Afraid of Social Media?

I've heard a lot of reasons why folks are hesitant to get their congregation or small business involved in social media. One big one is that someone might say something derogatory about them on their own page.
Well, the truth is - if someone wants to say something derogatory about you, they're going to find a place to do it. Whether it's your Facebook page, or their own Facebook page, or even a competitor's Facebook page, they'll find an audience.
Wouldn't it be better if you could control something like that in your own backyard?

You're never going to please all of the people all of the time, and most reasonable adults know that.
A disgruntled comment is a great opportunity to find ways to improve - or to at least show that you care.
If you get a negative comment:

• Reply quickly and publicly to that person, preferably in the same forum.
• Ask for more information.
• Don't try to cover something up. Be honest!
• Apologize if you did something poorly.
• Show that you are real and want to fix it if you can.

This might start a great discussion that leads to growth (perhaps for both parties!).
Even more scary - what if someone in your organization posts something non-flattering?
Have you read about the Red Cross' Twitter faux pas? An employee responsible for posting to their Twitter account accidentally posted something that was meant for their personal Twitter page. It involved drinking beer and "gettingslithered." Did you just have a moment of panic?!
Well, the Red Cross did not panic.
They deleted the post (though Tweets, once posted can never really be deleted from the eyes of those that have already seen them) and posted an apology - with a touch of self-deprecating humor.
Not only was their response received with understanding, they actually saw an uptick in donations! The beer company that was mentioned even used tweets to encourage people to donate to the Red Cross! The story is best told in Red Cross' own blog.
So, what do we learn from this? Don't be afraid of social media. Just as you're not afraid of walking down the sidewalk.
Could you trip? Could someone throw a tomato at you? Sure!
But that shouldn't stop you from using the sidewalk to get to where you need to go. Just watch out for cracks in the sidewalk and work hard not to make too many folks that want to throw tomatoes at you!
Do you need help getting started in social media? Graddy Solutions would love to help you get set up so you can use that medium to get your message out in a great way! Contact us today for affordable web design, custom printing, and marketing consulting.