Stop the press. I had a different idea for the blog here at The Point this week. But then I read, “Be helpful, be kind, or be quiet,” by a friend from Raven Tools, Courtney Seiter. Her article was recognized and shared, but not nearly enough, in my opinion. So with a great big shout out to a terrific scribe, I present a guest post that’s a must read for social media marketers who don’t know when to give it a rest.
Be helpful, be kind or be quiet
Something horrible happened yesterday in America.
In the midst of the blood and terror, there were the heros we all hoped we would see: runners who kept on running to the hospital to give blood, first responders taking control of a chaotic scene, strangers opening their homes to stranded marathoners.
And then there were the rest of us.
Depending on your social media circles yesterday, you may have seen uplifting messages of hope or political and religious infighting or ponderous discussions about whether or not to pause scheduled social media posts.
When something like the Boston Marathon bombings happens, we all have feelings, but we don’t all have an outlet for them – we can’t all go there and help. That leaves social media in a strange place in times of crisis — connected but often helpless. Even if you’re used to talking all day on Twitter and Facebook as a social media marketer, it’s hard to know how to react.
We don’t have all the answers, either. No one does. But there are a few places to start. (more…)
