No one wants to be called a dummy. Today every brand needs to have a public spokesperson for media interviews. They need to be trained and capable of consistently answering the media’s questions. However, managing your brand’s reputation requires something different in 2015 than just 10 years ago. Everyone who works at your company needs to be properly briefed in how to talk about your company online. Who speaks for your brand? Today, it is not just one spokesperson but every employee.
Some companies may fear this because it means that you quickly lose control of your message. But what if your real message that you want to communicate is authenticity about your company? What’s the best way to allow your employees to tell the company’s story and to show the real you?
Who Speaks for Your Brand
I’d start with some basic rules that aren’t too complicated.
- Don’t discuss confidential secrets.
- Don’t ever use language that would embarrass someone else.
- Don’t say hateful, nasty or harmful things.
- Share information that someone might find interesting about the company and your work.
Next, provide a few simple examples of great posts that illustrate what you want shared. It is always better to show not tell.
For example, Michael in customer service may post on Facebook about a customer’s problem that occurred and how he handled the situation. It should be honest and open. People and companies make mistakes, but how they respond to them is an interesting story.
Marsha in sales might tweet about a problem that a customer has that your product couldn’t fix. But the post can describe how Marsha went out of her way to find an answer for them from another company. Showing that you really care about a customer is a wonderful story to demonstrate commitment.
Melinda might be a talented photographer who captures some funny, behind the scenes moments in the office or the warehouse. Allowing her to show them on Instagram can help give your brand some personality and humanity. These types of posts can make a corporation into a group of living and breathing humans.
I love to follow companies online to see if they can resist being commercial for a tenth of a second, and allow the humans to come out and play. Those are companies I want to build a connection with in the real world. Whole Foods, The Honest Company and Go Pro do a wonderful job of promoting themselves online. Kudos to their social media team and the liberty they give their employees.
Does your company allow you and your colleague’s time to promote what you do online?
Would you benefit form a marketing coach who could help you work through the ever-changing world of social media? If so, click, tweet or text me, I’m happy to help.
