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Live By The Tweet, Die By The Tweet: What You Can Learn From Trump's Twitter Feed

Forbes Legal Council
POST WRITTEN BY
James Goodnow

Donald Trump could become the Icarus of the Twittersphere. His campaign soared on the wings of provocative tweets. Then he went too far: the CNN smackdown, an insult about a journalist “bleeding badly from a face-lift,” attacks in the aftermath of Charlottesville – to name a few. So far he’s staying aloft. But his waxen wings are melting.

For business leaders looking to increase their social media presence, the president is both a shining example of success and a cautionary tale. He is simultaneously tempting them to become more vocal about political, social and environmental issues, and making them terrified of mis-tweeting.

Trump – and top business leaders – can teach us a lot about why socially conscious tweeting is necessary, and how to avoid crashing and burning.

Trump knows Twitter is a powerful connection tool.

Twitter allows Trump to speak directly to his base in a way that makes them feel connected to him and their shared causes. He could never achieve this through ads, press releases and prepackaged messages. The same holds true for business leaders. In today’s world, consumers – particularly millennials – want to know that the companies with which they do business are not soulless corporate machines. They associate a business with the personality of its top brass. They see execs as social thought leaders. They expect them to have opinions and be engaged citizens.

Not having a Twitter or social presence could mean losing consumers, weakening brand loyalty and fading into irrelevance. Why? If you are silent, you are sending one of three messages: (1) you don’t care, (2) you are with the other side, or (3) you don’t have a clue. All are bad. Stone-cold political amorality doesn’t work for businesses anymore. If you try that, you are signaling to the world that your business is stuck in a bygone era – hardly where people want to invest.

Tweeting about international events raises awareness, communicates your business values and demonstrates you are interconnected with a globalized world. Even if your followers disagree, if you make solid, thoughtfully worded points, many will respect your courage and reward you with business.

Twitter works for Trump – and others – only when they’re authentic.

Trump’s off-the-cuff tweets (no one can accuse “covfefe” of being canned) give him the reputation for being real. The stark contrast between his brash, misspelled missives and Hillary Clinton’s fastidious phraseology was a major factor in the election. And it’s a lesson for businesspeople. Letting your guard down on social media might seem risky. To an extent, that can be true. But tweeting careful corporate communiques that could offend no one is possibly more dangerous. Save yourself the time and simply buy a billboard saying you’re a timid follower – not a bold leader. It’s so boring no one will tune in.

Being authentic doesn’t mean being generically casual. It’s a unique voice that emerges from your personality. Richard Branson’s Twitter persona is “Tie-loathing adventurer, philanthropist & troublemaker.” Elon Musk exudes a tech-centric cool, warmed by enthusiasm and wit. Bill Gates’ Twitter feed is a modern Library of Alexandria, with an emphasis on saving the world.

There’s a catch to authenticity, though: You have to stay married to it in good times and in bad. You shouldn't, as Trump has done, tweet “No WH chaos!” and “A great day at the White House!” just after your communications director and your chief of staff were fired, your press secretary resigned, your party failed to repeal Obamacare and you announced a controversial military policy without briefing staff.

Instead, when the fan is flinging you-know-what, take your cue from Richard Branson’s vulnerability. The Virgin Group founder recently tweeted an old photo of himself with his hand over his face next to the quote “Nobody gets everything right the first time – it’s how we learn from our mistakes that defines us,” and the question “When have you turned failure into success?” Or emulate Elon Musk’s self-deprecating tweet: “Must remember that irony and social media are not friends. Keep forgetting. Dammit.”

Twitter Case Study: Charlottesville

No situation more powerfully illustrates the pitfalls of social media than the aftermath of the deadly white supremacist march in Charlottesville. In this case, the tweeter-in-chief taught us what not to do. Trump received criticism not for what he tweeted but for what he didn’t tweet. Despite the fact that white nationalists – including former KKK grand wizard David Duke – invoked Trump’s name at the march that resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, Trump initially failed to denounce neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. After calling for love and respect in a speech, he attacked Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier and other businesspeople on Twitter for resigning from his business manufacturing advisory council. He also retweeted an image of himself as a train plowing into a CNN reporter, disturbingly recalling the white nationalist terrorist who plowed his car into innocent victims in Charlottesville.

Business leaders did not remain silent. Many took to Twitter, disregarding age-old advice about keeping business and politics separate.

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, who has been tossing Twitticisms at Trump since he pulled out of the Paris Agreement, quoted Abraham Lincoln in his advice to the President: “‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ Isolate those who try to separate us. No equivalence w/ those who bring us together.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook – who has emerged as a thoughtful, sensitive and even multilingual voice on social media – tweeted, “We’ve seen the terror of white supremacy & racist violence before. It’s a moral issue – an affront to America. We must all stand against it.”

One thing is clear from the examples of Trump and other high-profile business leaders: Don't let the fear of flying too close to the sun prevent you from injecting your authentic brand values into the Twittersphere.

The information provided here is not legal advice and does not purport to be a substitute for advice of counsel on any specific matter. For legal advice, you should consult with an attorney concerning your specific situation.