This week, Eric Sachs joined #ContentChat to talk about how to avoid common social media missteps PR and marketing professionals make. We took the opportunity to give the chat a slightly different format. Instead of your usual educational Q&A, we presented common social media missteps and brainstormed as a group how to avoid them.
Q1: Why should comms pros avoid befriending journalists on social media? When does the conduct cross over from professional?
@SFerika A1 You’ll share things with friends about your employer/your business that journalists shouldn’t know (yet or ever). #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) May 1, 2017
A1: That depends on what platform for starters #contentchat
— Hank Conners (@How2GoViral) May 1, 2017
A1: Journalists are 1st and foremost journalists. You might unintentionally post something newsworthy (& not the good kind). #ContentChat https://t.co/bNMXNSPz8M
— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) May 1, 2017
A1 If there’s a reason is mostly for the fact on how those pros take criticism from journalists. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/wNZ3sGdnIz
— Tony Stephan (@OmnipoTony) May 1, 2017
A1 Getting beyond a professional relationship with media could cause you to let sensitive info slip. That’s beyond an oops! #ContentChat
— Jim Katzaman (@JKatzaman) May 1, 2017
@TimothyMohler Yes! So much this. You may not intend it to make the news, but a comment you make might become a story. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald (@SFerika) May 1, 2017
A1: Muddied waters on what’s considered ‘on the record’, for one. #ContentChat
— Jennifer Daugherty (@GlitterOtter) May 1, 2017
@thewarfortalent I’d suspect some journalists might be more willing to connect than PR pros would. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) May 1, 2017
A1: Depends on platform. Following journalists on #Twitter coiuld be helpful. Reach out to share leads.#ContentChat
— Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) May 1, 2017
A1. It’s that fine line between business and personal. At the end of the day, they’re still journalists looking for a scoop. #contentchat https://t.co/7zfOeouS82
— Maggie Bizzell (@MaggieBizz) May 1, 2017
A1: Their job is the story and the last thing you need to become is part of their job. #ContentChat
— Jeff Higgins (@ItsJeffHiggins) May 1, 2017
A1: Their job is the story and the last thing you need to become is part of their job. #ContentChat
— Jeff Higgins (@ItsJeffHiggins) May 1, 2017
@SFerika A1: They should not unless they can’t handle the responsibility. Pitch carefully. Tag responsibly. Troll never-ly. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/cPbQBSaqY5
— Shawn Paul Wood (@ShawnPaulWood) May 1, 2017
@MDRunning And even if it’s not, doesn’t take much for journo to ask someone on the record about something they’ve seen. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) May 1, 2017
@SFerika a2) I don’t think we should as long as it remains professional. It crosses over when coffee/lunch turns dinner/drinks #contentchat
— DeirdreLopianPR (@DeirdreLopianPR) May 1, 2017
A1: See I believe in building relationships with all of my contacts and that requires me to be a real person. so N/A? #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) May 1, 2017
A1 Befriending journalists is necessarily a bad thing, but keeping things strictly professional is a must. #avoidaprscandal101 #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/JhMWWvhC6G
— HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) May 1, 2017
A1 I think it’s OK to do this. If you can do damage by sharing it, then it’s best kept to yourself (or your inner circle) #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao ✍️ (@dshiao) May 1, 2017
A1 Following each other on social media is fine. Networking is more than that. Outreach is probably best outside of social. #contentchat
— Cristy (@lacristysalinas) May 1, 2017
@MDRunning Definitely hard to have a heart to heart, especially if it’s a topic they cover. #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) May 1, 2017
A1 Relations w journalists in your industry can complicate stories & wreck good PR relations, be friendly but aware #ContentChat
— Mike Mathews (@memathews) May 1, 2017
A1a: For me there’s a difference between social and in-person. I strive to avoid expressing negative opinions in person. (1/2) #ContentChat
— Jeremy Jones 🌤️ (@jerejone) May 1, 2017
A1: Wouldn’t it be okay to choose “follow” on certain platforms (FB/LinkedIn) instead of becoming friends or connecting? #ContentChat
— Annaliese Henwood🌟 (@MktgInnovator) May 1, 2017
@SFerika A1 If you’re trying to befriend a journalist to pitch them, pause. It can do more harm than good. (YOU may be the story) #ContentChat
— Eric Sachs (@EricSachs_SEO) May 1, 2017
A1: An issue could be a lot of #contentmarketers and #freelancers are writing under pen names. Befriending a fake person hmmm #contentchat
