This post originally appeared here on Bulldog Reporter on April 30, 2014: 

Like it or not, social media is here, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Laggards not known for the active adoption of new technology and trends, received the message and are now using it to communicate with their key audiences in increasing numbers. In the 2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, marketers in companies indicated that 97% of them are now using social media (talk about market saturation). This indicates companies and governmental organizations understand “The Age of the Selfie” is our new reality.

To that extent, companies and governmental organizations want to engage the public on a level that also improves perception of their brand and reputation. However, like all things involving humans, as the Liberty Mutual insurance commercial goes, things don’t always go as planned.

The New York Police Department found that out this week when it tried to do a social media photo contest.

The NYPD tweeted this:

Fun, light, what’s the big deal, right?

Well, people started tweeting images like this:

…and like this:

Most of the entries on the #myNYPD hashtag included members of the NYPD in unflattering lights most of which show the officers seemingly exhibiting excessive force.

Now, one might wonder why would a highly controversial police organization that recently stopped their contentious “stop-and-frisk” program and also after it disbanded their secret Muslim spying program put itself out there like this? Why would any organization put itself out there at a particularly sensitive time? Great questions.

However, the NYPD is not alone in its decision-making fallacy. American Airlines caught major flack last week for turning in a 14-year-old girl in the Netherlands for tweeting to the airline the following according toUSAToday.com:

“hello my name’s Ibrahim and I’m from Afghanistan. I’m part of Al Qaida and on June 1st I’m gonna do something really big bye.”

After responding it would notify the FBI, the girl apologized. Then things took off. Teenagers began trolling American Airlines with more blatant posts implying bombs and other threats.

How did these two organizations get into this position, and how can you avoid repeating the same mistakes?

Know who you are and how you are perceived.

In both of these instances, the Goliaths should have been aware of the lurking Davids. The story of David v. Goliath, the original anti-bullying tale, continually translates into how corporations and organizations are perceived, no matter how rightly or wrongly the perception may be.

Understanding how others see and perceive your clients is the first step to avoiding social media fails like these.

Now, in defense of the NYPD and American Airlines, they cannot help they are big, strong, and resourceful. They should have tapped their resources. As much as people like to bash the federal government, when the people are in trouble and facing tragedy (war, natural disaster, etc.), they want the resources the federal government can give them and their neighbors regardless of political identity. Even Republicans, long known for their resolute political personalities, can put aside political rhetoric long enough to welcome the Democratic President of the United States to their state to get the federal funds their citizens need (See: Alabama Republican Governor Dr. Robert Bentley after the massive April 27, 2011 F4 and F5 tornadoes and New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie after Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 hit their respective states).

Social media can take the control from the top and sends it down to the grassroots level of people in their communities. Until an entity has created goodwill by uplifting the community, asking for community content like the NYPD did is like handing a two year old a loaded gun. Publicly chastising and calling the FBI an impetuous teenager on social media is unpredictable. These organizations seemed to not realize they are lightening rods for controversy; the public always has eyes on them. People watch and wait for their chance to speak up or strike out. Both the NYPD and American Airlines opened the door to be mocked by social media users and the mainstream media.

The NYPD is not Dove, which had one of the most loved social media campaigns last year. American Airlines is not Oreo (see the Clio-award winning tweet). While it is commendable American Airlines takes threats seriously, the trolling it opened itself up to by threatening the unwise teen girl’s act should have been foreseen. What American Airlines should have done was contact the girl via direct messaging. This action would have taken the entire conversation offline and away from public view. It would have minimized the exposure of the initial event and not prompted the trolling attacks on its social media account.

The NYPD and American Airlines forgot who they are and their public perception. Social media is only a tool of communication. Once you throw yourself into the limelight, the public will certainly inundate your accounts with their perception of your brand. It’s great if they love you. It’s not so great if they don’t. Be confident with your social media engagement; test the waters with focus groups, honest critics and even the known critics before you jump into unknown waters.