Social media bashing - Is it too late to say sorry?

By Michelle Strydom

According to Mike Sharman, owner of Retroviral Digital Communications, social media bashing is one of the biggest detractors of Twitter as a network, and ultimately the reason why its growth has plateaued. On the other side, there are pro’s to the medium.

“Social media allows the insecurity of the bully to have a playground in which it can fester, but on the flip side, it can mobilise regular people to topple archaic government structures. Every network, unfortunately, has its pros and cons,” says Sharman. So how can you continue using social media as a tool, without running into the haters?

Although social media is a tool of voicing your opinion and sharing content, good and bad, the sad truth is that social media distributes a lot of hate too. As Tyrone Nell, digital strategist at Liquorice Digital Marketing says, the problem is that the social media sphere is vast, and the impact is so much bigger than possibly intended.

“The issue with bashing, is exactly that. Bashing is verbal abuse often fueled by harsh public criticism. Combined with social media, the abuse is amplified with the harsh and negative criticism reaching a mass audience that then also feels that they have the right to contribute their views or feelings.”

What you then end up with, is a lot of hatred. In the bigger scheme of things, the violence and hatred displayed on social media, even if it was not intended the way it was posted, could destroy your brand reputation.

The implications are immense

Not only is social media bashing hurtful, but it can damage your brand just as much as it damages someone else.

In the case of celebrities or important figures, the example of Ranaka shows that once the damage has been done, its difficult to save it. In an article by writer and entertainment specialist Tinashe Venge, Ranaka tried to make amends to the girl she bashed on Twitter. However, the ‘heartfelt’ apology seemed more like a publicity stunt to restore Ranaka’s brand credibility than anything else.

What’s more, if you engage in social media bashing, you run the risk of damaging your brand permanently, as Ranaka did when she was dropped by her PR company. 

Or what about the violence displayed towards a waitress on social media by Rhodes Must Fall activist, Notokozo Qwabe? Not only was over R44 000 raised for the waitress but Qwabe also ran the risk of having his scholarship at Oxford University revoked. 

Unfortunately, bashing can also occur unintentionally. This is when an opinion is voiced and/or taken out of context. This is why it’s crucial to consider what content to post on your social media pages. 

“The reality is that social media bashing will continue to rise, and the best thing to do is to adopt a proactive approach that will assist in reducing the amount of opportunities you as a person or as a brand present to these trolls,” says Nell. “This can be achieved by carefully planning and considering each piece of content and message that you craft and plan to distribute on these public platforms. As part of your consideration, it is important to understand how your message will be perceived and received by your audience and the public.”

Another way to address criticism on social media, is to privately address issues. Not everything that pops into one’s mind is intelligent, so the best way to avoid looking like a social media hater, is to address the issues privately and only allow positive content to appear on your social media.

Do you know of any social media bashing that has damaged a brand? Tell us about it in the comments below.