We recently dished with a friend who has the tiring task of wrangling well-meaning volunteers at a local non-profit arts organization. It’s a juggling act that your average HR bear couldn’t stomach, since volunteers have to be handled differently because they are helping your organization for, like, free. So lots of times, according to our friend, this means swallowing some strong personalities and smiling through it. In regard to a particularly talkative type, however, our friend came up with a stroke of genius which has not only helped their social media content but helped keep a chattering volunteer busy.
Our buddy turned little miss chatty Cathy into the company’s social media diva. The formerly motor-mouthed mama now turns out tweets, blogs and Facebook posts for the non-profit, which had previously experienced a tough time in staying consistent with social media upkeep. Being reformed “talks too much and passes notes” kids ourselves, we love channeling real life conversation into digital engagement. Naturally, it makes sense to have the person who always has something to say be in charge of posting your company’s message online. These types are more likely to engage with followers in lively conversations.
And while part of what makes social media marketing so much fun is the fact we get to talk to our customers and find out what’s on their minds, there is a fine line between delightfully conversational and downright annoying. Make sure your chatty social media maven knows how to rein it in before you give him or her the keys to your Twitter or Facebook kingdom. Lately, we’ve seen dozens of disastrous results when a blabbing and belligerent employee takes over Twitter to wreak havoc. From big clothing companies to airlines, the wrong person in charge of social media can cause complete PR nightmares.
But if you have a lovable, trusted and well-spoken big mouth who needs something to do, social media and blogging might just be their dream job and could be great for your brand.
Leave a Reply