Social Media Overkill
/Social media has been around now for quite some time, but it still seems that TV stations are having a hard time figuring out how to use it.
Yesterday, just outside of Pittsburgh in Fox Chapel, police found some human remains.
How do we know this?
Because Pittsburgh’s WPXI tweeted out the news on their social media:
So did WPXI Reporter Amy Marcinkiewicz:
As did Reporter Amy Hudak:
Along with Reporter Christine D’Antonio:
WPXI’s Michele Newell chimed in with the news as well:
And, just in case you missed it WPXI’s Ryan Houston let you know:
Funny how each Reporter tweeted the exact same story, using the exact same words, all within a few minutes of each other.
It is likely that none of these Reporter’s posted those tweets and it was done by someone on the digital team back at the station. Someone, that was too lazy to change the wording and just spammed the Twitter timeline with the same story over and over again.
When TV stations require a certain number of posts and want their staff to engage with viewers, this is what you get.
Spamming social media is not engaging.
The one thing I always find amusing is that News Directors require the talent to post so many times a day and they require that they engage with viewers. Have you ever checked the News Director’s social media account?
You’re lucky if they have posted yet this month and it some cases this year.
News managers are very good at do as I say and not as I do.
Also, social media is about a personal connection. Letting the digital team post of talent’s pages is not personal.
I think the only person that should have access to the talent’s social media account is the talent.
Also, when breaking news hits, as in human remains found, it should be posted on the station account, the Reporter working the story account and maybe the Anchors could chime in with the news, but not with a cut and paste job.
Something like, “A shocking discovery in Fox Chapel this afternoon, our Reporter Christine D’Antonio is on the story and we’ll have it for you at 5PM and online at WPXI.com”
Use social media the correct way and not as a required promotion tool. You might find out that engagement will go up and the promotion will happen organically.
Just saying….
