Consistent Social Media Housekeeping Avoids the Backlash

Employee engagement on social media is engaging your most valuable stakeholder. Yet, the last time I checked, people do not read minds. We cannot expect employees to hit the post button on social media without guidelines. The entrance to our rural Pennsylvania township building has a sign which speaks loudly to social media managers in this area. The sign reads, “Housekeeping is the rule, not the exception. It is an everyday experience.” A social media policy is good housekeeping, and it must be the rule, not the exception. Adhering to a proactive and engaging set of guidelines creates an atmosphere of unified social media purpose for employees, managers, and employers as an everyday experience.

Julie Wilson published an article titled, “As Social Media Posts Surface and Cause Backlash, Businesses Rethinking Policies for Employees.” In her article, she discusses the tremendous scrutiny our current culture puts on businesses and those who work for the business. This scrutiny is not limited to companies; this past week, our public school superintendent posted a parent update on schools’ opening during a pandemic. The post received comments filled with opinions and vile hatred concerning students wearing masks in the hallways. One such comment was posted by a father whose mother is a long-time secretary for the schools. I was embarrassed for her and her son.

In Mrs. Wilson’s article, she interviews the director of Entrepreneurship at North Caroline Central University, Dr. Henry McKoy, who reveals that the right to free speech only applies to the federal government. Dr. McKoy states, “First amendment right really only focuses on the government. The government can’t censor you from saying certain things, but a private company has the right association.”[1] Dr. McKoy makes three housekeeping suggestions a company or business owner can institute, which foster’s a proactive experience.

         1. State upfront what the social media policy is and explain why the standard is what it is.

         2. Provide examples of what is and what is not acceptable.

         3. Provide ongoing social media training for not only new hires but for current employees.

My Friends, the best way to avoid a fight is not to be there when it starts. Avoiding legal risk is work and is time-consuming, but with the dedicated investment, a business can be better prepared for the fight and hopefully prevent it altogether. Good housekeeping in social media is to have an up-to-date and working social media policy, with how-to examples on how to respond, which is available to every employee in the employee handbook. Good housekeeping is referencing emails, memos, and newsletters with regularity.

Our most valuable stakeholders are our employees. Most employees do not know how to respond because they have not been taught how to respond. Good housekeeping in social media is attainable and can be taught. Social media managers need to have the sign on the door as a reminder, “Housekeeping is the rule, not the exception. It is an everyday experience.” Then create the desired experience by proactively keeping house.

Keep up the great work. Communicate to be understood. 

Remember, I love ya. Don

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[1] Julie Wilson, As social media posts surface and cause backlash, businesses rethink policies for employees. ABC 11 Eyewitness News, Durham, NC. June 24, 2020. https://abc11.com/durham-nc-social-media-marketing-what%20--is/6263724/ Accessed 7/24/20.

Social Access in Social Listening and Social Privacy

We have all seen the classic movie plot in which robots rise against humanity in movies such as “Terminator,” “Battlestar Galactica,” and, most recently, CBS All-Access “Start Trek: Picard.” Despite these movie fears, artificial intelligence (AI) uses are growing every year. SoftBank Robotics has created the social robot “Pepper.” Pepper’s design is to understand human emotional displays and carry simple conversations.[1] More advanced artificial intelligence is used for therapies and as hospital companions. The society welcomes basic to complex social listening devices in our homes to increase the ease in life and social access to more exceptional products. Smartphones, smartwatches, Amazon Echo, and Google Alexa, along with cookies and algorithms on our digital devices, are tracking and collecting data under the umbrella of providing a greater experience for the user.

The dichotomy in creating a better experience is the transformation of the user from being a client to becoming the product. The data mined in a social setting reveals the personal privacy of the user and potential product needs. Merriam-Webster defines social as “the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society.” The same defines privacy as “set-apart from observation and freedom from unauthorized intrusion.”[2]  The modern balancing act of digital interaction and freedom from unauthorized intrusion is the user’s digital social and private road. Yet, the journey is manageable with three basic guides of asking questions of the offering, be wholistic in the situational context, and consider the medium in which the information is being communicated.

