In a post at his blog, David Reich recounts the story of a PR executive who wasn't exactly thrilled about traveling to Memphis for a meeting with clients. Unfortunately, the exec decided to announce his disdain in a very public forum known as Twitter: "True confession but I'm in one of those towns where I'd scratch my head and say 'I'd rather die than live here.'" Ouch.
His clients took understandable umbrage at the slight on their fair city, and made public an email expressing their disappointment with the comment. After referencing their multimillion-dollar account with his agency, they noted, "[I]t is enough to expect a greater level of respect and awareness from someone in your position as a vice president at a major global player in your industry." Again, ouch.
"It's easy to get caught in a situation like this, since Twitter is about friendly dialogue," says the sensible David Reich. "But what you write is going out there in public, and Mr. Big Agency Guy should have had a bit more sense and sensitivity."
In other words, as social networks continue to blur the lines between personal and professional lives, remember that an off-the-cuff comment meant for college buddies are just as likely to be seen by customers.
David Reich's Marketing Inspiration can save you unnecessary pain: "If you don't want your comments made public, even by accident, don't write them down anywhere online."
Source: My 2 Cents. Click here for the full post.
More Inspiration:
Ann Handley: Guest Post: 'How I Got My Job Through Twitter'
Paul Dunay: How Long Does It Take to Become a Social Media Expert?
Steve Woodruff: 'So a Couple of Neurons Walked into a Bar ... '
by Christina "CK" Kerley
Comments
by Tom Collins Mon Mar 16, 2009
I think your focus on Twitter and social media overlooks a more important lesson to be learned from David Reich's post. Here's the comment I left in response to his post:
Your examples demonstrate a point that is too often missed: it's not the tool that got the exec in trouble. As you point out so well, similar errors in judgment can be communicated by other channels (email, telephone), or even face-to-face, with similar consequences.
As I recall the flap, the PR exec posted his Tweet at the Memphis airport. He could just as easily have made the same statement out loud to a travel companion and been overheard by a Memphis resident who knew someone at FedEx. From there, a phone call, email, or text message to headquarters and the same unpleasant incident could have been broadcast everywhere.
I like to say that nobody ever got fired for blogging (or Tweeting), which always gets an objection. My point: A few have been fired for doing something dumb on their blog. But the same behavior done on the front steps at corporate headquarters, or published in a letter to the editor in one of the remaining newspapers, would have gotten those folks fired just as quickly.
Microsoft's Rule # 1 for blogging should serve well for other social media (and life in general): Don't be stupid.