New Media Issues - Buying Followers

There is several new media issues. However, this post will specifically talks about the issue of buying followers which is more towards the credibility issue. The followers on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and etc could be easily purchase by just paying a cheap price, this is one of the new online phenomenon that had been practiced by some people / organization.

Here is a example that shows how buying followers can easily been done.

Those peoples / organizations buy fake followers in order to boost a number of follower in their social media platform. The high number of followers could be a popular approach as the peoples / organizations as the others will think that it already has it's own popularity and they will want to follow as well.

The example of an obvious buying followers

 However, number aren't anything. The high number of the follower is does not means that there is a high engagement between the organization and the followers. Besides, when the social media has been found out that the followers is actually bought which is very immorality, the reputation of one's will be decrease.

Crisis communication and social media

Crisis communication is a PR function. It is the management and effort made to communicate when an unexpected event occur that have negative impact on reputation. Crisis communication is an initiative which aim at protect the reputation and maintain public image. In many times,  it involves tools like press conference, media relations and social media. 

Today, there is up to 2 billion user on social media all over the world. It is important to look after and take care your reputation online. Now, there is many organizations use social media to carry out an effective crisis communication plan. They made communication as soon as possible in a crisis, typically within few hours after the crisis happen. This allow them to handle and control the disseminated about the crisis that had happen. The organizations should stick with the facts in timeliness. I will provide an example :

Other than the two image above, Southwest has more responding appropriate to the crisis through social media and plan well for their crisis communication. They have place a plan with clear roles to who they need response immediately. 

New Media Planning

Today's topic is about the steps and elements for the new media plan. So there are several steps and elements to prepare a new media plan.

 The first step is to set the objective for your new media plan. It is very important to have an objective because without objectives, you will be wasting your time and effort for doing something that has no direction.

Second step, define and analyze the target audience which could be internal stake holders (e.g. employees) and external stake holders (e.g. consumers). Indirectly, an appropriate platform also need to be consider at this time in order to reach your target audience effectively.

Next, after setting the objectives, defined the target audience and choose the appropriate platform, you need to plan a calendar, you need to do a Gantt chart for listing down all the details list of what activities will be conduct so that you will not mess up everything.

Next step, you need to do a sample of your planning to have an actual idea how the activities is being conduct and how is the out come of the activities. In addition, you may have to do a prediction on your new media plan to predict whether the outcome meet your objectives.

Lastly, you need to evaluate your new media plan. You can evaluate it by interview, questionnaire and etc to seek for feedback and find out whether that your plan is successful or not. If the feedback is good you may keep going on your new media plan, if it is bad you may do some changes in your new media plan.

In my group assignment, we are also doing the new media plan for a particular company that distribute to us. We also set a clear objective for our assignment to have a direction what we should plan. For the target audience, we decide to target both internal and external stakeholders. Now, we are proceeding to the follows step to complete our new media plan.

Handling Online Feedback, Reviews and Dissatisfaction

A good reputation is vital for a company. The Internet now is popular platform for the customer to express their dissatisfaction. Nowadays, there are many customers researching a business online, a bad online review or feedback can be some serious damage towards a company's reputation. Therefore, dealing with online review is very important.

So, when you receive a bad online review, there is a tips to guide you what not to do and what to do.

What Not To Do When Receive a Bad Online Review

• Do nothing and ignore the post
• Argue with the reviewer
• Deny the problem exists

What To Do When Receive a Bad Online Review

• Apologize in good manner
• Reply timely as soon as you could
• Provide solution to solve their dissatisfaction
• Reasonable compensation based on the situation if needed

Now, lets take a look on a real life example of how to handle online review.

The image above shows that a customer posted a feedback in Chinese on his own Facebook profile and was re-posted by another people on Nando's Facebook page. The post is talking about one of the Nando's restaurant in Malaysia was reserved for the Muslim breaking fast on the dining time and the Chinese can only enter the restaurant after 8pm. This review has bring up the racist issue from Nando's.

Regarding this dissatisfaction from their customers, Nando's has made a quick response. In the post, Nando's thanks the reviewer bring up the issue to them and state there is no race discrimination in Nando's. Nando's clearly explain that how the restaurant reservation work and the reservation is for all customers. They apologize as well. 

Online Spokeperson

What is a online spokesperson? A spokesperson is a public face of an organization in Internet that  promote something and make statement on behalf of the organization.

To choose a spokesperson, you need to consider who is fulfilling the role of the spokesperson. Very often it will be a celebrity or someone who related to the field. However, there is a criteria for the spokesperson to ensure it will not create mistake or embarrassment to the organization.

In the image above, it is a tweet by Busy Philipps, a American actress. She as the spokesperson of Bacardi, a liquor company is also the online spokesperson of it. She mentioned only the Bacardi brand is her favorite liquor drinks brand. Even though on the celebration or party it was her first choice, Busy Philipps also provide the calories of the drink. She provide the Bacardi's Facebook link as well.

In her twitter, she would just mentioned Bacardi in her tweet and she knows the brand well such the type of liquors and also its calories. She also provide the link of Bacardi's Facebook because it convince people to find out more about the Bacardi.

Policies for New Media

Nowadays, social media has become one of the most effective ways for communication to an organization as the Internet developed. The organization is able to build and strengthen relationship with their consumers. It also able to let the organization to target the potential consumer and develop a new relationship with them. Social media may be a good for the organization but when it used wrongly is will be a harmed. Unguided or irresponsible of social media usage is threatening to the organization. Therefore, the organization needs to have a certain policies that ensure the employees who in charge of social media is in guidance to behave on social media under the organization’s expectations.

 A policy is important because it can provide guidance to the people who in charge of social media on communication, what is allowed to say or do online which consider the organization’s benefits first. Besides, a proper policy may also guide to reduce the risk and legal exposure of the organization. In addition, it also important as it could reduce lost time and productivity to spent dealing with unauthorized usage of social media.  

Lets take a look on one of the organization react on the complaint of their consumer.

Although the reply from the organization is simple and short, the apologize and solution is given with well manner. The reply with concern and also giving the willingness to solve the problem will not harmed the name of organization. Thus, the guidance from policy is important. 

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