Good luck with that!

Time and again, and despite repeatedly monumental disasters… businesses continue to entrust their social media landscape to individuals who are grossly unqualified. Yes, we get it, college-age interns may have a great deal of experience using social media for themselves (and come with a certain cost benefit), but understanding a business’ brand presence is something else entirely. Inexperience can, and will, lead to disaster (and how much will that cost you?).

Take the American Red Cross’ blunder for example. It had to clean up its own mess after social media “specialist” Gloria Huang, who was unfamiliar with Hootsuite, accidentally posted about getting drunk to the Red Cross’s main Twitter account instead of her personal account (see below). Of course she “feels horrible about it,”.

That is just one example. If you have some free time, and want a good laugh, Google “Social Media blunders 2018”.

Being a social media or community manager is more than simply posting clever comments or artfully produced images. You need someone who understands how to analyze data, track results and continually evolve/refine your efforts. You need someone who understands the audience and knows how to engage them through various forms of media. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, but in general a social media intern simply doesn’t have the business background, knowledge or experience to understand how a company brand should be represented online. Find someone with experience! If you’re looking for a team, find an trusted expert who can bring in the interns and train them under a watchful eye.

Hi, I’m Travis Ford, owner of Rock Harbor Marketing, a Digital Marketing Agency on California’s Central Coast. I welcome opinions, helpful critiques and comments of admiration. Leave me a comment here, Follow us on Facebook, or tweet me and we can chat further. As always… I like to end each post with a chorus of “Row, Row, Row your Boat” sung in a round.