Asking questions is excellent listening skills. Asking questions of the AI is to seek clarification or seeking elaboration. Asking questions includes investigative work before purchasing the digital device. The user and the marketer must interact with apps, such as Ghostly, to track cookies on computers and mobile devices. Always remember the two ears to one brain is a great ratio. In a world filled with information and data, listen twice as much as you act.

The second guide includes a wholistic awareness of the context in which we live. Simply, a complete view of the AI big picture. Be aware of the devices within your environment. As marketers, we need to be mindful of laws and regulations which protect and provide the user. The big picture is to be aware of AI’s ability to remove excessive information for the user and collect information to be stored, for the marketer. As David Priest explains, The marketer’s big picture view will embrace the data minimization principle where “only relevant and essential data should be processed and collected. Not only does enacting this principle ensure ethical use of data by the company, but it also exposes less customer data to potential privacy breaches.”[3] 

The third guide is to consider the medium in which the information is communicated. AI will collect the data, but is it truly the information you wish to collect or need to use? Compared to the one-on-one approach of yesteryear, modern digital mediated communication is the many-speaking-to-many. AI provides that information to the product creators and relates the information to companies and marketers to offer a greater experience. Thus, digital information posted online can be used in a public setting. This third guide is to carefully consider the medium to establish a conduit for restricting unauthorized intrusion. Traditional ethical rules apply online as they do face-to-face. The user and the marketer should assume everything put online will become public and influence public perception. Simply put, turn the AI off, block cookies, and strategically consider the medium you are communicating.

It is possible to summarize the three guides with “Ask, Look, and Consider.” Keeping in mind that social is interaction and privacy is freedom from authorized intrusion. The three guides of asking, looking, and considering provide the user with social access in a world of digital social listening while maintaining social privacy. The three guides provide the marketer with tools of balance. Artificial Intelligence is part of our new normal and can be managed and balanced between social and private. Just don’t let the robots rise and take over the world.

It is a great and exciting time for online information. Keep at it and you know I love ya, Don

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[1] Autumn Edwards, Chad Edwards, Shawn T. Wahl, Scott A Myers. The Communication Age: Connecting and Engaging, 3ed. SAGE. 2020. pg. 110

[2] Merriam-Webster, Social & Privacy. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privacy Accessed 7/18/20.

[3] David Priest. Smart Home Developers Raise Concerns About Alexa and Google Assistant Security. C/NET. March 15, 2020. https://www.cnet.com/news/smart-home-developers-raise-concerns-about-alexa-and-google-assistant-security/ Accessed 7/17/20.

Case Study in Managing a Social Media Crisis

The Hershey Company (hersheycompany.com) impresses me in many ways. There is a sense within the brand to serve the customer and the community. Every good company will have crisis moments. Hershey continues to impress with an engaging crisis management ability.

Caroline Cakebread discusses the four ways executives are thinking about brand safety in 2018. She lists four rules:

1. Don’t over-react.
2. Stay true to your customer-not the trolls.
3. Stop talking, and start taking action.
4. The hysteria won’t last.[1]

A simple twitter search reveals three potential crisis moments that could easily spin out of control. Within a ten-day period, Hershey addresses a packaging issue, a discontinued product issue, and an employee’s inappropriate posts on social media. Yet, we see Hershey doesn’t overreact, focuses on the customer, takes action, and realizes the hysteria will not last, nor should it be flamed. Let’s examine the Hershey Company’s response to each issue.

The first issue is a packaging issue. On July 8, a customer posts a picture on twitter of a Hershey package of Hershey Nuggets. When the customer opens a package chocolate nugget, they find a pair of scissors. Hershey produces millions of candy packages weekly, and in the packaging process, a pair of scissors fell in a bag. It is hard to believe someone in quality control or in the store shelving the product did not notice the weight, but mistakes were made, and the package was sold containing a pair of scissors. Hershey’s twitter response followed the guidelines by responding with an action within 24 hours and simply stating, “Please send us a direct message (DM) with the UPC and manufacturing code, as well as your contact information. Thanks!”

