Comments on: What Will My Boss Think If I Start Twittering

By: Francesca

Francesca — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:35:40 +0000

Sorry I did not see your follow-up comment. Wish there was a way to be notified when a follow-up comment is made on an Author’s blog or site.

“I would argue that silence or not engaging with your customers on a human level is also bad for business.”

I will counter that not all companies should engage customers in tit for tat daily chatter. Human interaction? Hello this is digital interaction. Human interaction includes physical aspects like shaking hands where it is customary in a culture. Agree much more cost effective and easier for companies to network comments but where I come from you need to look a person in the eyes and shake hands. Today in the world of instant gratification it has become unfortunate that formal customs are neglected. Maybe you might enjoy learning about how others do business in the non-westernised world. Grab yourself the book “Three Cups of Tea”. The good old days of real human interaction!

By: Heidi Allen

Heidi Allen — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:59:58 +0000

I would argue that silence or not engaging with your customers on a human level is also bad for business. I can recommend reading ‘The ClueTrain Manifesto’ in this regard. However, it is a minefield for companies to know how to enact policies to manage social media.

By: Francesca

Francesca — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:48:43 +0000

I also have heard of people losing their job because of their lifestyle conflicts with the company they were being paid to represent. The pen is mightier than the sword. Regardless of freedom of speech legalities, if a company gets a complaint about an employees personal or non-personal public accessed comments, it causes them problems. Problems generate bad press. Bad press leads to loss of revenue. Lost revenue is not good business. In the land of big business money talks and bull walks. A good idea if companies set social media guidelines in employee handbooks. If an employee not willing to deal with confidentiality commitment they can go find a job elsewhere. If you sign it, it’s binding. People need to start thinking about what they do, say so that if they are dealt a bad card can firmly stand behind any consequences resulting from their own actions. I’m all for damage control ahead of the fact!

By: Francesca

Francesca — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:33:17 +0000

“The rules of social engagement online are similar to those in conversations face to face.”

I’ll say they are even more. Online data transfer communication is similar to a “paper trail”. This can become a virtual minefield. I’d recommend companies to carefully weigh options of exposure their own employees might be generating for their companies.

If you had $1 to manage. Would you give 100 individuals with varied levels of intelligence and social skills?
I’ll venture to say your investment portfolio will be much more work to manage.

Social media is social. Businesses whom need to maintain a more serious presence best consider joining a gazillion fluffy “social media” sites to generate publicity.