Negative Aspect Of Social Media

[Gemma Rowlands]

So, most of the time when I'm on here, I will be talking about all of the great things about social media and what we're able to do with it. All of which still stands! However I believe that it is also important that we remember that there are certain things that we need to be careful about as well! For example, a few months ago I was working with a client who decided to add me on Facebook. I don't usually accept, but decided that I would in this case because we had an excellent rapport going. Anyway, she started posting things about how I was annoying her with my speed of work (even though you CAN'T edit a book in a matter of 24 hours no matter how hard you try) and it damaged our relationship. I don't work with her anymore.

Does anyone else feel as though they struggle with certain parts of social media at times? What can be done about it if you do?

 

[Branded Merchandise]

It's interesting you mention that because yesterday I noticed on a competitor's Twitter page, they were receiving a barrage of abuse in response to one of their tweets. It was just a standard commercial tweet discussing a product or 2. However they used Twitter promotions to make it go to the top of the newsfeed and 5/6 responses accused them of spam etc

Very unfair I felt given that it's clearly a misunderstanding between the users who didn't differentiate between normal tweets and promoted tweets. However it just goes to show that even one perfectly acceptable tweet can have brand reputation issues.

I don't think you can really control social media. As you say, even someone with a strong rapport can turn against you and there's really no way of preventing it. I think the key is the response to the criticisms etc. Sometimes I've seen companies with bad reviews etc come back with an excellent response that makes me respect them even more than I did to begin with!

This isn't social media but a great response to criticism!
http://uproxx.com/webculture/2014/1...larious-take-down-from-the-restaurants-owner/

 

[Pete Brindle]

If someone decides to post something about you, you can't really stop it. We had an incident not long ago of a parent posting disparaging comments about one of our tutors which turned out to be untrue, but once people have got wind of that sort of reputation, things start to get a little trickier.

 

[Mike Turner]

If someone decides to post something about you, you can't really stop it. We had an incident not long ago of a parent posting disparaging comments about one of our tutors which turned out to be untrue, but once people have got wind of that sort of reputation, things start to get a little trickier.

Yes a lot of people share things without thinking about whether they're actually true or not. They just press the button, without thinking just how much these things could affect the people who they're talking about. To some extent, the same issues that are a problem in general with social networking, gossiping, trouble stirring etc, can all still be an issue from a business perspective. It is a shame because it could be such a valuable resource, but there are always going to be problems.

 

[Gemma Rowlands]

It's interesting you mention that because yesterday I noticed on a competitor's Twitter page, they were receiving a barrage of abuse in response to one of their tweets. It was just a standard commercial tweet discussing a product or 2. However they used Twitter promotions to make it go to the top of the newsfeed and 5/6 responses accused them of spam etc

Very unfair I felt given that it's clearly a misunderstanding between the users who didn't differentiate between normal tweets and promoted tweets. However it just goes to show that even one perfectly acceptable tweet can have brand reputation issues.

I don't think you can really control social media. As you say, even someone with a strong rapport can turn against you and there's really no way of preventing it. I think the key is the response to the criticisms etc. Sometimes I've seen companies with bad reviews etc come back with an excellent response that makes me respect them even more than I did to begin with!

This isn't social media but a great response to criticism!
http://uproxx.com/webculture/2014/1...larious-take-down-from-the-restaurants-owner/

Some can look like spam when they're not though, but what's even more worrying is when they manage to make spam messages look like normal ones. That's definitely much worse as it can make people fall for things like scams when they really shouldn't.

 

[Lauren Turner]

I actually dislike a lot of social media for the reason that people can say things, put them right out there, and then never take them back again. It can cause all kinds of damage, and I actually believe that things like social media should be built into the school curriculum in order to stop it from being such a problem in the future. People need to learn about what they can and cannot say, and the way that they should be behaving.

 

[Mike Turner]

Some can look like spam when they're not though, but what's even more worrying is when they manage to make spam messages look like normal ones. That's definitely much worse as it can make people fall for things like scams when they really shouldn't.

I knew of someone who fell for a ridiculous scam thanks to clicking on a link that one of their friends posted on Facebook. She ended up signing up to something that she didn't really want at all, and as a result of that had money taken out of her bank account.

 

[Gemma Rowlands]

I knew of someone who fell for a ridiculous scam thanks to clicking on a link that one of their friends posted on Facebook. She ended up signing up to something that she didn't really want at all, and as a result of that had money taken out of her bank account.

A lot of banks will refund this type of thing for you if you call them up about it. Although there are some who state that you clearly must have accepted terms and conditions to the effect of "we are allowed to take anything we want from you" which is a tricky situation, but sometimes there isn't very much that banks can do. You really do have to be so careful and read things properly.

 

[Pete Brindle]

Yes a lot of people share things without thinking about whether they're actually true or not. They just press the button, without thinking just how much these things could affect the people who they're talking about. To some extent, the same issues that are a problem in general with social networking, gossiping, trouble stirring etc, can all still be an issue from a business perspective. It is a shame because it could be such a valuable resource, but there are always going to be problems.

Yeah. And the worst thing is that when things were straightened out, the person never bothered to set the record straight officially, so there are still a fair number of people who believe things to be true that just aren't. And that isn't great for our business. But we're just hoping that the positive press that we have received outweighs the negative by far, which I think it does at the moment.

 

[Gemma Rowlands]

Yeah. And the worst thing is that when things were straightened out, the person never bothered to set the record straight officially, so there are still a fair number of people who believe things to be true that just aren't. And that isn't great for our business. But we're just hoping that the positive press that we have received outweighs the negative by far, which I think it does at the moment.

When you get positive press, maybe even in newspapers etc (which you must do with your business) make sure you share it so that people would be able to see it and comment on it, etc. That means people would see what you want them to see as well as the rubbish that other people feel the need to share.

 

[Pete Brindle]

When you get positive press, maybe even in newspapers etc (which you must do with your business) make sure you share it so that people would be able to see it and comment on it, etc. That means people would see what you want them to see as well as the rubbish that other people feel the need to share.

We try to do this. We often get things in the paper because parents post things in the announcements section when their children pass their exams, so that's always nice to see. And you're right, we do get plenty of people liking an commenting on it.

 

[Mike Turner]

A lot of banks will refund this type of thing for you if you call them up about it. Although there are some who state that you clearly must have accepted terms and conditions to the effect of "we are allowed to take anything we want from you" which is a tricky situation, but sometimes there isn't very much that banks can do. You really do have to be so careful and read things properly.

Are you sure? Do they ever get the money back themselves or do they just do it as a gesture of goodwill type of thing? I suppose £100 is nothing to them, but if everyone were to suddenly claim it back, it would add up a lot quicker!