Emily Thornberry was just the latest in a long line of people who have failed to follow the basic rules of social media. It is not just politicians who are at fault but the scrutiny of all social media postings should not be underestimated.
Some ‘would be’ politicians do not even make it to Parliament before making a social media faux pas and Paris Brown the Kent youth Police and Crime Commissioner will forever be the poster girl for tweets costing someone an otherwise promising future.
But the ability to post unwisely applies to companies and charities as much as individuals. The basic principles of good communication apply as much to 140 characters as they do a briefing paper or a speech. The difference seems to be that a tweet can be sent in haste and that ‘personality’ can often be difficult to convey. Humour or irony is difficult to put across to an audience in a social media posting.
There are the examples of tweets gone bad that we all find amusing. Ed Miliband’s inability to spell Blockbusters, for example.
However for the media, it doesn’t even seem to matter if the posting wasn’t even from the account holder themselves. Boris Johnson’s sister, Rachel, claimed to have been hacked when an extremely abusive tweet was sent to the Prime Minister from her account. The media still carried it though.
Some politicians cannot even work the technology. A hoped for ‘Direct Message’ on Twitter is instead sent as a tweet to followers. It is not just a US Senator accidentally sending intimate pictures to everyone or a UK minister using Twitter to engage with a young researcher (who turned out to be a journalist).
The etiquette can sometimes cause issues as well. Getting the use of a hashtag wrong or not really understanding what it means can impact on reputation.
Even a quick delete of a tweet does not mean that it really disappears. Images of it can have already been taken and it will already be circulating.
Social media is a more informal medium. A balance can, however, be struck between informality, personality and speed if you follow some rules.
What do you want from the posting? Consider what it is that you are trying to say. It might be that, heaven forbid, you draft the posting first, maybe even on a piece of paper with a pen! You can then work at it, hone and get it right. This can also help avoid missed words and spelling mistakes. A little old-fashioned but you need to work at it. That may take a few extra moments but they will be worth it.
How does it read to others? If we have become a generation of selfie taking narcissists then maybe we do not care. If we, on the other hand, worry about reputations, brands and long term objectives then we need to think about the intended audience of our posting think. Will they get the humour? If you are a national or international organisation will the tweet work across areas?
Does it pass the tabloid test? How would the media, especially the tabloids, feel about your posting? It was obvious that the Sun would have a field day with Emily Thornberry’s tweet of a flag bearing house with a white van outside. Not because there were any derogatory words to accompany the image but because of what the image represented. It, for the Sun and others, reinforced the view of Labour Party run by a sneering, middle class elite that it detracted from its own working class core electorate. So, here, context was important as well.
Postings are not made into a void. What has happened before, what others are saying, whether it is consistent with a brand or political line, all are fundamental importance.
We may all like to think of social media as a fun place to engage with people but it is just as important to reputation and credibility as any other outlet. We just all need to keep that in mind before pressing the return key.
A misplaced tweet or quote can be the point of no return.