Shots Fired!

                       Shots Fired!

#BlacLivesMatter

While I was freezing my butt off here in Mzansi, it was summer in the USA, some innocent young black male was shot by a law enforcement officer and Alicia Garza popularized the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. This later turned into a national campaign aimed at highlighting the injustices offered to black people.
An array of celebrities have supported the campaign and have been openly active in helping propagate the campaign. How to tackle a sensitive issue like #BlackLivesMatter as a brand without offending and hurting a congregation of people? It’s obviously not easy, but it is possible. Here is how:

Too soon maybe (timing is everything):

  we live a new world where one tweet can change everything 

                
A sensitive issue like race needs to be dealt with very cautiously. Part of that is knowing the right time to use the hashtag, too soon and you might deepen wounds and lose an audience. Too late and people might be over it.  In this instance environmental scanning would do you a great deal of good and maybe a bit more research into the hashtag. You can use hashtagify.com for that.  It also helps you track trending hashtags as well as the best hashtags to reach your preferred audience.

Consider the penalties and relations to a hashtag:

A hashtag is there to enhance your searchability, a way of keeping conversations going, group particular posts and distribute popular news to people who were otherwise not aware. Hashtags are great! However, when you use a hashtag you are identifying yourself with its views. If I use a hashtag like #NutellaIsADemon, why on earth would I want to associate myself with such blatant hatred of yumminess, I don’t need that type of negativity and neither does your brand. Brands need to think about the consequences of associations to a hashtag. Which is why it is important to have a social media strategy to help weigh the pros and cons and hopefully maximize your searchability.

Maintaining a social media account:

                                          

Managing a social media account is very time consuming. Not only do you have to reply to people’s comments. You need to also post relevant information regularly. Moreover, it literally only takes one negative word about your brand and that’s it! You’re done! Still, Public Relations Practitioners need to keep a close watch on what is being said about their brand online. We’re like social media ninjas!

KAPOW!!

Alicia Garza, one of the women behind the movement #BlackLivesMatter