How to Avoid Viral Social Media Fails

Keyboard with dislike button

In November of 2017, McDonald’s Twitter account made a major mistake in one of their tweets: “Black Friday ****Need copy and link****.” The tweet was originally intended to promote a new deal to customers, but something went very wrong and the social media world caught on quickly.

So how does a mistake like this happen to such a large and well-known brand? While McDonald’s may be a big brand, it’s just one example of a problem a business of any size can make. Although many would blame McDonald’s tweet mishap on the employee in charge of posting to the Twitter account, that is not the only way this could have been prevented.

The best way to prevent unwanted social media attention for your orthodontic or dental practice is to implement a combination of efficient training, establishing clear processes and hiring trustworthy personnel.

Set Up a Clear Social Media Process

What does your current process for posting to social media look like? Is your practice using a version of the popular “set and forget” automation software? Find out where the holes are in your current process from post creation to approval and publishing.

Often times, the software we use to schedule posts can be the most common area where problems occur. To combat this, it is important to develop detailed policies interfere with regular social media schedules when necessary. When local news or important events relevant to the dental or orthodontic industry occur, assign someone to make sure your posts for that day or week are sensitive to that and do not attract negative attention.

Hire Personnel That Compliment the Practice

One of the most common obstacles dental and orthodontic practices face when adding to their team is finding staff that understand both social media and the orthodontic industry. The best way to approach this is to identify the candidates that understand your brand, then teach them how to use Facebook and Instagram based on your already established social media policy.

Provide Employees with Extensive Training

With social media being the easiest way to initiate 2-way communication between brands and customers, the desire to engage and be entertaining often trumps the thoughtful process of content management and creation. Train your staff for every possible real-world scenario they may face while managing your social media. This makes sure policies are not only explained, but experienced.

In the time it takes to plan and publish a social media post, it only takes a few minutes for that same post to become a viral fail. You didn’t improvise when you started your practice – so treat your social media strategy with the same attention to detail. Not only will your staff have a better understanding of best practices, but your patients will appreciate the consistency.

For more information on social media tips and advice for how to avoid social media fail, contact us toll-free at (877) 295-5611.

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