The second issue is a complaint from a customer trying to find a product that has was discontinued and no longer available. The claim includes the necessity of the customer’s desire because of their child’s peanut allergy. Interestingly, the parent is reaching out while most Hershey products would come with a qualifying disclaimer that peanuts were present where the chocolate was processed. Upon closer examination, Hershey has a processing plant that is specifically allergen-free and promotes such allergen-free products on their website (thehersheycompany.com/en_us/whats-inside/allergens). Hershey’s response was quick and light-hearted “hi there! We’re sorry to say that we are no longer making Hershey’s spreads, but we’ll add your vote to bring them back!” It appears that Hershey addressed the crisis. I believe it would have been appropriate to add the link to the website revealing how to find other allergen-free Hershey products.

The third issue is indeed a crisis of employee expressing inappropriate actions on social media. On June 30, a person posted on twitter three screenshots of posts by a 23-year-old Hershey Company employee showing racists, misogynistic, and transphobic ideas on social media. The employee reveals in his bio his age and that he is a Hershey Company employee. The current climate of sensitive cultural issues could have easily escalated with quick and knee-jerk responses. Hershey stays true to their crisis management plan and responds with “Hi Shay. We have flagged this to the appropriate members of our team. Thank you.” The customer is the primary receiver, there is no over-reaction, and direct action is being taken.

I do not know if Hershey has read Caroline Cakebread’s four rules of don’t over-react, stay true to your customer-not the trolls, stop talking and start taking action while remembering the hysteria won’t last. What I do know is the Hershey Company is successfully delivering these four rules as a crisis management plan. It would behoove all social media managers to take rules and apply them in every crisis management plan. Keep developing great social media and never underestimate the power of a plan. 

You know I love ya, Don

1. Caroline Cakebread. Crisis Averted: How Marketers View Brand Safety Now. eMarketer.com, May 17, 2018. Accessed July 10, 2020. https://www.emarketer.com/content/how-marketers-at-bayer-boxed-pernod-ricard-view-brand-safety

Five-Steps to Authentic Social Media Employee Engagement

Social Media Manager or coordinator is a person willing, ready, and prepared to wear many hats. A key player in the marketing schema, the social media person, is a content creator, video producer, strategist, coordinator, manager, copywriter, and SEO specializer actively examining online content for key performance indicators or KPIs. Yet, the critical component for the flywheel to crank everything mentioned above is stakeholder engagement.

The association for project management defines stakeholder engagement as: "is the practice of interacting with and influencing project stakeholders to the overall benefit of the project and its advocates. The successful completion of a project usually depends on how the stakeholders view it. Thus, the stakeholder's requirements, expectations, perceptions, personal agendas, and concerns will influence the project, shape what success looks like, and impact the outcomes that can be achieved. Successful stakeholder engagement is, therefore, a vital requirement for professional project management."[1]

Employees are a company's most apparent stakeholder. A social media marketeer must consider how the employees react to and advance the message their employers brand, especially on social media. I recall several decades ago when Dollywood put in a new high-speed roller coaster. During my years in East TN, I served as minister to a church located just a few miles from Dollywood, and several Dollywood employees were members of our church. The new coaster was the first steel coast for the park with several twists and loops. The marketing team put out several marketing tools, and one particular commercial along with billboards was Dolly Parton, referring to the new coaster as "It flips your wig."

Dolly Parton is famous for her colorful personality, which is heightened by the way she dresses and how she presents herself with a larger-than-life persona. It is not hard to imagine that looks are significant to Dolly, and she has multiple wigs. The employees know Dolly and are well aware she is afraid of all coaster rides and would never be in public without a wig and make-up. The stakeholder engagement for this marketing plan was in reverse with the employees. I recall being on park and an actual 15-year employee saying to me in response to the billboard, "Like she would ever get her wig flipped." Employee advocacy for the significant company investment flopped in Dolly's home town because the employees did not buy-in or advance the message of discovering the fun in the new steel coaster because of the lack of authenticity in the marketing scheme.

