5 ways we managed social media for an Undercover Boss episode

Live tweeting and posting aren’t for the faint of heart

Managing your company’s social media accounts can be a rewarding experience. If you don’t have a team available within your company to develop and promote content, hiring a public relations firm is a reliable solution to ensure you’re using quality content and providing active engagement to reach your customers. In some instances though, it isn’t just recommended that you use a PR firm; it’s critical.

It is especially necessary to have PR professionals post on your company’s behalf during a large social media campaign, live broadcast, event, or show.

Live tweeting and posting on social media for your company during an event or TV show is a tricky undertaking. It isn’t something you should allow just anyone to handle. Mistakes happen, especially when you are in the heat of the moment, and those mistakes could easily damage your company’s reputation.

Axia Public Relations had the opportunity to manage social media – live – for our client Shoppers World when it was featured on a seventh-season episode of Undercover Boss.

From this experience, we put together our top five tips for successfully managing social media during a live event.

1. Join the conversation.

The conversation will happen with or without you, so it is best to join in. Some companies don’t understand the importance of social media. It is an important platform in today’s digitally connected world, and if you know that a nationally known TV show is featuring your company, you should get started sooner rather than later. If possible, begin engaging on social media in the days and weeks prior to the event so you can continue to maintain and grow your online presence.

2. Craft responses in advance.
We prepared a list of more than 100 responses to the comments and questions we anticipated from viewers. Think of questions that viewers may have during the show or event and use the prepared responses to respond quickly.

3. Remember time zones.
Remember, time zones matter. You can’t only think East Coast. West Coast viewers are going to share their thoughts on social media while they watch the show as it airs in their area. Your team needs to be ready to handle a second shift or have a West Coast team lined up and warmed up.

4. Be prepared for haters.
You can’t please everyone. Expect haters and acknowledge that not all viewer comments will be favorable. Recognize what merits a response and what might not. Be prepared to apologize. And consider adding profanity filters to your pages.

5. Make it a team effort.
It takes more than one person to handle social media during a live event, broadcast or episode premiere. It’s at least a two-person job – one person to post new content (proactive) and one person to respond to posts (reactive). Even better would be a third person to create custom images and edit video clips for more varied content.

Other points to remember:

• While posting live on social media is important, recognize that not all tweets, comments, or posts warrant a response.

• Never get defensive or combative. Remember that users can easily screenshot anything you post and can use it, even if you delete it.

• When preparing to post, don’t forget to include hashtags and create images to post during the event. Both of these steps can move your company into a conversation and can enhance viewership, likes, clicks, and retweets on your posts.

A PR firm can provide an expert team ready for your company’s social media needs. These experienced professionals can handle posting on a day-to-day basis or in the heat of the moment when your company lands in the spotlight.

Managing social media for a client is a rewarding process. Posting live during a broadcast was one of the most fast-paced experiences I’ve had in my career. It’s a high-pressure, exciting adventure, and it isn’t something everyone can do successfully.

For more tips on handling social media and how to best reach your target audience, download Axia's social media e-book today.

Marjorie Comer is an award-winning PR professional at Axia Public Relations. She has worked for Axia Public Relations since 2011. Marjorie graduated from Rockhurst University with a Bachelor of Arts in communication. She cheers for her hometown Kansas City Royals. Follow her on Twitter @Marjorie_Comer.