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Social media can be great tools for businesses, but they have their limitations. Sometimes businesses approach Twitter, Facebook, blogs, viral videos and the lot as if they were some sort of free advertising. As you can imagine, that never works out too well. Here are some of the most gut-wrenchingly embarrassing mistakes from businesses on social media.
1. Fake Blogs
Perhaps the best known fake blog is All I Want for Christmas is a PSP (alliwantforxmasisapsp.com, currently abandoned). Sony caught tons of flak for their attempt to manipulate, as did the ad agency that came up with the idea, Zipatoni.
The blog went down in 2006, but the social media blog Search Views has documented the angry comments from jilted blog readers. This is my favorite from a guy name D-Stab:
“I doubt this message will reach whoever it needs to, but Sony desperately needs to stop hiring these bozos to do their marketing. This website is as bad as the PS 3 baby ads, which are as bad as the PSP dust ball ads, which are worse than the most annoying Old Navy ad you could possibly think of.”
More annoying than an Old Navy ad. Ouch. It’s gets worse, or better, if you’re into the whole schadenfreude thing. The ad agency fake bloggers tried to protest their innocence by writing a 13-year-old on meth:
“You all is haters tymes 4. Dis is lee-git. Don’t know why youse thinks this is a schill. Are site was registered through an external provider. We don’t work for sony. And for all you dissin’ my skillz I’m down for a one on one rap off or settling it street stylez if you feel me playa. Teh. …”
Other companies have tried the fake blog thing including Walmart and McDonalds. The lesson here is not to insult your customers’ intelligence. If you’re faking buzz about your product, you will eventually be caught. The end result is that you will have completely insulted your base. Social media is not a free pass to lie and manipulate.
2. Viral Video Fail
Everyone wants a viral video. It sounds so easy. You just make a video, and then you make it viral. Of course it’s never that simple. To be effective, viral videos must be salient, extremely memorable, and brand appropriate. One of the best bad examples of a business trying, and failing, with a viral video has to be Quiznos and the 2 Girls 1 Sub video. According to Social Business blogger Jennifer Legio, Quiznos may have had nothing to do with this ad. Let’s hope that’s true.
Why was it so bad? Well, it was a parody of an adult video called 2 Girls 1 Cup, which according to TheFrisky.com is “the most grossest, disgustingest pornographic video ever made.” Anybody hungry?
So, while the 2 Girls 1 Sub viral video was salient and extremely memorable, it was absolutely not brand appropriate. The lesson here is that social media is not an amoral playground. People still get offended and grossed out. In getting attention for your business, you also have to make sure it’s the right kind of attention. Otherwise you end up like that kid in elementary school who would eat anything on a dare.
3. Spamming
It’s important for businesses to realize that there are real people behind all the avatars and profile pics on social media sites. It’s not some vast wasteland of white noise and product placement. The most recent failure in this regard comes from HabitatUK, which is apparently a sort of upscale IKEA for home furniture.
This company got on Twitter and immediately started using hash tags, which are used to identify important topics, to spam everybody and their dog. According to SocialMediaToday.com, HabitatUK used hash tags like #apple and #iPhone to announce that their spring selection is now 20% off.
You can imagine the response on Twitter. The word “spammer!” was used more than once. What we learn here is to always, always, always, remember that real people are on the other end of the computer screen. Don’t spam, don’t manipulate, don’t lie.
Social media is an exciting area that has a lot of opportunity for two-way communication in marketing. The temptation to manipulate, however, can ruin your company’s brand entirely. Use social media responsibly.
Since I started using Twitter regularly, I’ve been fascinated by it’s possible application as a tool for social change. For the uninitiated, Twitter is a silly pastime for people who want the world to know what they’re having for breakfast. While it’s true that these breakfast exhibitionists do exist, there is a much more serious side of Twitter: the revolutionary side.
In a blog post that will follow, I will discuss Twitter’s use for protest and organizing within the U.S. This post, however, will only look at Twitter use overseas. The following are some of the international movements that have recently used Twitter to organize and publicize:
1. Protests in Iran
With deep suspicions that the recent re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the result of fraud, Iranians supporting opposition leader Moussavi have taken to the streets in protest. In reaction, the Iranian government has shut down cell phone coverage and nearly eliminated Internet bandwidth. The protesters needed a way to organize and publicize what they were doing without cell phones, access to mainstream media, and with hardly any bandwidth. The answer: Twitter.
Of course all sorts of groups are covering the important role of Twitter in Iran, including Twitter-hater. To keep up to date on the phenomenon, here is an updated list of people who are tweeting from Iran.