— Hank Conners (@How2GoViral) May 1, 2017
A1b: But on social I tend toward the positive while still showing my true self. (2/2) #ContentChat
— Jeremy Jones 🌤️ (@jerejone) May 1, 2017
A1b: People like to work with people they like to work with. Be a person ppl would like to work with w/o being inappropriate. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) May 1, 2017
@JKatzaman Depending on how fast information travels, you might never be able to retract something #contentchat
— HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) May 1, 2017
Exactly — the whole point of being online is to be able to connect offline. Keep it professional. #ContentChat https://t.co/Q8yaqEh3LU
— Eric Sachs (@EricSachs_SEO) May 1, 2017
A1. Unless it’s FB, or your profile is private…aren’t the journalists just going to find you anyway? Because, job? #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/VZtOgc4aiH
— Rogue Jess (@JessOB1kenobi) May 1, 2017
A1c: Have good business ethics that cross all the different types of relationships. Don’t be weird about it. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) May 1, 2017
@SFerika A1: I’d never suggest comms pros avoid befriending journalists – it’s part of the job. Just be protective when necessary. #ContentChat
— Jack Appleby (@JuiceboxCA) May 1, 2017
@MaggieBizz Again, depending on the person a good scoop is worth losing a good friendship 🙁 #contentchat
— HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) May 1, 2017
A1: Comms have access to information that is not yet public. Applies to all employees… That can be a problem. #ContentChat
— Zlatka Larsen (@palkoviz) May 1, 2017
A1 This also holds true for social media: The mike is always hot. #ContentChat
— Jim Katzaman (@JKatzaman) May 1, 2017
@SFerika A1: If a comms pro is immature he/she should avoid befriending journalists on SM. Outside of that, it should be an aim. #ContentChat
— Javier Sanabria (@SanabriaJav) May 1, 2017
@SFerika A1) Gotta be careful what you say around them. Some value their career over friendship. Not all…but some. #BreakingNews #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/ix2CFelFDw
— Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) May 1, 2017
@CTrappe I’m legit friends with some journos. There’s an understanding of what can be shared and what can’t be. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) May 1, 2017
A1b: Unless you’re real (offline) friends, sharing too much personal detail (political views) can get dicey. #ContentChat
— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) May 1, 2017
A1: 88% of journalists view connecting through multiple social platforms as overkill. Stick to 1-2 max. #contentchat
— Hank Conners (@How2GoViral) May 1, 2017
A1b. MEMO to anyone who thinks a tweet is “off the record,” namely with a journalist. You’re doing it ALL WRONG! #contentchat pic.twitter.com/HKvIgONuVz
— Shawn Paul Wood (@ShawnPaulWood) May 1, 2017
@SFerika @thewarfortalent Some journalists draw a line not because it’s unprofessional, but because they don’t want to be incessantly pitched. #ContentChat
— Eric Sachs (@EricSachs_SEO) May 1, 2017
@martinlieberman @SFerika Honestly, there are things you shouldn’t share. End of story. #contentchat
— Zlatka Larsen (@palkoviz) May 1, 2017
@JKatzaman For sure. These days, anyone can be an amateur “journalist.” See something, tweet something. Then it’s seen by many. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) May 1, 2017
A1: Best to avoid befriending in order to stay objective as a journalist #ContentChat
— TechWyse (@TechWyse) May 1, 2017
@SFerika A1: They shouldn’t. Don’t overtag or over @. Listen, learn what they post and even react to it, don’t just pitch/tag en masse. #contentchat
— Jesse Ghiorzi (@jesseghiorzi) May 1, 2017
A1b. But, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. (Not that they’re enemies!) Just remember to keep an eye open. #contentchat
— Maggie Bizzell (@MaggieBizz) May 1, 2017
@palkoviz @SFerika Sure. And that transcends journalist/comm pro relationship. But some people do anyway. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) May 1, 2017
@JasonSchemmel @SFerika Some will metaphorically throw you under the bus given the chance for advancement #contentchat
— HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) May 1, 2017
@ShannonRenee The only way you can protect your content from ‘prying-eyes’ is to have a private accnt; which has its own problems for growth. #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) May 1, 2017
Agreed. I feel like this becomes muddled on Twitter. I wouldn’t add a journo on Fb/IG, but on Twitter? Thats where both network #ContentChat https://t.co/yW46mSx07q
— Eric Sachs (@EricSachs_SEO) May 1, 2017
@MktgInnovator @SFerika I tend to agree. I have lists for public personas so I’m not actually “following” them. #ContentChat
— Jeremy Jones 🌤️ (@jerejone) May 1, 2017