360DigitalInfluence

I’ve been thinking and writing a lot lately about the power the “vocal minority” exert in social media.  I know it’s not a new phenomenon, but I’m still fascinated at the seismic shift it’s causing in the brand-consumer power dynamic.  And it’s not all cake and balloons.

The latest dust-up that has me back on my soapbox has to do with ESPN.   Last week it was rumored - based on a single vague Tweet from an ESPN reporter - that ESPN had enacted a draconian social media policy.  Some of the most influential bloggers in all of bloggerville rushed to wag their finger at the network. Tsk Tsk they said.

Big problem though - no one (by their own admission) had actually seen ESPN’s policy at the time they were passing some incredibly harsh judgment.  So this “reporting”  was based on, um … [crickets].

By the time ESPN actually released the policy, countless numbers had blindly re-tweeted and propagated the negative POV, based solely on the uninformed opinions of others.  In fact two days after ESPN released the policy, I heard someone say “ESPN blocks social networks.” Wrong, misinformed and damaging to a brand that did nothing wrong.

Funny thing happened on the way to the forum … turns out the policy was, for the most part, pretty reasonable.  But clearly the point of this post is not about arguing the merits of the fine print.  You can see the policy here and decide for yourself.

Yet another tempest in the teapot. The vocal minority strikes again.

Can’t we all just get along?  What is with this rush to judgment?  And why the snarkiness?  Why not a rush to truth?  Isn’t the culture of cruelty era over and done?

I have no allusions of changing the dialogue, or even the tone.  But I can do my own small part.  So here are five rules by which I’ll behave moving forward … think you’ve got it in you?

1. Get your facts straight before the bashing begins. Or at least get a fact (any fact) on which you base your opinion.
2. Put yourself in the brand’s shoes. Have you worked at a brand in the era of social media? If not, take your fingers off the keyboard for a minute and just try to think what it’s like to be a brand trying to navigate the new world of social media.
3. Don’t blindly pass along the uninformed opinions of others. Do your own thinking. If you agree, go for it. But at least put some effort behind it.  No lemmings allowed.
4. Consider the impact your words can have on an individual or organization. I’m not saying “if you don’t have anything nice to say …” but do try and put a human face on the target of your criticism.
5. Get over yourself.  We all make mistakes.

[this post is edited from the original that appeared on my personal blog]