SmallBusinessNewz

What comes to your mind when you think of social media terrorism? When most people think of terrorism, they think of weapons of mass destruction. Social media terrorism, however, could potentially harm a business's reputation and credibility in the same way that a weapon could destroy a physical property.

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As a result, many businesses shy away from social media. Instances such as the Domino's Pizza situation and the Motrin ad campaign disaster scare them off. Both Domino's and Motrin's brand suffered because of these incidents.

In the video above, Amber Naslund, the Director of Community for Radian6, makes a wise statement regarding businesses and social media. She says, "Social media did not invent criticism." She goes on to explain that negativity exists everywhere whether it is online with social media or offline person-to-person.

The truth is, people are probably talking about your brand even if you don't know about it. For this reason, businesses should be involved in social media in order to handle any issues.

The way your business responds is the key to managing terrorist actions that come from friends, neighbors, co-workers, or employees through social media. Motrin, for example, waited almost a full week before it responded to the outrage from its ad, which only made matters worse.

In some fortunate cases, online supporters come to the rescue of the brand, which prevents businesses from getting involved at all. This method can even be more effective since the defense comes from peers as opposed to the brand itself.

To protect your brand from social media terrorism, a business should adopt the following policies:

1. Be careful what you say and post online
2. Be aware of what's being said about your brand online
3. Have an emergency plan ready to go when unexpected situations arise
4. Be genuine and open online

Although social media is a very powerful and effective tool, social media terrorism is also very real and potentially harmful. To make sure your brand doesn't fall under attack, monitor and manage your brand closely.