2. Protests in Moldova
In April, the Communists in Moldova won enough votes to take over the government there. The youth of Moldova, however, thought this was a bad idea and they decided to protest.
Most people don’t know where Moldova is (It’s between Romania and Ukraine), let alone care about its politics. However, because of the Moldovan uprising’s use of Twitter and Facebook, their protests got widespread coverage.
Despite being a confirmed new junkie, I don’t know if I ever would have heard of the protests in Moldova without Twitter.
3. Gaza Offensive
As Israel was attacking Gaza in early 2009, many used Twitter to get information out and to organize protests around the world. Mainstream media were barred from going into Gaza to report on what was happening, so the world’s only information cam from people in Gaza tweeting, texting, and e-mailing.
While this was all going on, I looked to Twitter first for any information on the offensive. One of my favorite tweeters now is @gazamom, whom I found through @mbrooker. The easy access and low-bandwidth requirements made tweeting from Gaza a possibility when most forms of communication were not viable. More importantly, it provided the world with a first-hand, real time account of the offensive.
4. Riots in Greece
After police killed a 15-year-old boy in December, Greek anarchists started making their displeasure known. The protests, many of which turned into riots, were publicized and organized using Twitter, Facebook and other social media.
The result was that groups around Europe started protesting as well in solidarity. To use a hackneyed term, the Greek protests went viral.
Conclusion
Protest and public dissent do nothing when they happen in a vacuum. A protest without an audience is completely ineffective. Having a mass media structure that is not only free, but also interested in social change is hard to come by in many countries. Thankfully, social media, and Twitter in particular, are providing an audience for dissent and suppressed information around the globe. Check back this Thursday for my blog about using Twitter for social change in the United States.
Although teamwork and collaboration are important parts of any business or enterprise, when it comes to SEO, it’s best to leave it to one person or one team. I’ve had problems in the past with having too many cooks in the SEO kitchen, and it’s made me appreciate the importance of taking a holistic and unified approach from start to finish.
One time, a client wanted some help with their website. They had a long-standing contract with a different web and SEO group, but they needed more results. I thought we could just augment their SEO in a few areas where we are particularly strong, like video SEO and social media.
While it’s worked well most of the time, there were some unfortunate missteps. For instance, I worked hard to get our client ranked for a high-traffic keyword. We had just begun to show up on the front page of Google, when the other group decided to change the way the URLs were optimized. With that link now going to a 404 error, we were soon buried in the search once again.
Frustrating communication failures like these can also occur in other situations. Search engine optimization specialists often have to interface with separate web development and web design teams. Sometimes SEO specialists will find themselves working at cross-purposes with the very clients they are trying to help.
Here are a few steps to avoid the confusion:
1. Establish a chain of command
Decide from the beginning of a project who will have the final say on SEO decisions. This way, you can still delegate tasks and work collaboratively, but if there is a conflict on how to proceed it can be resolved quickly.
2. Develop an SEO strategy document
Have a road map and timeline for what you want to accomplish. Make sure to sit down with all the different groups and gather their input. Write up a detailed SEO strategy for implementation and make sure everybody sees it and feels good about it.
3. Focus on the essential
Some aspects of SEO are cut and dried, but many areas require a much more adaptive stance. Remember that there is more than one way to get things done. If someone from a different group feel strongly about doing it a certain way, and it doesn’t conflict with anything essential, then let them do it. Be flexible whenever possible and keep your focus on the bottom-line for the client.
4. Resolve communication issues quickly
Don’t let things fester and get weird. As soon as something goes wrong, address it in an assertive and sensitive way.
5. Cut the ego out
At every stage, ask yourself if your decisions are in the client’s best interest. Often working with other groups creates a natural sense of competition, which can be detrimental. Keep your ego in check.
If you are a client looking for SEO, this can also be helpful information for you. Make sure you pick groups that can follow these steps and work well together. If possible, try to avoid complicated collaborations all together. Look for web and SEO companies that can provide a holistic and unified approach using in-house people. Make sure to ask your SEO company what programming language they are used to working in and quiz them on their overall strategy and approach. This way you can avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen.
When it comes to Twitter and social media in general, I’ve noticed that some businesses and organizations are slow to adapt simply because they’re afraid of what their employees might say or do online. Reputation management is a serious concern that some of our clients have, but I have to point out to them that they have telephones in their offices and their employees have free reign to say stupid things telephonically all day long. Still, no one would consider not having telephones in an office. You’d just take some time and train your employees on etiquette and propriety. It’s the same thing with social media and Twitter.
