claim and ignited a PR nightmare around the cost of the drug. All this arguably led to a 4.5% drop in its stock.
While these are some of the biggest brands in the world, it is a valuable lesson that no brand is safe from bad actors. But leaving social platforms will not solve the problem. If fact, it may make it worse. So here are a few tips to protect your reputation:
- Dust off your social media policies. Review and scrutinize who has access.
- Due diligence. Be careful when sharing, liking, or commenting to be confident you’re reacting and responding to the actual source.
- Practice social listening. Monitor channels to keep ahead of any crisis or opportunity.
- Plan. Be ready with guidance around what and how to react, and what you won’t respond to, as well as have people in place to do it.
You’ve worked hard to build your brand and its reputation. But sometimes damage can be done that is completely outside of your control. The bottom line is, keep your eye on the ball and always be prepared.
