Humor and community management: good cocktail?

New trend to ensure buzz on social networks. As a Community Manager, take the liberty of responding very lightly. A large number of people like it, and the popularity of such publications is assured.

One example among others that is a bit dated is the Carrefour Community Manager who responds with » zbeb zbeb » to a young woman’s request for a discount on Twitter. I’ll spare you the meaning of the expression used, just know that it is stupid and inappropriate. This was popularized by a sad character, Amine Mojito, whose account has become “famous” on Snapchat and who regularly humiliates young women. The like and retweet counters are panicking, was the operation successful for Carrefour?

In terms of visibility it is certainly a success, in terms of image it is a little different. An excellent reputation does not guarantee a good image and these types of operations can easily damage it. Even if there are no serious consequences, it is the image of the brand’s stores that is called into question and the attention they pay to their customers. This must be taken seriously.

Closer to home, the community manager of Netflix France reformulated an internet user offended by the presence of LGBT members in his programs. “ Gays are unnecessary in your series. » « You are not needed among our subscribers. » The response from the Netflix France community manager is concise and concise. Result: tens of thousands of «likes» and almost 15,000 retweets.

While some Community Managers have sometimes managed to come up with funny answers and play with the absurd requests of some Internet users, it seems important to me to ensure that our answers remain respectful, regardless of the nature and tone of the exchange.

The terrain of social networks

Behind a keyboard, attitudes change. People feel stronger, more anonymous, and allow themselves to be more ferocious and uncompromising than they would be in real life. This type of behavior can be seen in forums and social networks, including comments on blogs. Satirical responses are the order of the day and the community manager learns to deal with trolls and negative comments.

The Community Manager must not fall into these traps. You must not forget that you represent a brand, that you have its reputation in your hands and that a little confidentiality is a must.

On the other hand, wouldn’t we find it inappropriate for an after-sales employee to respond in this way in a shop or on the telephone? If this is inappropriate in a direct relationship, it is no less inappropriate on social media. The relationship with the customer, the tone of your communication, the identity of the company must be the same regardless of the medium.

The online brand representative

The role of the Community Manager is to ensure the presence of the brand online, represent it, provide a small after-sales service and in some cases act as a brand ambassador to improve the customer experience.

Some brands maintain a very young, unusual, fun tone and have fun with Internet users. This brings a community together and allows people to talk about the brand. Some CMs have created strokes of genius, creative but… respectful! We all remember this very funny exchange with the facilitator of the Fnac community.

These exchanges are successes every time in terms of audience, they are even included on some sites that list them. Every CM dreams of appearing in one of these “Wall of fame”. And this race for visibility at all costs leads, in my opinion, to a more or less controlled slide, which ultimately damages the brand’s reputation.

We get along, there is nothing serious, nothing that would cause a bad buzz or blurring of the image. Not this time at least, but little by little the ferocious Community Manager always ends up undermining trust in the brand. Because we must not forget: social networks have less need of tools, technology and advice than of empathy, sociology and trust. If consumers trust you, much of your work is done.

While it is wise to develop a sense of response, the balance between a joke and a cutting observation is however fragile. Some Community Managers have become experts in this field. This is the case of Yann who works at Decathlon. In February 2019, a hashtag was even dedicated to him: #YannPrésident following his calm and polemical handling of a controversy over the brand’s marketing of a «running hijab».

Good morning,
For our part, we focus on the democratization of the practice of sport. The fact is that some women run in hijab, which is often not suitable.
Our goal is simple: to offer them a suitable sports product, without judgments.
Yann

—Decathlon (@Decathlon) February 26, 2019

Every time I see the final lines of Décathlon, Yann writes them. Give this gentleman a raise.

— Habile Fekir ⭐⭐ (@HabileFekir) February 25, 2019

For too long brands have underestimated the importance of the community manager. Best thought of as a kind of enabler of the digital holiday club, it takes on crucial importance when the brand is damaged on social networks.

In August 2019, a passenger posted a photo of the interior of an EasyJet flight showing a seat with the backrest torn. While attacking the company on Twitter, the Community Manager’s reaction greatly surprised Internet users.

Hi Matthew, thank you for bringing this issue to our attention, before we can investigate the issue, I may ask you to remove the photograph and then send us further information in DM, so that we can best assist you. Ross https://t.co/Qq2zhBAizh

— easyJet (@easyJet) August 6, 2019

Before even attempting to provide any explanation or word of apology, the Community manager asks for the photo to be deleted, like sweeping dust under the carpet! But we all know, and he should have known in the first place, that you don’t hide a body on social media. Asking to remove the photo adds suspicion. The reactions were not kind.

The first rule of the community manager before things get worse is perhaps simply to know how to apologize. And this, long before finding the right word or a clever joke because in front of you are some of your potential customers and in your hands the reputation of your brand.

This trend will have to find a balance over time. Humor can be an effective weapon to defuse a delicate situation and start over, but never to the detriment of the consumer