Hey, we don’t root for people to fail, but it is hard not to facepalm when you see some the obvious blunders that occur on social media. A social media faux pas can negatively impact your brand.

It happens more often than it should, a company takes to twitter or instagram, or another platform on which they only have a tenuous grasp, and plants their foot firmly in mouth.

Though it seems like anything goes on social media the fact is, the rules are different for brands. If you are managing your company’s social media presence, don’t be a victim of your own ignorance.

 Here are some befuddling examples of how misunderstanding social media can come back to bite you.

BEST BUY

The big box retailer has been the topic of a lot of conversation lately, for better or worse. The attention has come from prominent mentions on podcast turned cultural touchstone, Serial.  

Apparently Best Buy has no objection being associated with a true life murder plot and even felt it was appropriate to joke about the case over twitter. See the offending tweet.

Best Buy used the hashtag #Serial to engage with the podcast’s fervent fanbase. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but instead of showing an appreciation for the groundbreaking show, they instead chose to make light of a murder case.

The electronics vendor was called out immediately by incensed tweeters and promptly issued an apology for the joke made in poor taste.

The Lesson

The lesson is, stay on brand, and don’t just hastily hop the  bandwagon of a trending topic to try and engage on social media. Make your engagements thoughtful and authentic. There are plenty of real comedians on twitter, no one is looking to Best Buy for humor.

Digiorno's

Digiornos may be America’s favorite non-deliverable pizza, but they got themselves into hot water earlier this year with an uninformed tweet

One of the most powerful applications of social media has been the ability to give a voice to the voiceless. The hashtags #whyistayed and #whyileft were created to join victims of domestic abuse in conversation over social media. The hashtags were trending in September, 2014. Which resulted in the following:

Needless to say there was a public outcry.

The Lesson

The take away for Digiorno's, and really for all social media managers is, do your research. Not every trending topic is relevant to your brand. Social media exists and thrives for numerous reasons, and certain topics should remain sacred. Surely, had someone at Digiorno's done the research they would have determined this was not an appropriate topic for a brand to chime in on.

McDonald’s

Oh McDonald’s a staple of the global landscape, omnipresent, monolithic. McDonald’s image has been reeling the last few years, in no small part due to the documentary Super Size Me and the nonfiction book Fast Food Nation that portray the franchise in less than flattering light.

This past year the company created the hashtag #McDstories, designed for satisfied customers to share their positive experience over social media. Problem was, there weren’t any satisfied customers. What resulted was a classic backfire.

Horror stories of intestinal distress, poor service, and even violence flooded Twitter.

The Lesson

The problem for McDonald’s was lack of awareness. Social media can be your savior, or your worst enemy. The franchise was oblivious to how their brand would be received on social media. 

Don't let these examples deter you though, many notable brands, utilize social media effectly and for its intended purposes. And as a result they connect with their followers on a more personal level. Just be mindful of your goals and your brand and you will do just fine. 

For more advice regarding all things social media, we are here.