The Current Landscape

Social media came at us fast. So fast, in fact, that no one quite knows what to do with it. At first, we mocked it for being pointless. But as Twitter evolved, its value became obvious. Back in 2011, I was at a restaurant and witnessed a sushi chef scrolling through Twitter while working. The tsunami had just hit Japan, and he told me that Twitter was the fastest way for him to learn if his friends were still alive. Twitter has grown at a breakneck pace. As of 2013, more than 500 million tweets went out per day. Internet Live Stats gives us a wonderful snapshot of just how much traffic that is, per second.

At times, Twitter can be asinine (e.g. @justinbieber and most of the people you went to high school with). Other times it’s brilliantly esoteric (e.g. @SelfAwareROOMBA, @KimKierkagaardashian). And recently, it’s been both an indispensable political aid (e.g. #iranelection, #freeourgirls) and communication tool for those in need, (#haiti, #prayforjapan). From its beginnings, social media has be one of the preeminent mediums that empowers the individual: as a networker, a consumer, or a citizen. In response, companies are investing millions into their social media communities, building individualized customer engagement and maintaining their brand’s reputation online.

But in many ways, even the most established brands with the biggest budgets are, like you and me, making it up as they go along. In light of this recent Southwest Airlines debacle — in which Southwest Airlines asked a passenger to delete a tweet or get off the plane with his two daughters — it may be time to go over some of rules of Twitter. Keep in mind, these apply to other social media channels as well.

Rule #1: Revealing too much personal info is dangerous. Revealing other users personal info? That’s dangerous AND rude

The Southwest incident showed that a careless tweet can result in real-world consequences. Apparently @DuffWatson was a premium Southwest passenger, but his daughters were not. So, the airline denied his daughters A-List benefits. Unfortunately, @DuffWatson learned a hard lesson when he attempted to share the full name, workplace and exact location of this “rude” airline employee. No matter which side you take in this situation, the internet is full of crazy people If you give out someone’s full name, workplace and current location, along with a reason to hate said person, it’s absolutely a threat to their personal safety. BIG Twitter faux-pas. That being said, Duff had previously tweeted the names of Gate Attendants thanking them for their great service and this didn’t get him pulled from any of those flights. So, it’s best to just err on the side of caution.

Rule #2: When you tag a @brand or @celebrity in a tweet, they just might read it. Expect a comeback if you deserve it

Maybe @DuffWatson was trying to get an employee fired. Unfortunately for him, Southwest got to the message before the plane even got rolling and took action, siding with their employee. If you want to complain without repercussion it’s best not to tag or mention the entity or person using the @ symbol.

And you might think celebrities are too busy to answer our tweets. But, alas they’re listening! You’d be surprised to know @JamesFrancoTV replies to insults regarding his mustache. And hey, he’s also been caught trying to hook up with the wrong people on Instagram.

There are many known cases of celebrities replying to derogatory tweeters with some sweet burns. Is this a case of rich-famous-person-bullying-some-commoner at that point? I say no. If you started the conversation with hostility, then you are inviting hostility in return. Check out Jimmy Kimmel’s series, “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets” for a perfect example.

Rule #3: Brands should accept criticism graciously

Even if @hottbodday_xoxo starts firing out negative tweets about your product, service, or location, it’s best to stay away from getting into a tweet battle. Once you’re down that path, the ramifications for your business can be severe. If there’s no personal threat or misinformation, go ahead and apologize for the inconvenience, assure them you’re aiming to improve, and tell them this won’t happen in the future.  You most certainly do not ask someone to take a tweet down (this happened to me at a coffee shop!). People are going to be honest, which can be invaluable information. Censoring indicates you have no interest in improving your brand, and the customer you snubbed will only take that negative experience to other forms of social media and maybe even get some IRL (in real life) friends in on the conversation. Avoid this scenario.

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