Social media is a very powerful tool to communicate to a large audience. It can be an amazing tool to share a point of view. However, just because one has the platform, it does not mean that it always needs to be used to share every opinion. Politics has become extremely divisive and polarizing.
In particular, politically charged comments can be detrimental to an advisor’s reputation and even business.
A Main Thing To Consider
Most clients and prospects of advisors are spread across the political spectrum when it comes to their beliefs and support. Even within a married couple, the two spouses might have significantly different points of view. That means that with every one-sided comment there is a risk of offending a significant portion of those that generate the revenue stream for the business.
Have A Policy
A general guide is that if you are representing the organization, an associate should abide by the social media policies in place to not only brand, but also protect the firm. This policy goes for owners too.
Everyone should be trained on a regular basis on how to best use social networks and those that are seen as a spokesperson should also go through media trainings. Even if they are not talking with the press, commenting online is very similar to being published. What is said via online comments can become a public record.
Best Practices To Consider
If one does need to comment on a politically controversial topic, here are some tips to consider:
1. Type the comment, then walk away from the device and revisit the message later. This can help eliminate knee-jerk reactions where emotions can take over and get the sender in trouble.