Visit LinkedIn, and you’re bound to find impassioned discussions about professionalism sooner or later. Some think the site should be reserved for “serious” and uncontroversial topics, while others are happy to post about politics, memes, and even use swear words.
Of course, this debate isn’t unique to LinkedIn. When posting content, brands face a difficult decision about whether to shun or embrace taboos.
Not all taboos are made equal, though — here are some of the most useful for business owners to discuss.
1.Past errors
No business is perfect. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everyone will believe you’ve followed your finely crafted “corporate values” just because you keep quiet when you make a mistake.
Yet it should be obvious that the opposite is true — the public hates brands that try to brush everything under the carpet.
However, if your business openly admits when it’s made a mistake and puts out a statement apologizing, it shows that they’re genuine and trying to learn.
Yes, doing this will make some customers aware of your failure who might not have found out otherwise, but most of them probably won’t turn against you for it. You can’t keep everyone happy, but you’re likely to make more people angry if you ignore something than if you acknowledge it.
Just make sure you put out the statement before the mob comes so that it looks genuine!
2.Your competitors
There’s no elephant in the room quite like the fact that your business has competitors. You know it, your customers know it — yet nobody acknowledges it.
It’s relatively unusual for companies to mention their competitors in their marketing materials or content, and it usually carries the “shock factor.” But ask yourself: what’s really so wrong about mentioning them? It will help your audience understand what makes you different from them — and admitting when they’ve done things well shows humility.
3.Politics
Are you surprised that politics made this list? If you keep up with events on Twitter, you probably shouldn’t be. Whenever there are serious political events and brands carry on tweeting about their latest deals as if nothing happened, the pitchforks come out.
You don’t need to tweet that you hate Donald Trump or love Joe Biden, but you should be taking the opportunity to offer your insight. Focus on policy rather than individuals.
4.Human rights
Some argue that politics is inherently a human rights issue, and equally, it’s not something brands can afford to ignore anymore. Whenever you have the opportunity, show your commitment to gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and other issues related to human rights. Why are these even considered to be “taboo?”
Just try not to make it too gimmicky, as if you’re only mentioning something half-heartedly to appease the crowd. Even over social media, most people can smell insincerity a mile off. Instead of just mildly saying that you “support women” on International Women’s Day, publish your research into why the wage gap exists, for instance.
Everything in moderation
Confused about how to navigate this strange new world? Many brands are. If you want to discuss equality and human rights, start internally. Are you doing your part to make your female, ethnic minority, and LGBTQ colleagues feel valued? At Gema Consult, we can help you with this by finetuning your human resources practices — schedule a consultation to find out more.
Author
Successfully Managing a Fleet of Tourism Locations, A Legacy Forged by Mentoring Hundreds of Clients to Obtain Long-term Success
Widi Papan has recently been appointed to Senior Deputy Director at Gema Consult, a hidden gem among gems. A maverick at establishing modern administration styles in an industry relying on largely outdated practices, Widi brings a unique value to Gema’s approach with clients. With clear direction for short and medium-term projects and expert-level knowledge of accounting standards, he is key to establishing successful operations for our clients.
Widi is the operational foundation responsible for Gema’s overwhelming success. His proficiency in executing technology automation, business set-ups, budgeting, cash flow recovery, debt management, capital increase planning, and business process simplification is on another level. This expertise is applied to every one of Gema Consult’s clients.