Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Tips from our social media guru: Never feed a troll

“The good thing about #socialmedia is that it gives everybody a voice. The bad thing is that it gives everybody a voice. Do your work well and roll with the punches, because the truth will out.”

Your greatest asset on social media is a strong community that loves your product or service and can spontaneously swot down “trolls” when they appear.

A troll is a vicious person who delights in maligning others. Trolls crave attention, so don't "feed" them by responding to their negativity, says our social media guru Martin Slabbert.

"Make sure your community knows the real you, and they will slap the lid back on the troll's box when he or she appears," he says.

Martin is the brains behind the social media campaign for MyCiTi and many others clients. “As a community manager, you should always be aware of what people are saying about you," he says. “Use Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to track specific keywords on multiple social media platforms.”

Social media is conversational, so be slow to take offence. “What you do need to do, is monitor trends,” advises Martin. “If the trend is good feedback then thank people and keep up the good work. If the trend is bad, you should apologise for any inconvenience, tell people how you will make amends, and do so quickly."

                                                                  Martin Slabbert
https://plus.google.com/+MartinSlabbert?rel=author