Social Strategies

Rule number one of Social Media: People first, tools second.

Banned from a Facebook Page: The Follow-Up

August 8th, 2011 Posted in Best Practices, FaceBook, Opinions, Social Media
Aug, 08 2011
4 Comments »

Last week, I blogged about being banned from a Facebook Business Page. Thanks so much to everyone for the outpouring of support! From the many who  commented and shared my story on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, your newsletters and blogs, to the even greater number who private messaged me with words of both bewilderment and support, I am deeply grateful.

I want to be very clear: I am not upset. Now that the initial surprise has worn off, I find it sadly funny. I remain steadfast that there was no good business reason for the ban; it says a great deal more about the “ban-ner” than me. I also won’t be making any more referrals to this business. They’ve revealed an appalling lack of both social media savvy and basic good judgment that I won’t foist upon others. Perhaps I should offer them my services instead!  :-)

Many of you expressed the same three issues of concern: First, some of you didn’t know you could be blocked from a page. Second, you wondered when and if you should  block page fans from commenting. Third, you wondered about blocking competitors. So, Dear Reader, as a follow-up, I offer guidance on each.

As for when you should block someone: Obvious offenses include rude, threatening or abusive language, profanity, and comments that serve no useful purpose except to defame or demean. I’d also consider blocking someone who repeatedly spammed or advertised their business on my page. I don’t mean another business page making periodic comments; I mean blatantly using my page as their own marketing platform, whether commenting as individual or page.  That’s just bad form. As for whether to block your competitors, my answer is no. Social media is supposed to be open and transparent. Period. You’re not going to publicize anything proprietary on your business page, and blocked parties can still see it. So what’s the point in blocking other than not wanting them to comment at all? That’s censorship. If they do comment and don’t break any reasonable guidelines, you should treat them as you would any other fan. Finally, and please exercise great care before pulling this trigger: Here’s how to block a fan.

Now I’d like your weigh-in. What would cause you to block a page fan? Have you had to do it already? Why?

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Banned from a Facebook Page!

August 4th, 2011 Posted in Best Practices, FaceBook, social media marketing
Aug, 04 2011
14 Comments »

I’m about as disappointed and puzzled as I’ve been in quite some time.

Why, you ask? Well, Dear Reader, I have been banned from a Facebook Business Page. Yep, that’s right. As in: I can still “Like” the page if I choose, but I cannot comment anymore.

How did I find out? I realized I had not seen their posts in a while, so I went to their page to discover that I could not comment and that my comments had been deleted. Funny thing is, I’ve done absolutely nothing to warrant this type of censorship. I enjoyed their posts, and on the infrequent occasions I comment – er, commented, that is – my contributions were friendly, relevant, and in no way inappropriate. Allowing fans to talk to you and others who contribute on your Facebook page is part of the landscape, isn’t it?

So why the ban? I believe I have been censored for personal reasons, such as the individual making this call does not like me, or perhaps disliked my comments, or both. But are those good reasons to block me from their page? Was it fair? I don’t think so. Rule Number One of business is knowing when to separate your personal feelings from your business decisions. In this case, I  suspect that rule was broken.

To the person who decided to block me, I want you to know: I would not censor you on my page as long as your behavior there is appropriate. Weigh in any time. We’re members of the community who can and should treat each other with professional courtesy and respect online and off – period. It may interest you to know that  I recommended your business to someone just last week. Based on my understanding of your experience and expertise, I considered you the best choice.  Chew on that for a moment.

I’ll close with this: I have no intention of “outing” the business in question here. I’m just not that mean spirited.

My Dad always said:  “Don’t be a sissy.” Mom always said: “Take the high road.”

Check.

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Google+: Game Changer?

July 12th, 2011 Posted in FaceBook, Google+, Opinions, Social Media
Jul, 12 2011
8 Comments »

 

When I heard Google+ was coming out with a social network to rival Facebook, I pretty much brushed if off as yet another attempt unlikely to dethrone the King and Master of Social Networking. After all, I reasoned, unless Facebook really screwed up – resulting in a mass exodus – or went under, why would people leave for yet another social network? Especially those with a large base of important connections?

I have to say, however, after trying it out for a few days, I am impressed. And eating my words. It’s easy to learn and use.The ability to categorize people into groups, (“Circles”) and share selectively so easily has great appeal. The site’s appearance is very clean, as there are no ads (yet) and no notices in the sidebars. Perhaps best of all: NO GAMES! So far, people are talking mostly about – you guessed it – Google+. Right now it’s like the place where all the “cool” kids hang out since you have to be invited, with everyone learning about it from each other. Among it’s other cool features:

Photo Editing: You can edit your pictures, changing hues, cropping, and even adding some cool effects and making color pictures black and white. Uploading is easy with a drag and drop function, and the photo quality looks better than Facebook’s. It’s easy to navigate and fun to use.

Hangouts: Video conferencing has never been easier. Install the required plug-in and you’re all set. When people in one of your circles uses it, it appears in your stream that they are in a hangout, and shows who has joined them. It will be great for socializing and work collaboration. One thing occurs to me: Will it be considered rude if someone invites you to hang out, and you decline? Hmmm. New features like this means new rules of etiquette will evolve. I sure hope people don’t get, well, a little too “casual” with this particular feature!

Sparks enables you to search topics of interest on the web. You can create lists whose content is updated with the most recent info and is accessible. It’s like having Google Alerts right there in Google+. Wow.

