What to do, or NOT to do, on Social Media

As is often the case, I'm asked to do some crazy things by clients in showing them examples of how people use social media. This means I have to be the local 'idiot' in sharing how quickly people will respond with so little information. For those that know me, it isn't a far stretch for me to be the local 'idiot' when need be.

Before I continue, I don't recommend doing this unless you understand that there could be repercussions.

Let's just say this social media experiment is not one I recommend doing unless you're willing to take a few punches along the way. I'm sure I'll get hit with more after I press publish on this article.

So, let's begin...

The parameters of this experiment were simple, pic a hot topic with a piece of content that someone shared on a social media platform, and make an opposing comment.

Sounds simple, right? Well, almost a simple concept, but one that requires some experience to sound 'just smart enough while not giving away everything... and expecting people will be mad in the process. Yep, me being the local 'idiot' is a necessity for this to even halfway work.

I also know that something like this isn't something you can give people a 'fair warning' about, and I'm sure I really made some folks very angry in the process.

To those who are reading this who were involved in the thread on this TikTok vid: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdWook2H/ my sincerest apologies. This sort of example needed to be done without anyone's knowledge. I put myself out there in order to show an example of what NOT to do. Please feel free to visit that TikTok video and read the comment thread with the opposing point of view. It's the thread with my name (and profile pic) and over 300 comments as of this writing. I'm also never in the habit of deleting any comments and didn't do so here either. So if comments are missing or deleted, it wasn't me.

The issue at hand by my clients is how they should go about hiring a social media manager and what to expect from them in doing so, and what they should NOT see happen. Now, most social media managers will be on the content creator side of things and responding to people on an 'as-needed basis'. And most content creators and brands may or may not let a comment thread run longer than 300 comments without chiming in. However, if the comments aren't extreme or really all that offensive, they may let the comments run their course as there is a serious level of engagement that pushing the algorithm of a platform to promote the content further. If I say it once, I'll say it many times... engagement on any platform is rewarded... regardless of the type of comment. The key here is not to have any comments that could be attacking someone else, threatening, vulgar, or above all - against that platform's community guidelines. I aimed at trying to be respectful in my comments, often found myself to be on the defensive - albeit a bit joking at times with a couple of those who commented.

Over the course of several days and hundreds of comments, only one person caught on that what I was doing was a red-herring of sorts. And that commentor was absolutely correct! I was baiting people to comment. I was intentionally getting people to comment on a thread in order to generate an expected level (and type) of engagement.

I also mentioned several times throughout the thread for people to read the comment thread, to which most people wouldn't even take the time. For those who did take the time, they realized what I was doing, especially later in the process. Others slowly caught on and stopped commenting altogether. One person found me here on LinkedIn and is more than willing to share the entire thread with all of my LinkedIn followers. I have nothing to hide.

I'm grateful that the content creator of the TikTok video allowed the comments to run along, as the resulting comments proved a point I was making in most social media interaction - that most people jump to immediate conclusions when using social media. C'mon, we know this, but seeing an actual example of this in action is much different. I've taken screenshots of the entire thread as of a couple of days ago. But I want to reiterate something here that must be expressed... this isn't about CRT, this is about how people use social media. I shared the link for you to look at the thread in its entirety. The TikTok creator of the video, when I told him what I was doing, actually stated "I Hope it Helps."

Well, it did. It showed exactly what I expected - and really what we all actually expect when we're on any social media platform - that people are people - flaws and all.

Also with respect to the content creator of the video regarding an example associated with Critical Race Theory, I commend him. The video is a good viewpoint and perspective regarding that subject. But remember with this effort was to showcase an example of what would happen if we take an opposing point of view with a simple common opposing stance. In short, playing devil's advocate... almost to the extreme... but without showcasing any real supporting documentation, or requiring me to create a response video myself - as creating a video or even audio in my home can be a bit of a challenge with routines. It's why I don't create a lot of TikTok vids and have to really schedule recording sessions for my podcast.

I shared in the thread many half-supportive examples, showing how often people do respond with limited information on social media. I used anectodal responses from personal experiences to further the conversation. The responses from those commenting were pushing me to prove my own stance, that the responsibility resides in me to do that. Of course, taking this social media experiment further, I fueled the fire to state that it's up to them to prove me wrong. To say I was 'all-in' as the 'local idiot' on this effort was an understatement. I needed to show how people will respond.

