Advocates of social causes can fear jumping into the social media fray. While there is certainly risk in moving from one-way to two-way communication with the public, there is great potential reward.
Last March, 3.5 million inquiries pushed the question of legalizing marijuana to the top of Barack Obama's Virtual Town Hall. This kind of derailing of an online conversation to suit the interests of a special interest group is what makes many companies and causes alike steer clear of real social media initiatives.
Obama handled the situation poorly, shrugging off the activity and opinions of 3.5 million people. He missed a powerful opportunity. Instead, he could have pointed to the response as a sign of the importance of this topic, and clearly and respectfully shared his point of view on the subject, even if it was not aligned with that of the activists. He could have held up this organized online act as an example of the power of the internet community, and invited other groups to follow suit.
Right now, I am involved in a political campaign in our community–and there is much debate about how to engage with the public. I put together some tips for handling unexpected (and sometimes unwanted) social media activity:
1. Set expectations up front. Let your audience know you will listen, but may not respond, and that you may respond but not agree. And be clear up front in establishing a "no tolerance" policy for rudeness.
2. Discourage anonymity. People are more thoughtful when their names are attached.
3. Before responding, wait to see if it's a trend or a lone extremist. If it's part of a much larger trend, thoughtfully respond with your rationale. Otherwise, just let it go.
4. If someone is rude or insists on posting inaccurate information, shut them down. But be cautious about censorship.
5. If a big, unanticipated issue arises in your online community, respond to it. Acknowledge that you hear it. Let the public know how you plan to respond to the information and under what timeline. Responding doesn't mean acquiescing, it just means that you let them know they've been heard.
As social networking evolves, groups need to focus on how to use tools like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, where content is user-generated, policing is minimal, and control does not exist. The advantages are obvious–light
ning-fast awareness of new messages, honest feedback from customers and constituents, and, most importantly, showing up where the voters are ready to engage.
Be prepared for the unexpected–it could be that something extra that helps you win the support you need!
