Raise your hand if you remember every single thing you’ve ever posted to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram… since the beginning of time.
99.9% of what the general public shares on social media will be inconsequential and forgotten, but if you’re a celebrity, athlete, musician, politician, or executive every single post could be a ticking time bomb. And in the current climate of heightened media awareness and sensitivity, you have an invisible target on your back even if you’re remotely in the public eye. If you’ve said something in poor taste, I can guarantee that it will be seen and shared at some point — and not in the way you want it to be.
It’s not just real-time tweets that get you in trouble (see Roseanne Barr, Curt Schilling). Tweets from years ago can also spell disaster for even the most respected industry leaders.
Last week, director James Gunn was fired from The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise because of offensive tweets he made 10 years ago. Let that sink in. TEN. YEARS. AGO. The tweets had come up before and he previously apologized, and has since acknowledged that he’s a different person than he was at the time the tweets were published. Be that as it may, the scrutinized tweets were not immediately deleted, and now he’s found himself at the center of a public shaming controversy.
Just last week All-star pitcher Josh Hader was called out for offensive tweets he made back in high school in 2012. In April of this year, the future of NFL first-round draft pick Josh Allen was put in jeopardy when Yahoo Sports uncovered racist tweets from when he was 15. You’d think Allen would’ve learned from 2016 draftee Laremy Tunsil; one bad tweet allegedly cost him $13 million.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not implying that individuals like Hader or Allen didn’t deserve to be admonished publicly for their racist, sexist, or homophobic posts. These are just examples of real-life consequences caused by a single tweet, published without thought.
Reputation Management and Social Media Strategy should be part of every PR/Marketing/Communications plan for any individual in the public eye, and every single person should be auditing their social media on a regular basis. What you deem funny today, may not be so funny when read again in six months. No tweet is worth losing your career.
At Metal Rabbit, we understand that athletes, executives, celebrities, and politicians are busy and don’t have time to police themselves or do routine audits of their past social posts. Tweets can still be misunderstood or taken out of context — even if your intentions are good — but we’ve seen first-hand how quickly individuals can be vilified in the court of public opinion. For those who would rather dominate on the field, in the boardroom, or on the big screen without distraction, let Metal Rabbit manage your reputation — past, present, and future.
Learn more about our industry leading reputation management division and our Comprehensive Social Media Audit. Our program takes a trained set of eyes to your entire social media footprint, flags any problematic entries, and offers the best course of action to maintain a positive online presence.
Learn more today: audit@metalrabbit.com