The next is a visitor piece by Scott Parker, CEO of digital company Social Issue. Opinions are the creator’s personal.
The political divide within the U.S. is well-documented. The Pew Analysis Heart says a rising variety of Republicans and Democrats view individuals within the reverse celebration as “extra closed-minded, dishonest, immoral, and unintelligent than different People.” In 2020, we noticed how this divide performed out on social media, as political echo chambers led to important ideological segregation in information publicity throughout the election.
Now, with the 2024 U.S. presidential rematch looming, manufacturers should be further aware of all areas of their social media operation. In navigating the pre-election chaos, manufacturers ought to place an emphasis on 4 main areas, all of that are important for weathering the approaching social storm: technique, know-how, engagement and intelligence. What follows are particular pointers to assist manufacturers keep away from the 2024 election minefield.
Technique
For manufacturers, technique is at all times the very best place to begin. As a result of with out it, the hills could come alive with the sound of a social media disaster.
Begin now
Don’t wait till the peak of the election cycle to develop a plan in your model. Convey stakeholders collectively now to create clear, complete pointers and processes.
Determine dangers and alternatives
Scroll again to 2020 in your model’s timeline to see what components of your social media technique labored (and what didn’t). Then, analysis present developments to anticipate challenges and alternatives associated to the election cycle.
Mud off your disaster communication plan
You by no means give it some thought till you really want it. However when it’s time to “break the glass” in your disaster communication plan, be sure the directions are present, complete and clear. Be sure that your model’s plan accounts for responding to destructive feedback, misinformation and different potential conditions that might come up. And don’t neglect to replace your contact listing to maintain your inside group knowledgeable of any escalation.
Refresh channel pointers
Lots has modified on social media in 4 years. Twitter is now X. Fb is now Meta. TikTok customers proceed to rise (whilst a possible ban looms). And your on-line communities have modified, too. Take time to know who follows your model on every platform and tailor your content material with the understanding that some platforms could also be extra inclined to misinformation and negativity than others.
Concentrate on the corporate’s political leanings
If your organization or government leaders are politically lively, it’s vital that your social media technique accounts for his or her public political stance, marketing campaign contributions and PAC donations. Transparency is essential to sustaining belief and avoiding backlash.
Know-how
Have you ever audited your methods and software program currently? If the reply is not any, then it’s time to attach together with your know-how leaders to make sure your model has the mandatory methods in place for the 2024 election cycle. Very similar to voting machines should keep updated to make sure election integrity, so do your social media operations.
Refine social listening instruments
When you aren’t commonly updating your social listening queries, now’s the time to regulate to seize evolving points, memes and on-line conversations. By taking a proactive monitoring strategy, your model can keep away from potential controversies and anticipate alternatives to capitalize on key moments.
Optimize moderation workflows
Equally, if you happen to haven’t taken a peek underneath the hood to make sure your moderation instruments and workflows are working effectively, join together with your group to refine workflows to handle the elevated on-line exercise throughout the election cycle. Whereas leveraging automation may help create scale, keep in mind, there’s no changing the human contact for advanced and nuanced conditions that may doubtless come up throughout this time.
Strengthen safety
Small issues could make an enormous distinction. Audit who has entry to your model channels and guarantee multifactor authentication and different safety measures are up-to-date and dealing correctly. Examine that safety updates are in place for software program, methods, web sites and gadgets. Each model wants to organize for potential hacking makes an attempt, particularly if you happen to preserve a big on-line following.
Engagement
Don’t let all the pieces you’ve simply learn scare you away. You wouldn’t climb Mount Everest with out arriving at base camp ready with all the pieces it is advisable to make it to the highest and again. With preparation within the rear-view mirror, let’s discuss tracing your path to the highest.
Take a strategic and proactive strategy
Your technique ought to outline the way you’ll interact in election-related conversations on-line, whether or not that’s proactive, reactive and even fully faraway from the narrative. In case your model chooses to have interaction in election-related dialog, it’s vital to be proactive in cultivating optimistic conversations round your model, serving to to maintain negativity from spiraling uncontrolled, together with any subsequent penalties.
Keep true to your model
It’s straightforward to get caught up within the second. That’s why individuals participating and responding on behalf of your model should perceive your identification, values and technique. With a constant strategy to engagement throughout the group, your model can construct neighborhood and turn out to be a unified voice. This contains clear definitions of the model’s political positions on related points.
Provide one thing helpful
Don’t await a golden alternative to strike throughout the election cycle and ignore your general content material technique. Proceed to share content material that engages and entertains your viewers.
Use humor (fastidiously)
Being actually humorous on social media is a quick monitor to engagement. However being culturally insensitive and offensive is a one-way ticket to an unfollow or block. If humor isn’t already part of your model’s DNA, tread evenly. You need individuals to have interaction due to what you say, not the way you say it.
Be responsive (to each good and dangerous)
It’s doubtless you received’t be manning your keyboard when misinformation strikes or a destructive remark goes viral. That’s why it’s important to have a transparent escalation course of to handle these points. Make sure your group is ready to behave shortly and transparently when a disaster happens. In the identical approach, be fast to have interaction with model love, reward and positivity out of your on-line neighborhood.
Implement neighborhood pointers
Similar to “no sneakers, no shirt, no service” is a normal rule of engagement for eating places, on-line areas want guardrails. You may assist guarantee a protected atmosphere by having clear neighborhood pointers and constantly implement them throughout all model platforms.
Defend your neighborhood
On the similar time, be aware of how moderating election-related conversations can probably be perceived as censorship. Evaluation your neighborhood pointers for areas that want adjustment. That approach, you possibly can permit for an open change of concepts whereas nonetheless guaranteeing your neighborhood is a welcoming place the place individuals can share their ideas with out hateful and harassing discourse.
Know when to disengage
Keep away from entering into debates or arguments that may harm your model’s picture. Typically, it’s greatest to say no a possibility to have interaction in a dialog you realize is needlessly inflammatory. Don’t neglect, the disguise button is your good friend when leveraged appropriately.
Intelligence
The particular sauce that may take issues to the subsequent stage is an analytical strategy to the insights you have gained from all the pieces you’ve completed up so far. Very similar to a gourmand cheeseburger dripping with deliciousness, your social media operation can be one thing you look ahead to biting into, supplied you’re according to evaluation and optimizations.
Keep knowledgeable
Monitor key points, public sentiment and potential flashpoints for engagement to remain knowledgeable throughout the election season. Monitor competitor exercise and rising developments to stay adaptable, strategic and opportunistic.
Assume outdoors the field
By embracing inventive options, you possibly can mitigate the impression of a disaster and capitalize on alternatives as they come up.
Monitor neighborhood efficiency
Past customary social efficiency, comparable to likes, feedback and shares, you should definitely measure which content material drives neighborhood engagement. Are most of your feedback spam or single, non-engaged feedback (e.g., cool, okay, agree)? Decide in case your customers are thoughtfully participating together with your content material and with others.
Make data-informed changes
Analyze your information and efficiency to optimize your social media technique all through the election cycle.
Preparation, flexibility and transparency are the keys to navigating the social media panorama throughout an election cycle. Be proactive, tackle potential points and authentically interact your viewers. With planning and an actionable technique, your model can preserve a optimistic picture and thrive throughout one other sure-to-be-tumultuous election season.
