David Kiger on Social Media Response

Introduction

• Worldwide Express CEO David Kiger maintains an active presence on social media platforms, including Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook, and LinkedIn. He also keeps an active blog.

• In the past, David Kiger has written on why CEOs should use social media, though he recognizes that social media can be a double-edged sword.

Problems that can occur from Social Media

• Sometimes, a social media team member will inadvertently cross a line and post something hurtful or offensive.

• Other times, companies have their social media accounts hacked and used to spread misinformation or receive a flood of negative comments on their social media pages.

How to Handle a Social Media Disaster

• The best way to handle a social media disaster is to have a disaster response plan in place before it starts.

• CEOs should sit down with their social media and human resources teams to work out ahead of time how they will respond to a social media problem.

• If a disaster occurs, Mr. Kiger suggests that companies take time to develop a thoughtful, respectful response and that they never try to cover up the problem as they do so.