In recent months there have been tweets and Instagram photos that literally have got commentators fired, footballers fined and in some cases brands dissociated from the social media influences. Why has this happened? How many years did it take for that commentator to get his position and in one tweet his credibility was crucified? What is it about Twitter that has revolutionised our instant communication to the world?
The Instagram And Twitter That Got Them Fined Or Fired
Mario Balotelli who is an Italian football striker for Liverpool is notorious for sharing his emotions on Social Media. The 24 year old posted a photo on his Instagram which had anti- Semitic and racist references. The picture posted had an image of Super Mario with the heading “Don’t be a racist!” You can read more about it here BBC.com
The world of football, how I see it. is that these men are very powerful, very ego driven and somewhat not educated when it comes to emotional social media engagements. So when emotions run high, especially before and after a game, then their social media is a perfect platform to send out a message for all those watching and reading.
Stan Collymore, former BT Sports spokeman and footballer, literally lost his job over a twitter spat. Stan Collymore’s emotional debate on Twitter about sectarian chanting at matches did not go down well and it cost him his career. Once again, emotions ride high on social media live tweeting which, in this case, can certainly damage your reputation in seconds.
Sir Elton John – #BoycottDolceGabbana
There is a golden rule amongst parents. Don’t ever mess with their kids, let alone make a judgement on parenting. What has caused so much stir from Sir Elton John to start this hashtag #BoycottDolceGabbana.
“I shall never wear Dolce and Gabbana ever again. #BoycottDolceGabbana.” Read more to find out why.
Tweeting Can Be Confused By Instant Texting
I first met my followers at a men’s event back in 2012 I was shocked because in my mind, my followers were virtual. There was no way they could be real let alone literally running after me at an event calling out my name. The reality sunk in. What ever I am saying on my tweet feed is real. It’s not a personal text and people are reading, watching and engaging. What my social media influence allows me to do is to share my emotional roller coaster journey of thoughts. To date, I have never sent out porn tweets, swearing the organisation.
The Haircut Tweet
Now last month I did tweet about my haircut asking my followers what they thought of my haircut. The company involved is very big in the UK and they were clearly not happy with the tweet. They felt it was unfair. Why did I do this? It’s simple, I got emotional and stated how I felt about my haircut. I just wanted to ask if I was overacting. On reflection, I have promoted this company in a positive way for many years now. Why did they get so annoyed? Because my tweet has social influence. My klout score is high and what I say and do on twitter does impact brands. Twitter can be that powerful. My one tweet has yet to be resolved and they don’t want to answer my questions. What have I learnt from this? Make sure that what you tweet is not offensive, and is fair and true to what you stand for. I still hate my hair style right now. Thank God for hats.
It’s an easy app to use but if you get it wrong it can certainly work against you. So choose carefully about the messages you want to share. In this instance, your picture messages will convey a thousand opinions. Why choose this platform anyway? For me, visual is very powerful and lets the follower choose to share what they think of your chosen Instagram. Be positive, be smart and be encouraging. You will instantly over time make a visual impact. I travel a lot and so most people will never have this privilege so my images share what one can only dream of.
Tweet Rage
It’s amazing the power we all have on our social media these days. Twitter can literally allow you to make friends, lose friends, engage, chat and meet people you’ve never met before. In some sad cases, you can even tweet to your current boyfriend that you’re no longer dating. I tweet my life everyday on Twitter, what I eat, what I wear, who I have met and even call out for business opportunities. I share my opinions on Twitter through various articles. It’s a job I have created. I live and breathe social media. It’s been a life saver in some ways sharing my frustrations about how men dress and sharing the impact it can have when men dress well. My tweets have encouraged people to change their lifestyle and also to pursue their dreams. For me, my only advice when you have become influential online is this.
