Lynn Morton, manager, marketing technologies, American Academy of Physician Assistants

Jeff Hurt, director of education and events, National Association of Dental Plans

Maggie McGary, social media and community specialist, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Scenario 1: Facebook Party

The board is upset. A few members have been promoting the component meetings on Facebook and recently invited their friends to meet them at the bar before a meeting for a pre-party. The pre-party was not part of the scheduled meeting. The members did not get permission to hold the pre-party at the bar. Others complained because they were not invited.

What advice would you give the component board?

McGary: Is the component paying for the party at the bar? If not, then the whole scenario is maybe less of an issue because we’re talking about individual people making social plans using Facebook. Would it still be as big a deal if they had been spreading the word via email or text message? Or even face-to-face conversations?

Hurt: These private pre-parties were happening before Facebook arrived on the scene, when members set up their private parties via phone. Encourage the board members to shift their thinking and see this as an opportunity to develop and engage new leadership. Attempts to shut down the pre-meeting or control it will backfire.

Morton: Contact the member who started the event, see if it can possibly become a part of the original event, or offer to promote it via the organization’s Facebook channels. By doing this, you start to engage with the member and show that you are supportive of what your members do. It’s a way to include, instead of exclude, members in the organization.

Scenario 2: Tweeting During Meetings

A component board member is very upset. Someone set up a Twitter hashtag for the component without permission. Some members have been tweeting during meetings—and it’s not all complimentary. The board member is considering requiring members to turn off all phones, PDAs, etc., during meetings.

What advice would you give the board member?

Hurt: If you require members to turn off their mobile devices and laptops, you’re going to be seen as imposing “nanny-state”—outdated, top-down bureaucratic old-school control—and it will backfire. You’ll anger your members—and they’ll take their money and time somewhere that welcomes diversity of opinion. And just because they turn off their devices doesn’t mean they now enjoy your meetings.

McGary: If members are actively using Twitter, maybe it’s time to step up the priority of creating a social media strategy. Point out it’s not important who sets up the hashtag; it’s a good sign that members are excited about sharing content from your meetings.

Morton: About the negative comments: Those are an opportunity to prove the value and worth of your association. Don’t shy away from them, but don’t get dragged into a fight. Be smart about the way you respond. It’s all about providing great customer service, no matter the venue.

Scenario 3: Rogue Online Community

Membership in the component requires certification. A member of the component’s apprentice program set up an online community for people working on certification.

They link to the official component website and encourage their members to meet after component meetings for study groups.

The board demanded the online community be shut down immediately. They did not have permission to set this up! The guy who created the site is fighting back. He believes he’s providing a valuable service to the almost certified group.

What advice would you give the board?

McGary: Approach the creator of the site in a more positive way. Would he be willing to at least put up a disclaimer that the group is not sanctioned by the component, and make it clear that it is his group, not the component’s? This is definitely a “you get more bees with sugar than with vinegar” situation. Take a deep breath and try to make something positive of the situation.

Hurt: Shift your thinking. You have identified a leader in the making. He has recognized a member need and willingly provided a service. Applaud that member, embrace him, and encourage others to do the same.

Morton: How about trying to partner with this network and expand upon what the community creator has already done? Allow him to work within the confines of the component—and, all of a sudden, you are breeding new leadership blood.
Remember that if these are things on your website, they are likely free and open to the public. Put in that context, you may be able to appreciate the link from the creator’s site—as well as the free promotion of the component’s events.

Scenario 4: Bloggers Beware

A member attended a no-press component event and shared some of the discussion in his blog the next day. The board has to do some political recovery work—and that member is now viewed as a traitor.

The board is debating. Should they tell member bloggers they can’t attend? Or that they can’t mention the component in their blogs? Or should the board require them to promote component meetings and events in their blogs?

What should the board do about the bloggers?

McGary: The member probably didn’t have any bad intentions, and the “traitor” label is probably unwarranted. If the blogger truly shared “classified” information, the board could approach that individual and ask if he would please consider editing the post.

Hurt: Shift your thinking. Announce a new policy welcoming all bloggers—those that are both critical of and favorable toward your component. Encourage everyone to have an opinion and let their voices be known.

Go one step further and comment on their blog sites, thanking them for their opinions. You don’t have to engage them in debate. Just be authentic, transparent, and welcoming of divergent thought. If you do, you’ll take the sting out of some of their negativity. Read their posts and see if there is any truth in them, too.
By the way, in years gone by, these negative bloggers were talking about you during lunch, in the hallways, and on the phones. You just didn’t know it.

Morton: Why not create a multi-author blog, utilizing the members who already blog about the profession, and possibly a call for bloggers to the general membership? This creates more exposure for the component. What’s more, by incorporating those bloggers into the association’s blog, they are more likely to talk about your blog to their readers (aka viral spread).

Final Thoughts

McGary: Some “social media awareness training” would be a good idea for all these component boards and leaders!

Hurt: The leaders need to shift their thinking.

Morton: The quality conversations you have with members are what count in the end.