Integration: This is the lynchpin to Google+’s long term success.  I’ve heard reports of difficulties with some Google Apps emails, so there are still some issues to work out. I’ve experienced seamless navigation between my Gmail, GoogleDocs, Calendar, Pictures, and Google+ presence; I do just about everything I need to do online from there. That is huge.

For these reasons, I think Google+ offers great promise. They’ve improved upon many of Facebook’s good features, and added some that Facebook lacks. Not surprisingly, there’s a mobile version for the Droid. Of course, that has Iphone/iPad users salivating for theirs. Google will likely avoid at least some of Facebook’s noted missteps with privacy and making so many random changes with little or no notice. And surely, an API release can’t be too far away, which opens up numerous possibilities. For me, the ability to manage it from Hootsuite can’t come fast enough!

So what do you think? Have you tried Google+? If not, I highly recommend it. Leave your email below and I’ll send you an invite. What would it take for you to use it more than, or in place of, Facebook? For now, Google+ is at least part shiny new toy.  It is one whose novelty will wear off? Or is it a true game changer that seriously threatens Facebook’s dominance?

 

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Discretion: It’s Just Common Sense. Or Is It?

April 7th, 2011 Posted in blogging, FaceBook, Online Reputation Management, Opinions, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
Apr, 07 2011
No Comments »

My last Blog post was about the Maryland Department of Corrections story in which an officer re-applying for his job  was requested to surrender his Facebook log-in info as a precondition for employment.  The officer complied, albeit reluctantly. Shortly thereafter, the Maryland ACLU filed a formal complaint. This article is a recent update which offers an explanation of, and recent changes to, this policy. I’ll say again that I think any employer who requires such a thing has completely overstepped their legal and ethical bounds.

But what about simply wanting to connect with a prospective employee online? Are employers within their bounds to ask for that privilege?  Many companies now look at social profiles as part of their screening process,  and stories abound about employees who have lost their jobs over something said or done on social sites which employers felt reflected negatively on them. These include, but are not limited to: Criticizing a company and/or its employees by name or inference, and behaving in a manner considered detrimental to the company by way of comments or images posted.  A whole new avenue of litigation has opened, with more to come as social sites continue to draw more individual and business users.  At issue are questions such as whether employers should have the right to fire based on these circumstances, and determining the degree and manner in which people may express themselves without crossing the nefarious line into libelous or threatening behavior.

Obviously, I leave it to the judges, attorneys and juries of one’s peers to figure out these weighty issues for those cases that go to trial. What I do know is this:  A little common sense should prevail.  Even if you aren’t connected to prospective or current employers through social networks, chances are someone you know is somehow.  If you don’t have the good judgment and maturity to keep those risqué party pictures or negative sentiments about your company,  boss, neighbors, or others you know off of your Facebook page, you shouldn’t expect one ounce of sympathy when these things come back to bite you on the proverbial butt.  Like it or not, we  live in a more or less transparent online world; the exercise of discretion while there can make or break your personal and professional reputation.  Case in point: I know a realtor who posts frequently about how heavily and frequently they imbibe.  Think I’ll hire them to sell my house? No, and I’m no teetotaler myself,  but  I question their common sense, good judgment, and how a lack thereof may affect their ability to represent me in the best possible manner.   Harsh? I don’t think so.

So what do you think? Do companies go too far when they fire people for speaking negatively about them online? Are you connected to your co-workers and employers on social networks? Why or why not? Should I rethink my own personal views on common sense online behavior?

 

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The Maryland DoC: Boneheads or Brilliant?

February 22nd, 2011 Posted in FaceBook, Opinions, Social Media
Feb, 22 2011
No Comments »

If you’ve been on Facebook in the last few days, you’ve probably heard a report about the Maryland Department of Correction’s controversial policy of asking job applicants to submit their Facebook passwords and log-in info to conduct background checks. This was prompted by the re-hire of a corrections officer who was told he needed to submit this information to be reinstated after returning from a personal leave. He contacted the ACLU, who is now conducting an inquiry.

What is the Maryland COD thinking? That they should be able to log on to people’s personal accounts AS THOSE PEOPLE, just to see what they’re up to? And access private messages and info of friends? Social Media Today offers this thoughtful analysis. My question: Why not just request a friend confirmation from applicants to see their profiles? If the request is denied, infer what you will from that.

Amazingly, the officer gave them his information, albeit not without protest. How could anyone be naïve enough to do that?

Predictably, there has been a backlash to this and other efforts seen as egregious intrusions of privacy. Case law on the issue is sparse, and if this policy is duplicated, it will face court challenges, and legal precedent will be set. As I see it, there is no middle ground here: Being asked to surrender personal login information for Facebook or anything else, as a precondition of employment, is 100% wrong. Period.

And then it hit me. Either the Maryland DOC consists of ignorant boneheads, or they’re brilliant.

The pdf from the ACLU to the Maryland DOC looks official enough. Still, I can’t help but wonder: Have we all been snookered? Was this actually a process of elimination test to weed out applicants? As in: If you are dumb enough to actually comply with such a request, we sure don’t want you working for us.

I’ll tell you this: I wouldn’t want someone that “compliant” working for me. Would you?

Update 2/22, 5:11 PM: The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has suspended the practice of asking for Facebook login information for 45 days, according to an email they sent to The Atlantic. See full story on the development.

Ok, so maybe my “theory” is most likely wrong. But you know what?  I think I’d respect the Maryland DOC a whole lot more if I was right.

Liz DeLoach is a Social Media Consultant, Les Mills Fitness Trainer, wife and mom of two teens (help!) in Charleston, SC. Follow her on Twitter @lizdeloach. And, be sure to stop by her page at Social Moms.

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