How does an organisation maintain control of its brand through social media? How can you protect your brand from the myriad of comments, videos, and tweets?

If you are absent from what is going on through social media then you are at the mercy of those people who are commenting on you.  You have in effect abdicated your role. You have surrendered the story to others.  To prosper in social media you need to be there telling your story. If you are not, others – including negative story tellers – will do the job for you.  So it is essential you participate.

Participation means listening, correcting and contributing and above all respecting the communities who are talking about you online.  You don’t have to respond to everything that is being said. You can be selective or address a group of comments through one post. But you have to be there.

Who would sit on their hands while the FT writes articles about you? No one.  So why should you sit on your hands when thousands and sometimes millions of people – your customers – are talking about you now through social media networks?