In yesterday’s post, I shared my thoughts on the ugly side of scheduling social media updates.  In the last 24 hours I’ve had a number of conversations with wedding pros on this topic.  The main point of my post yesterday is to BE PRESENT on social media.  It’s not necessarily about the storms in the northeast and the debilitating impact they’ve made on a quarter of the country.  And, it’s not necessarily about being sensitive.  (THO – both of these things are VERY important to keep in mind.)  It’s challenging to be knowledgeable of any conflict at every given moment.  So much happens in the world, you’d need to be tracking news worldwide 24-7 to not risk upsetting someone who might be having a hard time in his/her hometown.  That being said, it does help to be current on what’s happening in the news in general before sticking your foot in your mouth.

Be PRESENT on social media.  The idea is that if you are away from social media and you have a “robot” posting for you, you miss the tone of what’s happening on these channels.  This is true during any natural disaster, political conflict, war, or just people having a “bad day”.  Have you ever been on twitter on days where people are just bummed?  Noticing the tone of your fans, followers, friends, constituents will ensure that you’re connecting better.  Social media is ALL about relationship-building.

Without being PRESENT on social media, your business, branding, and image are on the line.