Anthony Taylor offers five steps for stakeholder engagement, which I think can easily translate into employee advocacy in the Social Media coordinator's online strategic plan. The first step is to identify the diverse employee advocates within the organization. In other words, who is going to be directly and indirectly impacted? The second step is to discover who are the social media influencers within the employee advocates. In other words, which of the employees are on social media and actively (or willing to become active) in advancing the brand in which they work. The third step is to create a plan which solicits employee feedback. In other words, create ownership for employees to embrace and be willing to promote to others online and offline. The fourth step is to incorporate the feedback and use it. Mr. Taylor's fifth and final step is to evaluate and adjust. A good evaluation will reveal employee engagement as a KPI.[2]

A social media specialist wears many hats, but employee advocacy will establish credibility within the hard work. The social media algorithms, especially Facebook, give more attention to people rather than organizational pages. A smart Social Media marketer will strategically engage employee advocacy. To not, would truly flip your marketing wig and flop all the hard work.

So … my Social Media friends plan to identify advocates, discover the influencers, create a feedback plan, incorporate the feedback, and adjust for greater KPI. Be safe, be diligent, always remember … I love ya. Don

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[1] Association for Project Management, What is stakeholder engagement?, https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/find-a-resource/stakeholder-engagement/, accessed July 5, 2020.

[2] Taylor, Anthony. 5 Steps to Stakeholder Engagement in Your Strategic Plan. Strategy Management Consulting. 8/20/2019. https://www.smestrategy.net/blog/stakeholder-engagement-in-your-strategic-plan-pt-1 accessed July 5, 2020.

Persistence is the Earnest Flow of Hard Work

Water is a great model for persistent endurance. The successful person demonstrates persistent endurance against the hardest situations.

 March 16, 2020

https://www.deviantart.com/cindy1701d/art/Flowing-Water-176702058

Persistence is defined as “continuance till the end.”[1]  Endurance is defined as: “theability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially, the ability to sustaina prolonged stressful effort or activity.”[2] The difference between the two is that persistence is remaining steady in hopes of finishing while endurance is bearing pain so that you can finish. Yet, great power emerges when we combine the two elements. 

The successful person demonstrates persistent endurance against the hardest situations. Water is a great model for persistent endurance. The combination of two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule creates a powerful force. Water has a way of pushing through incredible obstacles, one drip at a time. There have been many instances where what seemed to be an insignificant drip was a tiny part of a larger body of water pushing through a little at a time. Water is also very adaptable to what it wants to accomplish. Water can be calm and peaceful, while in just moments, it can become raging and destructive. A lake can rise inch by inch and suddenly become a flood. A bay can combine with wind to be an agitator and bulldozer.

Imagine our life as if it were more like water. We could be determined to push through our obstacles to serve, whether by peace or by force. Water can trickle along gently, flowing across pebbles and shaping them as it moves over them. It exerts gentle pressure over time and softens hard rocks into rounded pebbles. A stream joins with other streams to make a river. A river combines with other rivers to make its way to an ocean. Water is not satisfied with being a mere drop. Water is sticky and combines drop by drop to become a grand ocean. Water changes things...persistent endurance changes things.

Water carries life along its banks. It carries progress from place to place. People, like water, move from where they are to where they need to be through a continuance of pushing forward and helping others along the journey. Successful persistent endurance is not about the “me,” but about sticking and clinging to the hope of our dreams by serving the “them” along our journey. Much like water as it flows, carving out landscapes and bringing vital hydration to the land around it.

Jim Watkins stated, “A river cuts through rock,not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”[3] Water is a change agent. It changes barren lands to fertile grounds. It can cut off, or it can bring together. Water changes the power balance. Water rises to the occasion. When water unites and flows too much into the container, water finds new paths for it to flourish by overflowing. When life tries to contain it, water pushes through to where it wants to go.