Now...

Was I right or wrong in doing this? most likely either, depending on your perspective. But conversations like these happen every day on social media. Where someone takes a controversial topic that a lot of people are in support of, and gives an opposing point of view... and those in support of that topic jump on that person like crazy. Where most people in opposition to that view may say, no thanks I'll pass.

We see this play out regularly on social media, regardless of the topic. If the majority are in support of it, and there is a dissenting perspective, it may make it a challenge to even approach a topic at all. This may mean that overall discussion on challenging topics is often biased to begin with, leaving a sincere and respectable debate on hot topics off the table.

With this challenge of being unable to debate with respect, it makes it all the more important to cite reputable sources that all parties addressing an issue can agree on. Suffice it to say, even citing any sources can prove problematic in this day and age because not everyone agrees on what is a reputable source (either too liberal, too conservative... too biased... I think you get my point). But I digress...

So, when hiring a social media manager, what should be done? How can we address challenging topics when the majority perspective dominates a conversation?

Well, hire someone who has enough experience to know when to, or when not to, say something in a comment thread. The content creator of the TikTok video did an awesome job of only injecting himself into the conversation in a limited way, he did so respectfully. My only tip to the content creator was he could've reached out to me privately, but may have felt it was unnecessary. After all, I was commenting a LOT on his video, and comments often mean increased engagement for an account. As a reminder here, social media platforms reward engagement. I did what I could to stay respectful in trying to find an opposing perspective and not attacking anyone for their viewpoint. Could I have done better in this experiment? absolutely! However, how could I showcase how people respond to things if I actually thought through my answers completely?

The end result of this effort showcased what was expected, how quickly people respond to something without knowing all of the facts, and how people react with responses that often make little to no sense.

Was this really a study? no. Rather it was an experiment to prove what was needed to share as an example of how we use social media.

Here are several quick takeaways, and I know I'll get several comments on this article.

Think before you post, or even comment. I've shared on this subject in a previous article here on LinkedIn.

Speak on what you know, and be very cautious about what you state. And like several in the comment thread who stated for me to state my case with facts, I commend YOU! You are absolutely correct! This is the biggest part of social media we should all remember, on all sides. Whenever anyone is presenting something, whether they are a content creator OR someone who is reading/viewing content or comments... cite sources as best you can... PLEASE! (this is the part that frustrated me the most as I couldn't cite any real sources as part of this effort as that wasn't my intent. I was using a platform how most people often use social media).

Also, remember that communication via social media is extremely limited. After all, we communicate 80% of the time via body language and only 20% via verbal. So right out of the gate, we have our hands tied in our ability to share a thought or idea via any social media platform.

As you see engagement being generated on your social media outlets, allow your social media manager the liberty to decide if engaging the brand in a comment thread like that would be worth it. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it would be worth it for the manager to delete a thread and ban the commenter, other times a limited form of engagement is all that is needed. If you have concerns or questions on that note, ask and talk that through with your social media manager. You may be surprised if they say 'do nothing' when you want to say something. Again, talk that through.

Use that TikTok vid and the comments as an example and question potential candidates with the following questions:

'As a content creator, what would you have done in content moderation? or As a commenter, what would you have done in responding to content and other comments like what you see in that video? ' Their answers may tell you all you need to know about them being a good fit for your company or brand.

Hot topics are always a challenge to address. In the autism and autistic communities, there are dozens of very hot topics. Everything from ABA Therapy, to vaccines, diet, as well as debates about causation. All of these, and more, are very hot topics. Like I tell anyone, I'm just a parent of a non-verbal autistic individual. I'm not an expert on Autism, just an expert on my son and I'm always trying to understand him more. I've learned from a variety of autistic individuals who have taken a stand on either side of any hot topic, and I respect their opinion. The goal when dealing with any highly debated topic is to be respectful of the other's opinion, even if one disagrees.

Now, as for my opinion on CRT (Critical Race Theory)? I'm still learning and reading about it. It's a lot to take in. My focus, however, is to help my clients understand social media a bit more... so, let's just say I evaluate everything (including CRT) like I am evaluating how people engage on social media.