Stephenie Meyer, the author of the best-selling Twilight series and other novels, recently said she is resigning from social media. Regardless if you are a fan of her or the vampire stories she tells, this speaks to a larger issue of people using Internet applications to attack or even disguise their identities – people commonly called trolls – to say what they want.
As more companies use social networking to reach their customers or humanize their brand, the growing number of trolls online could intimidate a brand from jumping into to the social media pool.
So, how can businesses keep trolls under the bridge where they belong and out of their online communities? It’s not easy, but it can be done.
An easy step is removing the opportunity for people to post or comment anonymously. Allowing someone to post comments without using their real name or e-mail address, or permitting the use of aliases, invites the kind of comments left by users who don’t feel accountable for their remarks.
One social network considering steps to create a more welcoming interactive environment is Twitter. Twitter’s executives have discussed having verified accounts in an attempt to eliminate users impersonating someone else, potentially damaging their reputation.
Social media is still a great way to enhance your marketing strategy and reach new customers. Taking the extra steps necessary to ensure that interaction is welcoming can help build trust with your customer community. After all, the goal is to invite new relationships, not scare them away.