Successful people ... become more like water. Successful people are persistently enduring through actions of helping, uniting, and overflowing. Those who desire success can learn from the water and move dreams toward goals, one step at a time. Goals are not reached overnight, but through the diligence of continued steps achieved through persistent endurance, success is attainable.

Successful people commit to the work of their dreams, to bring real goals to fruition, and fruition to prosperity by flowing in persistent endurance throughout the little steps of serving, working together, and giving the overage of life. Persistent endurance is never satisfied with stagnancy, but keeps the current flowing and moving toward a life full of productivity, creativity, and fruitfulness.

There is so much power in a single drop of water. It is just the beginning. It is only the promise of what is yet to come. If a drop of water can move a mountain with persistent endurance, then surely, we can persistently endure through the river of life to take our dreams to the ocean of achievement.

Stay strong and be persistent! You Know I Love Ya, Don

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[1] Persistence. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persistent. Accessed 9/17/17.

[2] Endurance. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endurance. accessed 9/17/17.

[3] Watkins, Jim. 30 Inspiring Quotes to Help You Develop More Perseverance and Persistence. https://www.michaeldpollock.com/inspiring-quotes-persistence-perseverance. Accessed 3/16/20.

Relationship Skills change with Social Media

Has social media changed the interaction with people in our communication and relationship skills?

I define communication as a transactional process unique in human beings by the exchange of symbols through verbal and non-verbal languages. For example, when I communicate with someone else, I am transacting symbols of communication with the other person and expect some response. The transaction continues as the person responds and the process continually builds on what was previously transacted.

If we agree on the definition of communication, then is there a change within our scope of the communication transaction as a result of social media? I believe there is and the first step in improving our communication skills is in acknowledging the changes.

A good case study is how our society has changed in the usage of magazine publication which was once a huge print business in the world. A good review of the impact on the magazine publishing world is written by Parul Jain, Zulfia Zaher, and Enakshi Roy in Magazines and Social Media Journal of Magazine & New Media Research. The title of their research and finding is Magazines and Social Media Platforms: Strategies for Enhancing User Engagement and Implications for Publishers. (3Vol. 17, No. 2 Winter 2017).

A few highlights of their work that I found worth noting for our question are:

• “Most stakeholders expect organizations to have some presence on social media platforms, and a lack of it is considered unacceptable and non-normative in this day and age” (page 2). 

• “Given the nature of social media platforms, an audience that engages with magazines can critique the content put forth by the magazine, create new content on that magazine’s social pages, interact with fellow readers, and express both positive and negative emotions online” (page 3).

Jain, Zaher, and Roy make a noteworthy quote for our question from Malthouse, Calder, and Eadie:

• "Less engaged customer would be one who merely provides simple feedback, such as 'liking' an image on a social media platform, while a more engaged customer would be one who “actively engages in co-creation,” such as producing content for the brand"2 (page 4).

As we examine the changes in communication and in our relationships, we must also accept the use of social media platforms is a diverse field. In 2015 Magazine Publication Associate reported of the top five followed/liked magazine brands on media National Geographic and Vogue were listed. Interestingly, the vast diversity in the magazine’s primary theme was also reflected in the diversity of the platform in which the user was engaging the magazine in a social media setting. Which I see as a direct tie-in with Jain, Zaher, and Roy’s earlier statements that: “one of the main motivations for engaging with a magazine on social media was the accessibility of magazines across multiple social media platforms and various devices” (page 11).

In response, Jain, Zaher and Roy concluded: “Our findings suggest that the participants gratify different needs (such as home décor and fashion) utilizing specific platforms that are more likely to cater to those needs” (page 16). Another response is: “Magazine readers expect publishers to maintain an engaging and relevant social media presence” (page 18).

