SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Social Media — tracks feedback from leading marketers about social media practices and issues.
This week, we asked: Are you considering closing your Instagram account following its privacy-policy update?
- I never used Instagram — 50.63%
- I’m considering closing my account — 25.94%
- I’ve already closed my account — 12.55%
- I’m not considering closing my account — 10.88%
Instagram has tried to walk back recent changes to its terms of service, but the damage may have already been done. More than two-thirds of SmartBrief on Social Media readers who use the service say they’ve either closed their account or are considering it.
What can you, as a social media professional, learn from the fiasco? Simple: You can’t take your fans/members/customers for granted. If they have certain expectations from your brand, you need to take great care in managing them. If you feel the need to alter your model, you need to communicate that to your fans directly in a way that’s sensitive to their needs. Don’t just assume nobody reads your terms of service; take control of the message and use the power of social tools to engage your most important fans directly.
How are you using social tools to manage customer expectations?