The concept of a digital footprint is constantly changing. It's now if you aren't one of the lucky people who are on the digital version of Instagram or are using Snapchat, then you can expect to get on people's radar when something of this nature happens.
Even when it's not something big, small mistakes have the potential to snowball, especially if you were once voted top 10 on Google for people to be wary of or you were an opinion leader, such as an influencer or in your field. But now, a hashtag you didn't know about can turn into an internet trend.
Your Twitter account can be a festering hole of a person that goes against the morals of the company or brand that you're following, a mean spirited blog can be lifted from your profile by someone you knew before having a marketing career, or a fan can share a picture of a company icon that was created in their imagination. All of these things are 100% legit things that can ruin someone's image and branding.
But what are some things that you can do to regain some power in this battle?
There's no point in trying to undo what is already done. We all already know that people can do this. Still, you can try to become one of the companies with a fully integrated website and a responsive business strategy that is very integrated with their social media accounts.
Be consistent in what you are doing. People will always check their accounts to see if your profile is consistent.
One of the most helpful things you can do is set up disclaimers on each social account with social campaigns associated with it. If you are going to start a campaign for a brand, set the policy that you are not to publish any photos of the products you are being paid to endorse, and people should not post or link to any blogs that you are a part of promoting.
People are always using their search engine's search engine to see what other people are saying about a brand or company; you want to make sure that what you have to say doesn't prove negative to what you are being paid to promote. Is what you are saying helping people?
By saying how great a product is and how it's better than all the other brands, you could negatively affect your brand reputation. If you say that a product or company is great and that they are the best, this is not negative for your brand. It is really all about the angle that you choose to take in the tweet.
Social media is so flooded with people talking heads for their companies that they are constantly updating their profiles. For example, if you own a cell phone company, you should probably update your profile to reflect that; you never know what a tweet might get you.
There are so many brands and so many conversations going on that we all know that we can't keep up with everything. If you do have something significant to you, make sure you plan your time well.
Don't put it off just because you're too busy. Put in the time to make it worthwhile for you.
If you have a passion project, you will find the time to give it you're all.
If something happens and you put something out there that you think or know negative, you need to keep your cool and learn from it. After the fact, you may find that you were not so clear in what you wanted to say, and you may realize that you put out a tweet that did not represent who you are.
Maybe that was your fault. Or maybe, someone took offense to what you were trying to say, and they took it in a bad way, and they will never speak to you again, so you had best learn from your mistakes and make sure you apologize.
Do not think that it's too late to fix the damage; it's always better to make a small mistake and move on to the next.
Every move you make and every decision matters. Thus, you need to be careful with what you say, post and show your audience.
Maintain your company's image so that your reputation stays afloat. People love to see brands that promote inclusivity and respect.
Remember that your consumers or your audience will value your brands when they know it is a respectable company. This is something most marketers don't understand.
Keep your values, and make sure that you follow through.