The changes are not limited to magazine publishing. The above is simply one case study which illustrates the larger truth: Social Media has change the scope of our communication skills. We are no longer a society focusing on one medium such as a magazine, newspaper, journal, or media outlet to access information. Social media allows for the reader to share the information across large audiences through their social media platforms. Communication as a transaction is evolving with the digital age, thus our relational communication must evolve. Social media expands relational access as well as allowing a reader to look beyond the vast material to a specific search criteria. It would appear as a result of social media, our communication skills and our relational skills are growing and increasing for the better while making “it is a small world after all.”

There is one thing that has not changed ... You know I love ya, Don

1. Parul Jain, Zulfia Zaher, Enakshi Roy, Magazines and Social Media Platforms: Strategies for Enhancing User Engagement and Implications for Publishers. Magazines and Social Media Journal of Magazine & New Media Research. 3Vol. 17, No. 2 • Winter 2017

2. Edward C. Malthouse, Bobby J. Calder, and Wayne P. Eadie, “Conceptualizing and measuring magazine reader experiences” (presentation, Worldwide Readership Symposium, Cambridge, MA,2003),285–306.

Confectionary Objective to Find and Share the Love

LinkedIn is the social network platform dedicated to connecting professionals through networks in order to find and share information. The LinkedIn algorithm is designed to connect subgroups and networks to larger and larger groups as the content is shared with other professionals. Scott Cornell writes in his Article the Purpose of LinkedIn as: “If you're ranking social media networks by how formal they are, LinkedIn surely takes the prize. That's because LinkedIn is a professional social media network, where users create profiles highlighting current and prior work experience. You can upload resumes, connect with colleagues and classmates and build a network that can help you advance in your career.” So, how can a business tackle a formal professional network for the purpose of advancing the company mission?

As per my norm, I reach toward The Hershey Company for LinkedIn and proactive use for a major company (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-hershey-company/). The Hershey Company posts to LinkedIn the least of all the social media platforms. Unlike, the other platforms, The Hershey Company LinkedIn posts are inspirational, report on a philanthropic campaign, or connect employee with proactive company drives. There is very little mention of the candy products in the LinkedIn posts. The logo and the confectionary delights are always in every image, but the content primarily avoids promoting candy.

LinkedIn is where The Hershey Company confectionary objective is to find and share the love of community and the Hershey Story. Yes, we come back to sharing the Hershey Story. For example, the most recent Hershey Company LinkedIn post is about Hershey’s dedication to Human Rights of the Cocoa Farmers from which Hershey purchases the beans to make their Chocolate. The post starts with “December marks not only a time to look back at the past year, but also a time to look ahead. In just the last year, we announced a new Human Rights policy that outlined our commitment to respect human rights throughout our value chain. Now, as we approach Human Rights Day (and a new year) we’d like to take some time to look back at our progress to date and ahead at what’s to come.

To Learn more click: “(https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-hershey-company_human-rights-the-hershey-company-activity-6607669411992211456-LAtV).

The LinkedIn post is concise and speaks to the dynamic goodwill of the company. The post is also linked to the website which takes you to more articles and links to their products while advancing prospective customers down the sales funnel.

Hershey does not disappoint with their efforts to promote good will and increase their ethos among their cliental, while striving to reach the community at large. In other words, you do not have to like chocolate or any Hershey Products to feel good about the work the Company is doing throughout the world. LinkedIn is a perfect platform for expanding awareness and increasing their philanthropic work and Hershey is taking advantage of the opportunity.

Amazingly, the Hershey Company is diligent and deliberate about their LinkedIn posts. It is paying off with 188,504 followers and 6,422 employees networked to the Hershey Company LinkedIn profile page. A proactive company can use LinkedIn with an objective to find and share the love of community while building awareness.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/donald-don-crane-7ab0a216). Many Thanks to the Hershey Company and the great work they are doing.

Until Next Time, You know I love ya, Don

www.thehersheycompany.com

Cornell, Scott. "Purpose Of LinkedIn." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/purpose-linkedin-62179.html. Accessed 10 December 2019.