To help people preview what kinds of mistakes they can make and avoid them, I’ve compiled my top four favorite social media gaffes with a special bonus blunder at the end. Here they are:
1. D.C. Comics 4chan fail
For the uninitiated, 4chan.org is an anonymous image posting site that is used as a forum for all sorts of stuff. (Warning: I wouldn’t go there unless you know what you’re looking for. Even then, don’t go there at work.)
Last week, somebody got on 4chan and started posting about why D.C. Comics are better than Marvel Comics in “every way conceivable.” About half way through the post, however, it appears the person accidentally pasted in the instructions for his or her “assignment.” Here’s what it said:
1) Many forum administrators well allow you to add a signature to all your posts. The more you participate, the more your assignment will be displayed throughout the forum pages.
2) Some forums are indexed by the search engines so if your site is found by the search engine spiders then it may help you rank in some of the search engines.
Try to participate in use forums that relate to your assignment’s theme. If you assignment is about comics, then try to find forums that cater to comic books, such as IGN, CBR, 4chan, etc.
Post as many helpful messages as you can. If you build up a reputation as a forum member that people can go to for guidance, it will enhance your credibility and people may be more inclined to further vector your assignment.
Great stuff. For the full post go here. (Warning: explicit language) What’s funny to me about this is that there isn’t anything wrong with an employee of D.C. Comics posting about how much better he thinks his group is than his competition. What makes this scandalous and embarrassing is the attempt to do it surreptitiously. From this we learn that it’s important to always be upfront about who you are and what you represent. Still get out there and chat up your company on social media, just don’t try to do it incognito or in a manipulative way.
2. Journalist meltdown on Twitter
This one comes via @iancapstick from Media Style. Apparently, a journalist called a PR person for some info and she didn’t return his calls. As a former journalist, I can understand the frustration. People complain when you don’t talk to them, but then they don’t call you back until minutes before your deadline.
When the PR person finally did return his calls, it appears the conversation didn’t go well, and @aprildunford posted this on Twitter: “Reporter to me “When the media calls you, you jump. OK!?” Why, when you called me and I’m not selling? Newspapers will get what they deserve”
Not too bad, but it’s gets better. The journalist (who used to be @sirdavid) flipped out, spewing expletives and invective all over the Twitterverse. It’s a wonderful train wreck, check it out here. (Warning: explicit language, once again) From this we learn to always keep your cool. Never blow up at anyone or it will be documented, circulated, blogged about, and then archived for future generations.
3. Utah AG Mark Shurtleff’s massive twoops
Utah’s attorney general had a plan to challenge Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) in the upcoming elections, but was waiting until May 20 to announce it to the world. Timing is absolutely essential in political communication, which makes this Twitter mistake all the more funny.
More than a week before his announcement, Shurtleff accidentally started tweeting all his plans to the entire Twittersphere, thinking he was sending private direct messages to only one person. My favorite tweet was this:
“all of the legislative conservative caucusus and other senators and representatives there endorsing me. Time to rock and roll!”
It reminds me of a Twitter version of Howard Dean’s infamous “yehaw!”
It’s still too early to tell if anyone who uses Twitter will be able to take him seriously. I guess we’ll find out in November. You can read the full story from the Salt Lake Tribune here. What we learn here is to understand the tools you are using. I’ve made the same mistake before, but it wasn’t a big deal because I treat all my communications on Twitter as if they were public. Never assume that you have privacy on a social media site. If you’re discussing sensitive or private matters, don’t do it on a social media site. That’s not what they’re made for.
4. New Yorker fires a reporter in front of the world
The New Yorker is by far my favorite magazine. I love it. But even I have to admit this would be embarrassing. Dan Baum was a staff writer at the New Yorker for a few years. When they fired him, he used Twitter to let the world know that he was not happy about it. You can read the entire saga in 140 character paragraphs here.
This is just a sample of one of the ouch parts that came in a series of four tweets:
“And that the real reason Remnick fired me was that he took a personal dislike to me after our conversations.
I was pretty bitter for a while.
A New Yorker writer should be able to have a straight-up exchange of views with his editor.
And a guy as accomplished and powerful as David Remnick shouldn’t be so insecure that he can’t take some pushback.”
The lesson here is perhaps the most poignant. If you’re not talking about yourself on social media, somebody else is. Does David Remnick Twitter? I don’t know, but he should seriously consider it. Having a properly managed social media presence helps you address disgruntled former employees as well as the ever-churning rumor mill. For example, in the last couple of weeks the rumor has gone around Twitter that the New Yorker was going to two issues a month.
