Brand Transparency and the Social Web: A Double Edged Sword?

Web Presence Tags By now, most people are familiar with the effectiveness of Obama’s amazing Social Media Blitz leading up to the most recent presidential election. In the past, building a brand and its recognition on the internet was one thing, but along came a whole new way to promote a brand, build a following and interact with others on a much grander scale – enter Social Media. Looking back, many people really didn’t know much about this mostly uncharted territory this time last year, and it seems it has made quite the scene in the mainstream media ever since, while continuing to grow and evolve every day… so much so, that many people just can’t keep up with the frequent changes.

While the goal to implement a positive following for a virtually unknown brand can be a rigorous task, building upon and maintaining an existing, well-known brand can provide its own level of challenges as well. If your known brand does not satisfy its followers, there lies a risk of receiving publicly negative feedback. Some of the feedback may be legitimate and can be corrected by the company, while some may be a total farce and unwarranted. “Transparency” seemed to be the Word of the Year in social media, but do we need a reality check? How much is too much?

As the lines between business and pleasure seem to be increasingly blurred, every company that brings its brand online and wishes to dive into the social web should be aware of the positives and negatives involved prior to getting started. For example, this morning we received an email via LinkedIn asking us about the pros and cons of a Facebook Page. We have mentioned some of these in the past, but the main “con” we have found in utilizing the social web for business is the potential to receive negative public feedback. We believe the best way to defend against negative feedback is to be sure your online presence is being monitored regularly so each comment is addressed as quickly & efficiently as possible.

But as the day progressed, we began to see more and more articles popping up on Facebook & Twitter about the negative effects of Social Media. What is prompting this seemingly sudden reaction? The coincidental sequence of events prompted us to reach out to you and ask for your feedback, so please share your questions, concerns, thoughts and suggestions with us regarding social media for business.

In the meantime, here are a few DO’s and DON’Ts that we’d like to offer to you when introducing your brand to the internet & the social media realm:

1) DON’T take the web lightly. DO realize that the web is a vast virtual world that offers many great opportunities for your business that should be taken seriously.

2) DON’T skimp. DO make sure your brand is professional, presentable and dressed appropriately for your visitors. Provide a consistent branding experience to gain optimal brand recognition across networks & platforms.

3) DON’T publicize your personal physical whereabouts to others on the social web (yes, this includes the recent influx of geo-locators). DO stay safe and always protect your personal privacy.

4) DON’T try to do it all yourself. DO invest in a designated professional who is knowledgeable about the internet & social media to manage your website, business blog and profiles. This person should absolutely be considered a trustworthy part of your company’s team as they are to be responsible for regular monitoring and updating of your company’s web presence.

5) DON’T cast your web presence net so wide that you don’t have the means to manage it effectively. DO Keep it simple – See #4.

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Virtually Ready, Inc. / VirtuallyReady.com
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