BONUS gaffe
Here’s a hilarious bonus gaffe for you. The difference with this is that it has nothing to do with social media at all.
In June 2006, Greenpeace, an environmental activist group, sent out a memo to the press challenging Pres. Bush’s nuclear energy policy. It started off well enough, but a little farther down the page, this showed up:
Oops. This huge embarrassment came in the form of the tried and true press release. It’s a strong reminder that social media won’t cause you any more reputation problems than your old school devices do — i.e. fax machines, telephones, telegraphs and semaphore flags. So stop delaying. Learn the tools, learn the etiquette, and be proactive about your online reputation.
One of Pres. Obama’s top advisors made a small stir last month by stating that she was interested in creating a nationalized broadband network that could transmit data hundreds of times faster than our current system.
Susan Crawford, one of Obama’s special assistants, was in Australia last week where a government-subsidized broadband infrastructure project is in the works.
David Hatch, with the conservative National Review.com’s Congress Daily, wrote:
“While there has been no formal Obama administration commitment to such infrastructure investment, Susan Crawford … has said she is ‘personally intrigued’ by an ambitious plan by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.”.
Perhaps too much is being made of this, but it’s an appealing idea. At a time when billions of dollars are going to stimulus projects, why not use some of that to ensure broadband access across the country. It has a New Deal appeal to it.
Crawford has gone on the record to say how important Obama feels the American broadband infrastructure is. A week before her trip to Australia, she told Broadbandcensus.com that “Broadband is the new essential infrastructure …. Access to broadband does not guarantee” success, but “lack of access to broadband will guarantee economic decline.”
She added that Obama mentions broadband access all the time.
The thought of having a super-fast Internet connection without having to mess with my local broadband provider sounds great. Still, the whole idea is, and I hate to use the S-word here, socialist. The People would pay for and own most of the new infrastructure, which would leave broadband Internet service providers (ISPs) the option to either set up lease agreements or get out of the business all together.
So, lets look at the pros and cons of a nationalized broadband infrastructure. Please leave comments if I’ve omitted something.
PROS
1. Economic stimulus
There is no doubt that broadband is increasingly fueling businesses. More and more businesses are making sales online and they will be benefited when an increased number of customers can access their products faster and more reliably.
2. Encourages innovation
With uniform high-speed connections, web software, website design, and video for web can expand in new and innovative ways. There are plenty of good web business ideas that have been held back for lack of infrastructure. This would unblock that dam.
3. Social equity
If the government is building and operating the broadband network, people will have access where they otherwise wouldn’t have. I used to live in southeastern Ohio in Appalachia. It’s hard for some people to imagine, but there are whole cities and communities in that region that do not have access to the Internet, let alone high-speed broadband. This project would correct that. This would in turn, provide more customers to online businesses.
4. Net neutrality
In a recent post I wrote about the necessity of net neutrality, particularly for online businesses, social media marketers and SEO professinals. If the government owns the infrastructure, it is more likely that net neutrality will remain in tact.
5. Extreme public interest
The government provides certain essential services in our society, like the police, FBI, military, fire and rescue, etc. If broadband is going to be as important to the future as it appears it will be, then it might make sense to have the government at least help provide it.
6. My own selfish reasons
I have dreams of streaming hours of HD movies on my computer. If Netflix tells me one more time that the quality of my video is being reduced because my connection is too slow, I’m going to do something radical, like rent a movie from an actual movie store.
CONS
1. IT’S SOCIALIST!!!!! Arrrgh.
That’s not a con in and of itself, but I know it means a lot to some people.
2. Unfair competition with broadband ISPs
Depending on the level of government involvement, businesses that provide broadband could be negatively affected.
3. There’s no free lunch
It’s going to cost a lot and Uncle Sam isn’t exactly flush with cash these days. Some estimates put this kind of improvement at around $430 billion dollars.
4. Private industry can handle it
Eventually, I imagine, private industry will get around to updating broadband infrastructure. There will be no guarantee, however, that the improvements will provide uniform access to every area of the country. This will also be accompanied by increased prices, which may restrict even more people.
5. Make it easier for domestic spying
Right now, if a police officer or a government agency wants to identify an anonymous blogger or Internet user, they must get a warrant or subpoena for the Internet service provider. If the government is the ISP, this might encourage more warrantless monitoring of U.S citizens’ Internet use.
While the idea of a nationalized broadband network is still a long way out, I think it’s never too early to start the debate. Personally, I’m going to have wait and see a bit, but I’m excited by the idea. We’ll see what happens.
Wanna be friends?